American Apparel’s “plus-sized” model search is a total farce
So many awful puns, so little time.
I have never loved anything like I love ripping on American Apparel, and they make it so easy. Their latest? A “plus-sized” line that consists of a size 12/14—a straight size in most retailers—and which is available in a whopping 20 styles. How gracious of them!
Given American Apparel’s previously stated stance on plus-sized clothing (it’s “not their demographic”) and their current financial state (dire, to say the least), this is certainly just a money grab. Of course, American Apparel can never leave bad enough alone, so they’ve gone the way of their “Best Butt” contest and concocted yet another ridiculous Internet beauty pageant to promote their new “line.”
The contest is called The Next BIG Thing—get it? Big? Like a size 12/14 is so big?—and encourages “bootyful” women to submit their photos in hopes of becoming American Apparel’s newest model. Not only does this contest’s copy seems to be written by a 12 year old, the whole concept is tired and outdated. Women in direct competition while their bodies are judged by the masses? For a company that wants so badly to be cutting-edge, American Apparel sure doesn’t trouble itself with innovative marketing.
I’ll tell you what, though: the woman in first place as of this writing is amazing. Nancy Upton’s photos show her in varying states of undress in sensual positions with food, a send-up of the absurdity of the contest. She writes on her blog: “My good friend Shannon Skloss came over to take some ‘booty-full’ photos of me…but I just couldn’t stop eating.”
Nancy’s photos make obvious the way contests like this one turn women’s bodies into objects of consumption. I hope she stays in first place and wins this contest; maybe then American Apparel will be forced to step back and re-evaluate the way they approach their customers. Or maybe not—but at least we’ll all have a(nother) good laugh at their expense.
–Melissa
The list of “Fat TV” shows keeps on growing
A&E's "Heavy" is the latest show to join the Fat TV genre.
Reality TV is so passé.
Ladies and gentlemen, make room for Fat TV.
Granted, this post has been a long time coming, but as usual, the geniuses over at Jezebel finally prompted me to write it.
Yesterday, they blogged about the new A&E show, Heavy, which, unlike other shows, doesn’t involve competitions, makeovers, or the alarming brutality of Jillian Michaels. It’s simply a “docudrama” on people struggling with obesity.
As Dodai at Jezebel puts it, “Do we really need yet another show that reinforces the idea that the most important thing about fat people is not that they’re people, but that they’re fat?”
I don’t know — you tell me. Here is at least a partial list of the fat-centric shows that have recently filled up TV time slots: Huge, More To Love, The Biggest Loser, Mike & Molly, Ruby, Drop Dead Diva, I Used to Be Fat, Dance Your Ass Off, and of course, the upcoming plus-sized version of The Bad Girl’s Club.
In 2009, The F-Word.org cited a television study that found, “while some 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, only 24 percent of male characters and 13 percent of female characters were fat. And the roles are as token as the actors, especially for women and even more starkly, for black women. Fat characters are more likely to be in minor roles, less likely to be involved in romantic relationships, have fewer positive interactions than thin characters, and were often made the butt of jokes.” Continue reading
Special K rips off body-positive Yay Scales to sell weight loss
Courage: To be had only after **taking the Special K challenge**
As I watched the Today Show the other morning, my jaw dropped in disbelief to see that once again, a body-positive message had been co-opted — nay, full-on stolen — by a corporation selling foods for weight loss, in the name of “health”. The awesome Yay Scales, created by Marilyn Wann (incredible author and fat activist) now appear on Special K commercials. Without consultation or permission.
Here’s the commercial, followed by a video of About-Face volunteers using Yay Scales to challenge beliefs about weight.
Yay Scales are bathroom scales doctored to say positive words like “perfect”, “fantastic” and “gorgeous” instead of numbers indicating weight.
This is about stealing a clearly brilliant idea, and it’s about twisting a message that is so clearly about accepting our bodies as they are today, NOT only when we lose weight.
Marilyn has been taking Yay Scales to streets and events for many years now, and she personally taught us how to make ours.
