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Badunkadunk aka False Assvertising

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Posted at 06:09 PM in All Posts, Beauty, Curvy Girl, Humor | Permalink | Comments (0)

Real Women

As a plus size woman, I support the plus size community. I do. But I'm SICK AND TIRED of plus size women using the world "real" instead of more appropriate adjectives to describe themselves.

For example, in the last 30 days, I have seen no less than 3 size 24+ women talk about their size and how they are REAL WOMEN because they are plus size - or that a woman who is not plus size (i.e. an 8) is any less real than they are. To be more specific, I read a lot of blogs. Models and/or designers post images of their latest photo shoots, and the smaller the model, the more hateful comments that are posted in response ("Is she even plus size? That's not realistic!"; "Why can't you show what a real woman would look like in those jeans?"; "I won't buy that product because that doesn't show me how I'd look in it. They need to use a real woman next time! Show them what real curves look like!") Or, the uproar over the Lane Bryant ad and women were upset because the networks allegedly banned a commercial showing what a REAL woman with curves looks like. Ashley Graham rocked out that bra/panty set she had on in the commercial, but I wouldn't say she is more of a real woman than the ladies of the Victoria's Secret commercials.

No offense to anyone, but if you were born with a vagina, you are a real woman. Some people would even argue that if you had a store bought vagina that you are also real.

The word you are looking for is AVERAGE. The average woman is plus size. Not to be confused with the word real. Two totally different meanings. The average woman is 5'4" and a size 14 or 16 (depends on what statistic you look at). Logically speaking, if you were 5'4" and a 14 or 16, you are perfectly average. The average woman has your build. But, we're not all 5'4". And we aren't all 14s or 16s. For whatever reason, we like putting ourselves into boxes, and because a large percentage of women are overweight (no one can argue that a 5'4" woman, even at a 14, is not slightly to moderately obese) - maybe it makes us feel better to know that the average woman is in the same predicament that we are. She needs to lose a few (or a lot of) pounds. But, because we are similar to the average woman, it doesn't make us any more real than someone who is 5'4" and a size 4.

REAL WOMEN are women that can be a size double zero or a size 60 (or anything in between (or even beyond). It annoys us when people sterotype/nickname us as fat; lazy; ugly, huge, etc...so we should not insult our thinner counterparts by questioning their qualifications and deny their membership as a card holding member of the female community.

Instead, we should accept that we all come in different sizes and statures. Some of us work hard to look the way we do, some of us could do a little better and some don't do anything at all. We're all REAL women - regardless of our height/weight/BMI etc...and we should all love our bodies no matter what.

I don't want to go all Merriam Webster on everyone, but here is the definition of REAL (below). Below that is the definition of woman. Nowhere in either definition would it suggest that a woman needs to have "curves" to be considered real.

Main Entry: re·al
Pronunciation: \ˈrē(-ə)l\
Function: adjective
1 : of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things (as lands or tenements)
2 a : not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine ; also : being precisely what the name implies (1) : occurring or existing in actuality
---
Main Entry: wom·an
Pronunciation: \ˈwu̇-mən, especially Southern ˈwō- or ˈwə-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural wom·en \ˈwi-mən\
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wīfman, from wīf woman, wife + man human being, man
Date: before 12th century
1 a : an adult female person

I certainly agree that women over a size 14 have minimal representation in tv/movies/print. I'd even go much lower than that. Women over a size 6 or 8 don't exist in fantasyland. It's not just size 14 and up being ignored. We need to see all sizes represented in the media. Equally. And there is one way to make that happen. Speak with your wallets. If a show casts an actress over a size 6 or 8, watch it. Every week. If a book is written about a plus size protagonist, buy it. If a magazine comes out with a plus size woman on the cover, buy one and tell your friends to do the same. If a plus size fashion show comes to your town - go to it. If a new plus size store opens at your mall, frequent it. The more money that is made in this industry = the more attention this industry will get = more media representation.

Originally posted: 8/4/10

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Posted at 05:53 PM in All Posts, Curvy Girl | Permalink | Comments (0)