Recently I’ve been seeing and hearing way too much about how “the media” is feeding “body dysmorphia”.  The story is that because magazines air-brush away cellulite and flabby arms, and because models are a size 2 or 4, the media creates unattainable standards and girls hate themselves.  I have two responses:

1. If someone is going to put a picture of me up for the world to see, they damn well better airbrush out my flab and cellulite!  I don’t want people to see that, and nobody wants to look at that either.   Models are in the business of SELLING SHIT.  If they are flabby or have cellulite, I’m not going to see what they’re selling, I’m going to see the horrific bulges and imperfections and not notice the product.  Think about it.  When you see an appliance for a television or a kitchen appliance, is the shot done in a run down, disheveled “real” house, or is it done in the cleanest, nicest, most well kept, perfectly painted home setting that the production budget could afford?  I’m not going to buy a Magic Bullet if I’m too busy staring at the grease splatter on the wall, or the week old empty milk carton on the stove.   Does the media also feed “home dysmorphia”? 

2. It’s not “body dysmorphia” to think body fat is bad, or wrinkles and cellulite are undesirable.  You can be clinically overweight at a size 4 or 6 depending on your bone structure.  There are medical problems associated with being overweight.  If people don’t care about the medical problems, then I think it’s fantastic that a little bit of vanity might snap them into shape.  (If a person elects an unhealthy route to getting in shape, that’s hardly the fault of anyone other than the person.  But hell, if you’re going to be unhealthy, you might as well be nice to look at.)  Wrinkles are associated with a host of unhealthy behaviors, sunbathing being at the top of the list.  If cancer doesn’t scare the crap out of women, maybe the fear of wrinkles will!  Cellulite is associated with a lack of mobility and a poor diet.  If looking at other attractive women makes someone want to look as attractive, that’s a good thing.  It’s a good thing because a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in looking attractive and young.

So to all feminazis out there who think “real women” have extra weight, and that’s okay, STFU!