I-Spy...or do I?

I-Spy...or do I?

Look closely.  Do you notice anything a little off about this picture from Allure.com?  Yep, she doesn't have a damn stretch mark on her body.  I'm not sure why, but it outrages me when they post something about stretch marks and then use a model with a flawless body.  I mean c'mon!  I know there are PLENTY of real women out there, not to mention all the celebs and models who have stretch marks.  I guarantee that it doesn't make them look even an iota less sexy.

It's ironic considering #24 in the "Allure Guide to Looking Good":

 "There's nothing positive or attractive about criticizing another woman's appearance," says self-esteem coach Laure Redmond. "Even sitting around with your friends talking about how fat a certain celebrity looks or calling women 'cougars' is destructive—and it certainly doesn't make you feel any better about yourself."

Well then Allure, don't critize our natural, beautiful bodies.  You don't have to airbrush away stretch marks, cellulite, or scars to make a woman appear beautiful.  I find a woman who is comfortable in her own skin the sexiest thing of all.

I wonder, how is refusing to portray the honest beauty of a womens body instead of this flawless-as-a-newborn-baby image supposed to make us feel any better of ourselves?

Oh and one more thing, open up an issue of Womens Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen, Shape, or any other fitness magazine and see for yourself, some women DO have real six packs.

If you'd like to read the original article (there are some good tips there) then follow this link:
http://www.allure.com/magazine/2010/05/looking_better_naked?slide=28#slide=1

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Kim Kardashian, What Were You Thinking?

Kim Kardashian, What Were You Thinking?

I got this in my email today...

It made me sad and disappointed.  Ok, I'm not a big follower of Kim Kardishian; I mean, I never watch her show or anything.  I know her mostly through my magazine addiction, where she has represented the beauty of a womans body (by that I mean CURVES) and I had always applauded her for not letting her cellulite be airbrushed a while back.  That actually gave me the final push to stop hiding my legs all the time and stop critizing my body so hard.  I saw that magazine spread, she looked great.  I thought, hey, cellulite can still be sexy!  I've always loved hips, and let's face it my thigs aren't going to go anywhere anytime soon!  I'm happy with that though.  As long as I take care of my body, keep it strong and healthy, then I should feel sexy.

Of course, I don't feel like that all the time.  None of us do.  But this is why I'm upset to see Kim being a spokeswoman for diet pills.  The message that we should be happy, confident and sexy in our *own* bodies is something so badly needed right now, and she has effectively killed her role in representing that truth.  Must every woman with a little curve and weight be "fixed" and skinny?  NO!  I'm sick of the before pictures looking better than the after.  What happened to "This is the real me, I love my body."? 

Does Kim really need the money to have to do these ads?  I doubt it.

So why then?  I won't give up on myself-confidence and self-acceptance are part of a long journey, of course there are road-blocks on the way.  But what about others, those who haven't reached that mile marker?  Those who are too young and won't get a positive message?  She looked fantastic, there was absolutely no reason to advertise for these.  Diet pills ruined my body so much that my body became unable to sustain pregnancy and my youngest son was born 3 months early.  I worked at a nutrition store for almost 3 years, and I have seen heart attacks in teenagers, permanant thyroid and kidney/liver damage in women and men alike, and a host of other side effects.  These "all natural" diet pills don't help, they hurt!  The whole industry lies and preys on the cultural pressure on women to fit in with the media's popular images.

Speaking of, isn't Khloe a new mom?  These are women in positisions of influence.  They shouldn't be sending that message.  Yes, social responsibility is absolutely real.  Studies and history prove it again and again.

Tell me, is what you notice the cellulite?  I know the things I notice about myself are things no one else is looking at (even though it doesn't always feel that way).  These pics. are proof that you don't need to be super-skinny or have a mannaquin body to be sexy or confident.

  

Well, sorry Kim, but I'm not all beauty and no brains.  My girl crush has worn off and it's time for me to move on.  Here's hoping you do the same.  If we want to be happy with our bodies, we should change our mindset; not change our bodies to try and make ourselves happy.

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