What’s the upshot besides super-capitalistic intellectual property infringement? Well, actually it’s about weight loss messages. Special K’s message, circuitous though it may be, says that when women take the Special K challenge (by standing on a scale in Central Park?) they will gain pride, confidence, and courage.
[Don't even get me started on the Special K Challenge itself. See "The Problem with the Special K Challenge" over there on Jezebel.]
Because really, you can’t feel those wonderful emotions until you lose a bunch of weight!? That’s almost worse than saying your worth is measured by a number on a scale.
From Marilyn Wann’s press release:
“I care way too much about being healthy and happy to try to get there through weight loss,” said Wann, an international spokesperson for fat civil rights. “It’s not about settling, it’s about celebrating! I hope Kellogg’s next ad campaign encourages all of its customers to eat well and enjoy their bodies. Here’s a slogan they can use: ‘What do you gain when you lose self-hate?’” (The current campaign’s slogan: “What do you gain when you lose?”)
If you want a REAL Yay Scale for yourself, go to VoluptuArt and get yourself one of Marilyn’s! It’ll be the best $45 you ever spent.
Click “More” below to see Marilyn Wann’s full press release.
–Jennifer Continue reading
“The Bad Girls Club” goes plus-sized. Oh boy.
"The Bad Girls Club": A bad show just got much, much worse.
Reality TV never ceases to amaze me.
While extremes like Bridalplasty make me want to punch people, other, lamer shows like Real Housewives: How Can You Even Tell Which City They Are In Since They Are All Basically the Same Vapid People, can be entertaining, or just mildly sad.
So, hooray for Vh1 for taking an already suspect show, The Bad Girls Club, and making it even more ridiculous.
The Bad Girls Club, which is a show on the Oxygen Network, is getting a makeover and heading for Vh1. However, this time, lucky viewers, the girls are plus-sized!
Oh wow, what a great spin on the show!
Some former Bad Girls mug for the camera.
Ugh, when are we going to get past finding larger people hilarious to watch? I mean, fat jokes and the millions of weight loss shows are enough, but this?
This show is just saying, “Look! These people are already hot messes with stupid dramas. Let’s see what happens when we also add weight issues!”
Normally, I would champion having different sizes spotlighted in the media, but I draw the line when it’s added in order to mock or insult.
Reality TV has never been a bastion of culture, but come on guys, this old trope?
– Miriam
Miriam Traore is a San Francisco Mission District native with a degree in Global Literature from UC Santa Cruz. She currently works for a SF Bay Area child welfare non-profit. She is thrilled to contribute to About-Face and to have a forum to discuss representations of women in the media. When not dreaming about what her next meal will be, you can find her dancing all around the city and secretly nerding out with her fellow closet geeks.
“Elle” makes a mockery of Gabourey Sidibe’s cover girl moment
Gabby's "Elle" cover faces off with red carpet Gabby. Notice anything different?
What do you call a top fashion magazine that features a plus-sized African American actress on its cover? Progressive? Revolutionary?
If you’ve read recent Internet reports of Gabourey Sidibe’s October Elle cover, you might call it “racist,” “offensive,” or, as Salon puts it, “a weird fetishization that borders on patronizing.”
Allow me to explain. In honor of Elle’s 25th anniversary, the magazine is featuring a photo portfolio on “a new generation of smart, talented, game-changing artists, filmmakers, actresses, and activists.” Four of these lucky ladies landed a coveted spot on Elle’s special series of covers: Amanda Seyfried (Caucasian, thin), Lauren Conrad (Caucasian, thin), Megan Fox (Caucasian, thin), and Gabby (none of the above).
While the inclusion of a dark-skinned, big-bodied actress sounds like one giant leap for womankind, Gabby’s cover portrait frankly makes it hard to tell that she’s either one of those things. Illuminated from every angle and cropped just below her chest, she’s almost unrecognizable.
By the time I received my issue in the mail (hey, it’s considered About-Face “research”), I had already heard the hubbub surrounding Gabby’s Elle controversy. But my expectations for fashion magazines are never very high to begin with (though Glamour has been full of nice, body-positive surprises lately), so I wasn’t entirely shocked by the ultra-altered picture. I was more appalled by Elle’s lame excuses for the photo fiasco. Continue reading
Designers won’t think outside the sample size to dress Christina Hendricks
Christina worked a Zac Posen gown at the 2010 Emmy Awards.
Yes, I’m on a Christina Hendricks kick.
Can you blame me?
Just a few days after my last post on the “Mad Men” star and some supposed Photoshopping shenanigans, Christina strutted down the Emmy Awards red carpet Sunday.
While it may have been tough to notice anything other than the ravishing redhead’s um, assets (which are very much real, despite whispers that her “Mad Men” alter ego, Joan is just very strategically padded), many took note of Christina’s dress.
And not in a good way.
I’ll admit, I was put off by the lavender Zac Posen number myself. But you can’t blame the girl. According to an interview with the Daily Record, designers aren’t exactly lining up to dress her curves for the red carpet.
“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about me,” Christina told the Scottish news source. “Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.” Continue reading
Girl Scouts aim to change the face of fashion
Julie, Leona, Anansa, and Lizzie share their stories for "The Changing Face of Fashion" video series.
They’ve been around for nearly a century, count 3.3 million members worldwide, and are considered a preeminent leadership development organization.
In case the only thing you know about the Girl Scouts is their unwavering dedication to supplying America with Thin Mints, it’s time to learn more.
With the help of four Wilhelmina Curve models (the agency’s division of women size 10 and up), Girl Scouts of the USA created The Changing Face of Fashion, a series of videos that explore self-esteem and personal empowerment.
Told from the perspectives of plus-size models Anansa Sims, Leona Palmer, Julie Henderson, and Lizzie Miller (remember her from the now-famous Glamour nude shot?), the videos are part of a new Girl Scouts initiative to address the image of girls in the media.
As if we needed any more proof that females are constantly bombarded with distorted messages, a survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute revealed some disturbing statistics. Though almost 90 percent of the 1,000 girls polled, ages 13 to 17, said the fashion industry and/or media place a lot of pressure on them to be thin, 3 out of 4 girls still consider fashion “really important.”
Furthermore, nearly one-third said they have used drastic methods such as starving themselves to lose weight, and more than one-third know someone their age who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder. Continue reading
Kate Harding on Kevin Smith
As you’ve probably heard, actor/director/writer/producer/fat guy Kevin Smith was recently booted off of a Southwest flight for being too fat to fly. The internet has been ablaze with commentary on both sides, but Kate Harding’s input over at Salon’s Broadsheet blog does a fantastic job of pointing out the problems with sizeist airline seating policies:
I think of the thousand humiliations, small and large, most fat people have already endured in their lives — the insults from family and “friends,” the cow-calls on the street, the discrimination, the bullying, the news every day that their bodies constitute a horrifying crisis for the American public. I think of how dreadfully uncomfortable it is, physically and emotionally, to fly in a fat body that isn’t bruised by the armrests and doesn’t require a seatbelt extender, and how much worse it would be if I weighed significantly more, like some of my family members and dearest friends do. I think of how few people would be willing to raise the kind of fuss Kevin Smith has (let alone how few fat folks could get so many people to listen) because they would automatically be too ashamed of themselves if a flight attendant made a public spectacle of removing them from an aircraft.
I’d love to add my commentary to this, but honestly, Kate’s pretty much got it covered. What seems to be getting lost in all of this discussion of whether or not fat people are obligated to pay more, emotionally and financially, to exist in a thin-centric world, is just that: fat people are people. Larger bodied people deserve the same respect as thinner people, period. We all need to keep this in mind as we discuss the questions and controversies that will arise in this conversation.
–Melissa
On pressure, plastic surgery, and giving in.
Yesterday I realized that I am a Susan Boyle in a world of Heidi Montags.
Singer Susan Boyle's decidedly plain appearance has gotten just as much attention as her beautiful voice.
Let me explain. After having 2009’s best-selling album, Susan Boyle has been heralded as much for her glorious voice as she has been scrutinized for her plain, frumpy appearance. Media attention has been as focused on her outward makeup as on her inner gift.
