(no subject)

[rm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/world/africa/04mauritania.html

In Mauritania the beauty standard runs counter to ours and fat is the ideal. The article makes it pretty clear that this is just as toxic as the crap people put themselves through here to be thin.

I could get into that whole thing about "Real women have curves" here. I could say, for example, "Real women aren't treated like animals -- starved or force fed or otherwise controlled to be a more pleasing and valuable commodity." But the fact is, real women are treated like this all the time. Often, real women sign themselves up for it, wanting, assuming -- or even knowing -- there aren't other choices.

That's why every sentence that starts with that "real woman" thing just gives me the hives.

The idea of the "real woman" as opposed to some other sort of living, breathing, woman is a dangerous fiction.

Comments

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

I think it embraces the playfullness a little more; clearly not all men are 'supposed' to be black, and I think taking it off women's backs and body images makes it seem more of an empowering thing. I know women who use it as a 'real women are curvy like me' thing and not really in a 'those skinny bitches' way, but sometimes it's hard to hear the difference.