Disturbing

[kitanzi]

There's been some news lately about a (very little) backlash against super skinny models, and I say amen, I'm all for that. I never have understood why curves have become a horror and a dirty word in fashion and advertising. Obviously your mileage may and does vary, otherwise all the bony models wouldn't be making money. I don't get it, but then I'm hardly their demographic anyhow and wouldn't be even if I lost 100 lbs - I don't do glamour, even though I appreciate it.

I'm curious about the general attitude, though. I know the people likely to be reading this are not very representative of the "mainstream", but I'm still curious. Which of these women would you call more attractive, and why?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=416341&in_page_id=1879

Edit: You may want to also read the article. The woman in the bottom photo was told by the top woman (and many other "experienced" people) as part of some TV reality wanna-be-a-model show that she was too fat for fashion. Insanity.
For more information, a rather interesting interview, and another model style photo of the woman in the bottom photo check this out:
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=420299&in_page_id=1879&in_a_source=

(Thanks and credit to mosellegreen!)

Comments

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

I don't find either particularly attractive, but If I had to choose between them, the girl in the bottom photo is far more appealing the the one on the top. The one on the top has that "My hed is pasted on YAY" look to her, which is very unsettling when you realize its not a photoshop job."

Of course, I think you already know my tastes in women...

[ericcoleman]

Can the choice be "none of the above"

Call me a pig, but I generally insist that a woman have hips ...

[catalana.livejournal.com]

I think the woman at the bottom has gorgeous legs. I'd have to see her standing up to have a really informed view of her figure, but she looks great to me.

The top one I want to rush to a hospital and force to eat.

[otherdeb.livejournal.com]

I don't think either are great, but the bottom one is certainly the more attractive of the two. The one on top looks like either a heroin addict or a concentration camp victim.

[ericcoleman]

I think that another difference, the bottom woman has good skin. The skin tone of the other just screams eating disorder to me, even more than the bones sticking out.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I do, and I'm grateful for them. >:)
Though as far as the attraciveness of the bottom photo, you have lots of women that thin or thinner in the screensaver set. I admit she's on the bottom end of my range of "that looks great!" but I do think she looks great, and not just because of the horrific contrast.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

The first one? Frightens me. Seriously. Eek.

The second one is definitely more attractive. Not enough to make me jump up and get excited - not really my type, although a lot of that is clothing and style. But unquestionably more attractive than the first one.

[bardling.livejournal.com]

Yup, pretty much what she said.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Absolutely - the bottom woman looks healthy in a way that the top woman does not. She really does have gorgeous legs and glowing skin. What really stumps me, and reinforces the idea that curves themselves are taboo, is the "striped sack" look of the dress the top woman is wearing. It may be the angle she's at, but that looks like it would turn Marilyn Monroe into a shapless blob.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

She's not unattractive, but she doesn't fire my jets either. I agree with catalana about her legs.

To be hoenst, "getting out of a taxi" isn't really the most attractive pose you can put a person in anyway.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Well, there's a reason they call it "heroin chic" - though they then get outraged and surprised that people are achieving heroin chic by *gasp* using heroin. People is idjits.

[bardling.livejournal.com]

The first one looks undernourished, bony & sick to me. The second one looks like an attractive, healthy, normal-sized young woman to me. Slim and shapely, not a stick insect. At least what I can see.

Incidentally, I happend to be walking through John Lewis (UK department store) the other day when they had a fashion show on, stopped to watch briefly. I was vry pleased that they had 3 models of totally different body shapes, one of whom was definitely not slim at all, but well-rounded, courvaceous and good looking. An average middle-aged woman body shape, with hips, bust and belly. And quite attractive and beautiful.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

By the way, you have seen this, yes?
http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/inside_campaign.asp#
That link is particularly fun. There's at least three different pics you can get sent to - the curvy lady's nice.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Well, first off, the picture of Marianne Berglund is extremely unflattering. What the hell is that look on her face? And that dress, again, wtf? Looks like she's wearing a shiny striped sack.

Then I started looking at her legs and recoiled. Those are great legs? Great for what? They look like they'd snap like twigs if she ever tried to stand on them.

Jen Hunter, OTOH, has incredible legs. Plus breasts, and an actual humanoid shape to her body. I can't quite figure how she's considered a "larger woman."

I have to say, though, she's not too bright if she went on a show called "Make Me A Supermodel" and expected to somehow bust the stereotypes. What did she think would happen?

[madfilkentist]

My immediate reaction was that Berglund needs to get to a hospital fast.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

If there was a choice between the top and the bottom...errr...the top model? Ew?

She needs to get healthy. So *not* attractive.

The bottom one looks pretty nice, though. At least from what I can see in that position.

[the-gwenzilliad.livejournal.com]

Just so we all understand who is being classed as "too fat," here, the "curvy" model is a UK size 12. That's a US size 10.

Former US supermodel Cheryl Tiegs was a size 10. Size 10 used to be the standard US model-size for clothing. Every girl I knew in high school who was interested in modeling worked to achieve a size 10 figure.

I don't think anybody is making a choice for "curvy" models. The fashion industry makes a choice every day for girls who are killing themselves through self-starvation, and viewers of this particular television show voted that they preferred a very slender model with a little bit of shape to a model who looks like she could collapse any second. No huge strides have been made.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

These days it's hard enough to get small strides, they're worth being happy for.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, that 2nd link you put up - much nicer picture. Still not my personal style, but NICE collarbones. Pretty

[aiela.livejournal.com]

I do agree that the top picture is unflattering in and of itself - weird angle, bad clothes, stupid look on her face.

But even ignoring that, her legs are scary thin. My sister has a very active thyroid, and at age 42 weighs about 105# and is 5'3", and she doesn't even look that bad, although it's not pretty.

(My sister can out eat me any day. We really wish we could split the difference.)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Take a look at the second link which I just put up. It shows less of her legs, but I think you may like the dress. *G* And she's NOT a larger woman by any sane standard, other than being literally larger than Miss Skeleton. I agree, however, that she was tilting at windmills at best when she went for that show. She apparently thought she could strike a blow for larger models or something.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I agree that it's an unflattering pose overall, but it's essentially the same pose for both of them so it still seems a fair comparison. I've actually met a couple people who were hospitalized for anorexia at the time. If the top woman is not, she's close to it.

[billroper]

Uh, yeah. Ditto.

I've never understood why apparent anorexia is supposed to be attractive.

[alymid.livejournal.com]

I am sure that I won't be the only one commenting here that the girl on top scares me, and the girl at the bottom looks lovely and not a bit over weight.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't think you can really tell with that pose if they have hips or not. I agree, defined hips are important.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Nope, not the only, the first, or even the 12th! Obviously the photos were selected to go with the article, so they wanted that contrast, but the women are in the same pose and it doesn't look like it was a hard contrast to get.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I have, and it's still striking. Have you seen this?
http://glennferon.com.nyud.net:8090/portfolio1/portfolio04.html

The Art of Retouching - it's a before and after gallery from a retouching expert. Even the ones who are "good enough" aren't good enough.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

I have seen that one, yes. I find it downright scary. Nobody can look like the images of women in the media. It makes it so terribly destructive for girls.

Honestly, the touched up versions look more like detailed comic strip drawings than photographs.

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

Well I try not to judge beauty by size either large or small but that top woman I must admit I find disturbing. She truly, really does look anorexic.

I definitely like the bottom woman better.

I've been all over the size spectrum (but not ever like that top woman!). Clothes, the way they are designed now often, tend to look better on tall, thinner women. But this is a faction of design and I find it refreshing how much you can find better designed clothes in larger sizes now.

My goal after January (when stress decreases considerably) is to get back down a fair bit but my goal is highly realistic. I'd like to shoot for around 150 pounds. Which, at 5'11 is nicely svelte but not "thin". If I get below 200 I'll be thrilled and won't care much if I hit 150, that's just a number anyway. What I want is to be in better shape so that I'm more comfortable moving in my body for dancing, sex, playing... yoga... etc.

Hugs!

[folkmew.livejournal.com]

What I meant to say but didn't above is that I love it when I see larger women who really know how to dress well. I enjoy costume and clothing. I know thin women like museinred who can look amazing when dressed up and really do wear sweats around the house so it's not that I think anyone - fat, thin, large, small... need dress up all the time. But larger women used to be able to not find any clothes designed to be flattering to their shapes. It's a bit better now. Thank god.

(though, I'm sorry but... hip huggers in size 30 just boggle my mind. I think those really were invented for adolescent chicks with flat tummies...) (grin - but hey - I'm open minded on the subject and willing to be proven wrong by some sumptuous larger woman in hip huggers) ;-)

[cellio]

I'd be afraid to have the first one in my house. My 8-pound cat might jump into her lap and break one of her legs. Eww.

Of the two the second is definitely more attractive -- she doesn't look like she's starving, she has good skin tone (which suggests, unless there's lots of make-up, that she's getting her essential nutrients), and she looks happy.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I'm with the legs too. And OMG the chickie in the top pic makes Twiggy look like Ms. Piggy! She's a STICK! Ugh!

No, while I do have limits, dangit, women are supposed to have CURVES. Marilyn Monroe. Mae West. Tina Turner. A-flat is a piano key, not the shape of a woman. How can you possibly have a good snuggle with someone who's all corners and noplace snuggly? *sigh* Size 12, eh? That's on the small end of curvy, if I'm remembering my sizes right. Hmph.

We need more models that are Real Women. I think we would not only have better fashions, but generally better mental health of the populace. Oh, wait, that's bad for Big Business, right? No more diet pills, no more antidepressants.... what was I thinking?

(That's the whole point. I was *thinking*. Dangerous stuff, that.)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Small end of curvy seems to just about describe the woman in question, and apparently at least part of her reason for getting into this contest was to champion the idea of larger women as models, though at size 12 I can hardly consider her plus sized.

And keep thinking, the world needs more of that!

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

And keep thinking, the world needs more of that!

We try. Mind-numbing though the world can be at times, we try.