Future of Feminism, Day Eighteen: Size Acceptance

On day eighteen, I give a brief overview of the importance of the fat acceptance movement:

While I’ve already spent some time discussing the dangerous ways the media sexualizes women and girls, and how it gives the false impression that to be attractive, popular and interesting you must be skinny and hyper-feminine, today I want to switch things up little and talk about the body acceptance movement (also called “size acceptance” or “fat acceptance”), which attempts to combat the negative stereotypes around women and men who are conventionally considered overweight or obese.

One thing bears mentioning upfront: Fighting for body acceptance does not mean promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, according to Linda Bacon’s landmark book, Health at Every Size, and other recent studies, dieting is often ineffective at handling obesity, and sometimes the extreme measures used to combat obesity–surgery, liposuction, aggressive exercise programs–are more harmful than the extra weight. Not to mention that it’s far from true that all thin people are healthy. The myth that skinny equals healthy is rooted in our cultural obsession with weight and the media’s idolization of rail-thin actors and models.

Read the rest here.

A Feminist Countdown to 2011 ~ Day Thirteen

See the full calendar here.

Wrinkles and the FDA

I saw that the FDA approved an over-the-counter laser to be used at home to remove wrinkles. The news reporter talked as a video of a woman with alien-type goggles on winced as the doctor used some laser contraption to zap wrinkles and instantly make her younger…

Seriously folks, is this really something we need? I can just see it now…”Woman zaps off earlobe after sneezing while using at-home laser treatment.” Hours have passed and I keep thinking about what this development really means. First, maybe food safety is a more important issue to tackle for the FDA to tackle than beauty products (just a thought). Secondly, but no less disturbing, is the notion that you can’t be youthful and beautiful unless you don’t have wrinkles.


Of course, this targets women only even though nobody says it. Why is that? Well, think about this. All the wrinkle removal systems, all the anti-aging products, etc. are advertised in women’s magazines and through commercials starring women. They promise to reduce your wrinkles and fine lines, making you look and feel more beautiful with each application. The flip side of this being I’ve never seen Burt Reynolds or Sean Connery or even Tony Bennett in one of those ads. You know why? Somehow, men become “regal” or “stately” when they get old, wrinkles and all. A touch of gray at the temple is attractive and sexy. That’s the message society sends…

Now, I don’t know about you but I think this is a bunch of fahooey. Old is old. I don’t think Burt Reynolds’ wrinkles are any sexier than Angela Lansbury’s. However, we’ve allowed beauty to become synonymous with youth (for women anyway), and society is constantly putting pressure on women to be beautiful. I mean, let’s face it, the first thing people see is your face. God forbid that someone stops to think that you actually may be a good person despite your wrinkles or gray hair. I’m not against using these products if you know why you’re using them. In other words, you’re not trying to comply with the unattainable and warped definition of beauty—you love being you and are secure with that but maybe a few less wrinkles make you happy.

Women are the wiser sex; after all, we’ve tricked these men into believing that the older they get, the better they get. I think the trickery/boosting their egos should stop and say, “Hey guys. Maybe you should try that new wrinkle treatment because you look really old. You’re not a bottle of Scotch, you don’t get better with age.” See how they like it…

Targe Women: Your Garden

Remember that ludicrous "mow the lawn" commercial? Well, here's Sarah Haskins' take: