Beauty in America
the intersection of gender and culture
Thinking Anthropologically
In the Body Positivity Movement, gender is typically seen as part of a person's identity that is associated with particular characteristics as that gender. The movement is generally aimed at people who identify as female, as many companies use gender to market their products. This phenomena is discussed in the documentary series Killing Us Softly, showing how industries often overtly sexualize women in ads to appeal to the male gaze or gender products to make them more appealing for males and females respectively. For example, male-marketed razors are often named things like 'Turbo' or something that is considered highly masculine, while razors marketed towards females are typically pastel colored and called things like 'Petal', despite the two being the same exact design. However, the Body Positivity Movement above all else displays the intersection between gender, culture, and race, as it encourages people to appreciate all forms of beauty. The movement rejects the idea of a singular ideal in order to embrace everyone as they are, without pressuring peoples to go to unhealthy extremes to attempt to reach the impossible standards set by society.
The Movement
The Body Positivity Movement has grown since its introduction in the late 20th century, encouraging everyone, especially young women and girls who are often the targets of unhealthy beauty standards, to accept themselves and their bodies as they are. America is one of the worst offenders in this, with ads, shows, and magazines purporting the image of an 'ideal woman' that is impossible to achieve. Companies use photoshop and other image enhancing techniques to create a 'perfect' woman to sell their product; actors and actresses are typically exceedingly handsome or beautiful, even when the character is supposedly 'average' or even 'ugly' according to the story. The unfortunate reality is that because of these standards, many young women resort to unhealthy and extreme measures to reach the 'ideal' beauty.
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However many organizations have risen to the task of dispelling the impossible ideals of the past and heighten awareness to the issues caused by them, such as the Body Positive Project or AdiosBarbie.
Organizations
Advocates
Emme is an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association. She is a plus-sized model who has historically stood up for awareness of eating disorders. She is the first model to have spoken before a Congressional subcommittee in order to bring about this public awareness. Not only did she advocate for awareness of the dangers for women of all ages, she advocated for men as well. With her model background, she has founded a fashion design initiative with Syracuse University to teach a more inclusive range of design to students in the fashion industry. Her goal is for this initiative to include women from size zero to size twenty-four and over.
Pia Guerrero is the founder and editor of Adios Barbie, an organization meant to help people of all walks of life embrace their body. It is the first feminist website to expand to include race, sexuality, disability, and more. She is a Mexican-American who has suffered from being divided between both cultures, but has been able to find a purpose in helping others with body positivity. She travels all across the U.S. to present workshops on various topics such as yoga, body positivity, identity, feminism, and more. She has also worked with other groups, including the Department of Education and PBS, to create media to spread the message of positivity to younger people.
Connie Sobczak is the co-founder of The Body Positive, an initiative that teaches young women how to have a positive outlook on their appearance. When she was a teenager, Sobczak suffered from an eating disorder. She lost her sister to chronic illness that was a result of eating disorders and malnourishment, and created The Body Positive in her honor. Her goal with her co-founder, Elizabeth Scott, is to shed light on the unhealthy habits industries create in young women. She wants to ensure that the next generation of children, including her own daughter, Carmen, can grow up without the pressure of a society telling them how to look. The organization was originally intended for a demographic of white, middle-class women, but it has since expanded to include a more diverse background.
ABOUT ME
Hello! My name is Elizabeth, I'm a freshman here at Purdue. In my free time I often create short stories and play D&D with my friends; it's a great way to see how people take prejudices about race, gender, sexuality, etc. from the real world and incorporate them into their character's backstories and the world we've created!
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Like many people, male, female, transgender, or otherwise, growing up I had struggled with my image and the standards that social media created for me. I come from a mixed heritage, and thus I was exposed to two very different ideals: the slender, delicate Asian beauty and the curvaceous, tall American woman. It was very clear to me that neither of these ideals were achievable; however it was also very clear that beauty isn't restricted to one set of standards. Body Positivity isn't something that comes easily. It takes exposure and understanding and appreciation to all kinds of beauty. It's an intersection of gender, culture, and race. I hope as you explore this website you all can see this intersection in beauty standards for yourself.