Ladies, if you want to feel good about yourself, don’t read women’s magazines. Nothing makes you feel like a fat tub of lard more than page after glossy page of genetic mutants in desperate need of a cracker or two. But in the September issue of Glamour, there’s actually one page that’s making women breathe a sigh of relief: p. 194. Granted it’s only one page out of a couple hundred produced each and every month, but the picture of the average-sized woman in all her glory is apparently making readers write into Glamour in droves with thanks and gratitude, according to Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive. (Of course, she doesn’t mention all the crazies that must be writing in calling the model a fat tub of lard, but why ruin the celebration — albeit the mini one — of realism.)
The scary thing about this article is not her actual size or the comments made about Glamour’s decision. It’s that her real job is as a plus-size model. Just as the ‘regular’ clothing industry doesn’t use average sized models, neither do the ‘plus’ lines. Worse, for the plus models, I’d imagine: gain weight and you’re too big for plus, lose too much and you’re simply a large ‘regular’ model.
However, I do applaud her ability to accept herself, especially in such an industry. That’s some serious strength of character.
The picture is beautiful… and the title of this article is freakin awesome. 🙂
Beautiful! Hopefully one issue soon will only have real women or more magazines will put in more real women! Love it love it love it love it!
I thought she looked good. Nice color to her skin. She might have a little extra fat but who doesn’t?
I’m sorry, I know that it’s important for all of us to eschew the idea of the anorexic stick figure as an ideal of feminine beauty, but it is kind of annoying to have everyone applauding this woman as “real.”
Are skinny people not real? I’m taller than her, I think, (six feet) and a size 4. Am I not real?
Oh Katie, you are being a turkey! That is a thong and not a fat roll. Hey, I give it too her, she is out there in all her glory probably “feeling” sexy and wonderful. Isn’t that most of our, as the female race’s battle. I think it is great at any size or weight to just go for it and feel great. I think back at all the times when I was younger and I thought I was overweight and always felt like shit. What I would wish to go back and just be naked every chance I had. I now know that I am comfortable and very confident with my nakedness and that is what is sexy. The confidence and just going for it. I may have a little extra but I have never felt better.
as a life long enthusiastic fan of the female body.. they need to do this more often.
I had assumed it was a fat roll, but now that I’m looking again I’m thinking it is a thong. It looks red, not dark, the way the crease of a skin fold would look.
Les, are you seriously saying that if this woman was naked in the same room with you, you’d be turned off?
mmm on second thought I assumed the line around the back of her waist was a thong…is it just a fat roll? I know that sounds horrible but I can’t tell at all!
wow my body image is skewed! I thought she was around my size just with post-pregnancy stretch marks (I’m a size 8 and work out every day). To be honest, though, if she didn’t have such a photogenic face, no one would have paid attention to this picture. People born with simply more angular faces can often get away with more weight gain and still be deemed attractive by the general public.
I think this issue is more than GLAMOUR can capture in one page. Yeah a lot of women have very distorted issues with our bodies. Most of them know it’s wrong but still diet and sweat and starve trying to fit into the norm. I appreciate the picture…a lot. As an artist, I find the hordes of skinny models uninteresting. I want to recreate someone with hills and valleys and CURVES.
So yes, GLAMOUR, good job. Here’s a cookie for you.
But, women, as a gender, we need to get our sh*t together and start loving ourselves before loving a model on one page in one magazine. The beautiful woman up there won’t cure worldwide issues, let’s be honest, but I love that it’s spurring all this self reflection.
Okay, I have to admit that I said “eww!” when I saw that picture, but then I realized it may perhaps just be the angle.
Still, does anyone really look to Glamour to see the image of an average woman?
I don’t open a sports mag to hear about a woman’s weekend softball team. I don’t read my music magazines to hear about a college kid who took guitar up on the side.
I saw a clip of her on the Today show–she’s a size 12-14, which is the average for women in this country. She also says she eats healthy and works out–she’s just not naturally stick-thin. Seems reasonable enough to me.
Is she actually a “bigger” woman? She looks normal to me. Or let me put it another way … I’m smack dab in the middle of the normal weight for my height, I’m in decent shape, many people have called me “thin,” and my stomach still does that when I’m sitting down. Oh, and my thighs touch, even though I have muscular legs.
Let’s not forget that even models and actresses are photoshopped within an inch of their life when they appear in these magazines. I think it’s seriously distorted our idea about what women actually look like.
On Yahoo Shine she was called fat and disgusting by many, although some tried to defend her I think that this picture for many is why bigger women are considered gross. Many pointed out she’s not healthy and that although this is good for self esteem it supports over eating and an unhealthy life style. (WTF?) I’m a big girl too, not tall and well balanced like this model. I do love the pic because she’s happy and shows what most real women look like. I wish people would stop fussing over it though.