something secret

Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on this blog on January 3rd, 2011.  I am republishing it because I think it's a message that bears repeating.  I t has been lightly edited for style and grammar.  Read some of the subsequent writing I've done on body image in the following posts: Changing the Conversation: The Dove "Real Beauty" Campaign and the Debate on "Real" Women Changing the Conversation Pt. 2: The Dove "Real Beauty" Sketches via  inside thought Makes you cringe a little doesn't it? When I first saw this photo in  December,  it honestly just made me sad. Sad for this woman, sad for myself, and sad for the industry that makes this kind of thinking so ubiquitous.  The sad fact is that millions of women feel this way about themselves because of the severely restricted standard of beauty that is perpetuated within the fashion industry.  I spent the last two weeks of the semester writing two different papers on digital manipulat...

If you've been anywhere near social media in the last few days then you've probably already seen or heard about Dove's latest campaign effort: The Dove "Real Beauty" Sketches. The sketches are presented as a "social experiment" to show women that they are "more beautiful than they think." A forensic artist draws two sketches of each woman: one drawn from descriptions she gives of herself, the other from a stranger's description of her features. We then sit back in awe as the woman in question is presented with both sketches; confronted with the fact that she is perceived to be significantly more  attractive  than she considers herself to be. Now, I've taken Dove to task for this campaign before (in fact that post remains the most read and visited post on this blog, week after week, more than 6 months later) but I think that it bears repeating why this campaign, while clearly well-intentioned, is horribly misguided. I'll even admit ...

The Image of Real Beauty? via Lexis Agency There are many things that bother me in this world. That's why I have a blog. So I can whine about them in peace, and not harass people who don't want to hear about it. But there's something happening in the body politics debate that has been bothering me in the last few months, and I want to lay it out in the open. The Dove "Real Beauty" campaign is problematic. In the last few months, I've seen countless advertisements from Dove touting their dedication to "real" beauty and "real" women. Naturally, all the women in the ads are older, curvier, and often, women of colour. Now, you must be asking yourself what could possibly be my issue with a campaign that seeks to radically change the definition of beauty? Dove's ads have taken women who are typically ignored by major beauty franchises and elevated them to star status. This is what we've been asking for, right? Dove has finally done what ...

via Game Front There are a lot of things that get me fired up and angry. The recent onslaught of sexism , violence  and  hatred directed at Anita Sarkeesian  because of her desire to examine sexist tropes in video games is one of them. But I'm not a gamer. My favourite video game is The Sims. I have no expertise in this area, and so I kept silent for fear I would do more damage than good by not having all the facts.  But silent no more. Writer Ernest W. Adams , has put together a succinct analysis of why sexism in gaming is something that needs to be combated, and why men are the ones that need to do the fixing. As Audre Lorde said, "It is not the responsibility of the oppressed to educate the oppressors about their mistakes."  Read on, and get educated. *** Guys, we have a problem. We are letting  way  too many boys get into adulthood without actually becoming men. We’re seeing more and more adult males around who ...

via Independent Fashion Bloggers Three years ago I joined an online community that I hoped would help me to refine my ideas about fashion and hone my ability to discuss its various intricacies in an online medium. Today, I am officially severing ties with IFB and moving on. Because after what has transpired over the last few days, I can no longer remain a part of that community and also remain in good conscience. You may have heard by now about IFB's poorly-received "article" on Bloggers and Body Image  and the incredibly ill-advised follow up, An Open Letter to the IFB Community . The first, written by staff writer Taylor Davies insinuated, likely unintentionally that the "top-tier" of fashion blogging remains white-washed and homogeneous in terms of size and age because more diverse niche bloggers were not disciplined enough to post regularly and produce compelling content. When the commentariat effectively revolted, the post was ...

So... The Fifty Shades Trilogy. Let's discuss. Apparently we're calling it " Mommy Porn "? Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, and you know that it has exploded in popularity basically overnight. Last count puts it as the fastest selling paperback of all time, edging out J.K. Rowling's (far superior) Harry Potter series. A lot has been said about the books. Some people love it , and profess that it's forever changed their sex lives. Some think it's simply a poorly written story . Some can't seem to get over the fact that Ana is the world's first 21-year-old luddite , and others  refuse to read it entirely. But the narrative that seems to keep getting lost, and the one that I think is most important, is the fact that the Fifty Shades trilogy glorifies abuse .  Yes, ABUSE . And it's not okay that you're okay with that. The Fifty Shades Trilogy via Dorkadore Before I continue, let me be ...