BY: Erica Goodman
Date: August 27, 2015
The media is known for its very narrow definition of beauty; it bombards us constantly with images and messages of what we should look like if we want to be considered beautiful, healthy, handsome, fit…the list is endless. One way to combat these potentially harmful and triggering messages is to post, share, blog, tweet, and talk about body-positive images and messages in an active way. By doing this, we can take back the media and promote body-diversity and body-positivity.
There have been numerous articles lately that received attention for their focus on body-positivity:
The Huffington Post recently posted an article about how a photographer, Carey Fruth, sought to redefine the term “American Beauty,” most commonly associated with the 1999 movie and its iconic, fantasized images of a thin, white female laying in a bed of rose petals. Fruth photographed 14 women to expand what the media has traditionally defined as “American beauty” in order to turn it into an all-encompassing, body-positive message:
Lena Dunham, from the HBO series “Girls,” is often in the media for her positive messages about body-image and body-confidence. In a recent article posted on hellogiggles.com, a website that often posts body-positive articles, Dunham is highlighted for her inspiring social media post about running and how it helped her feel powerful, strong, and in touch with her body:
http://hellogiggles.com/lena-dunham-paparazzi-pic/
Another recent article from hellogiggles.com features an artist who created a stop motion video called “Manipulated” to combat unrealistic beauty ideals that the media often portrays. She discusses how her own journey through how she experiences her body lead to her developing this important project:
http://hellogiggles.com/126-photos-body-challenge/#read
Although #aerieREAL has been around for a year, it is a perfect example of setting the bar to take back the media in favor of body-positivity. The #aerieREAL campaign launched in 2014 when the Aerie clothing company vowed to never retouch photos of their models and to not use super models in their advertisements. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has honored the #aerieREAL movement in hopes of inspiring other companies to jump on board.
http://apparel.edgl.com/news/Aerie-Honored-for-Body-Positivity-in-Advertising99361
http://mashable.com/2014/01/21/aerie-lingerie-ads/
These links are just a few examples of how traditional, media-defined standards of beauty are being combatted by inspiring individuals. Sharing such articles and images boosts their visibility and availability, which brings us closer to taking back the media. So, go on – tweet, blog, chat, instagram, and spread the body-positive movement in the media!
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