Meanwhile, reality television star Heidi Montag just had 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day in order to compete in what she admits is a superficial industry. The procedures included a brow lift, pinning her ears back, breast augmentation, fat injections in the cheeks and lips, chin reduction, neck liposuction, liposuction of waist and thighs, and a buttocks augmentation. Heidi has stated that she wanted to uncover her “best self,” but has since appeared on the covers of magazines and been the subject of articles and blogs all wondering the same things: Is she obsessed? Is she addicted to plastic surgery? Even Heidi’s own mother is reportedly “horrified.”
When Susan Boyle was laughed at prior to the triumph of her voice, I wanted to hug her and reassure her that she was worthy and beautiful. Continue reading
Whole Foods Market to employees: No Fatties!
Jezebel very recently covered Whole Foods Market’s announcement of their new “Team Member Healthy Discount Incentive Program.” They addressed the most important bases: Whole Foods is asking its employees to reveal their health information in order to recieve a higher discount, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is refusing to acknowledge why that’s problematic, and employees with a BMI over 30 are totally getting the shaft on a potential discount.
There are a million reasons why this “incentive” program is creepy and invasive, and the commenters at Jezebel do an awesome job at pointing them out: this program tries to turn employers into doctors, it very narrowly defines an idea of health, and it blatantly discriminates against larger employees.
I’m here to throw my voice into this as a former Whole Foods Market employee. I left the company about a month and a half ago for a number of reasons, one among them being this Orwellian nightmare.
I remember hearing late last summer the rumors that our company would soon be implementing a reward system based on weight. “Did you hear?” a coworker asked me as we were walking through the café to our respective workstations. “They’re trying to give skinny people a bigger discount.”
I found this hard to believe and I was pretty immediately outraged. I’m certainly not what the world considers “skinny”–was I going to lose something in this situation? As I investigated out of concern, I found out more things: the discount incentive program would be based on BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking status.
The program was being developed more or less behind closed doors by the secret board of shadowy figures over in Texas, where Whole Foods’ headquarters is located. Employees, my in-store educator informed me regretfully, had no input on this. I couldn’t believe it. They wanted to police my body, but they didn’t want to hear my opinions about it.
It’s been six weeks since I left that company, and when news of the incentive program broke a few days ago, it was worse than I might have imagined. I could write for days about how unnecessary a program like this is—does my naturally low blood pressure make me less worthy of an employee? All of my super-positive customer feedback says no—but mostly I want to focus on the ridiculous use of BMI in this program.
Whole Foods lays out the groundwork of their new discount program
The graduated discount level says one thing: thinner is better. It leaves no room for people with higher BMIs to be viewed as fully functional, and reinforces the very much untrue cultural notion that fat automatically equals unhealthy. It creates a hierarchy based nearly entirely on BMI—the lower your BMI, the higher your discount. And there’s no minimum BMI, either, so individuals who are categorized as “underweight” are rewarded despite the potential health risks of having a very low BMI.
I can’t even begin to address how triggering this environment could be for somebody with an eating disorder or somebody at risk for developing one. And the contradictory message this sends to fat employees is ridiculous: if somebody with a BMI over 30 doesn’t smoke and has good blood pressure and cholesterol levels—and trust me, this happens way more than people like CEO John Mackey and his “Whole Foods Market Scientific and Medical Advisory Board” care to admit—they still don’t get that extra discount. In the end, this is much less about health and much more about the enforcement of acceptable body types.
In his letter to employees, John Mackey said he thought that this program was “empowering and fun for team members who enjoy a challenge,” but what’s empowering about being told that you are less worthy than fellow employees? What’s great about feeling like you have to fit a very narrow, very specific mold of ideal health? And what’s fun about realizing that your contributions to your workplace mean less because of the inner workings (and outer appearance) of your body?
In my eyes, nothing, which is why I left. For a company that claims to promote “team member happiness and excellence,” Whole Foods sure gets a lot of things wrong.
–Melissa