Alrighty, how’s this for mixed message of the week?
Disney darling Demi Lovato made headlines earlier this year for entering a treatment center to cope with undisclosed issues that many speculated included cutting and disordered eating.
In an effort to demonstrate her newly-found confidence, Demi took to Twitter on Monday and posted a shot of herself in a revealing bikini.
“I’ve been working so hard to get healthy and fit,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this but I’m so excited.. Here’s my bikini time body!”
Dammit, I’m torn.
On one hand, major props to Demi. What a gutsy move for someone who continues to struggle with body image issues (she told Seventeen Magazine last month, “I don’t think there’s going to be a day when I don’t think about food or my body, but I’m living with it, and I wish I could tell young girls to find their safe place and stay with it.”).
On the other hand, I’m scratching my head wondering why she (or her publicist, manager, agent, etc.) decided this was a good idea.
So much of what is learned in eating disorder treatment is about uncovering internal thoughts and feelings, while learning to find meaning and purpose beyond the physical.
While it’s certainly a huge accomplishment for any person, especially one who’s suffered from distorted body image, to feel comfortable in his or her own skin, I’m not sure rocking a bikini in a mass-broadcast self-portrait is the right way to encourage acceptance.
Especially when media outlets tend to disregard the substance behind such a bold move, and run with headlines like “Take a Look at Demi Lovato’s New Bikini Body!” and “Demi Lovato Tweets Picture of Her Toned Bikini Body.” Ick.
Regardless of how confused Demi’s exhibitionism makes me, it’s hard to argue with the sentiment behind it.
“I never thought I’d ever feel confident enough to ever do that. I’m excited how far I’ve come since being completely ashamed of my body,” she said. “I want any girl/guy out there who struggles with body image or confidence to know that it IS possible to find peace with yourself. It hasn’t been easy, but it starts with a commitment to yourself. . .your mind. . .and your soul. And trust me, I’m still working at it! Haha.”
Learn about Demi’s “Love is Louder” movement below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4uFy6H8hNA[/youtube]
–Michelle Konstantinovsky is a student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and an avid admirer of shiny objects and preteen entertainment. It would be nice if you visited her website: www.michellekmedia.com. Also, she may learn to use Twitter more effectively if you follow her @michelley415.
I’m ALL for Demi’s move to feel confident enough to post a picture of herself in a bikini.
I talk about bikini confidence a lot on my blog because while my quest to wear my first bikini was initially based on healthy eating and weight training, I realized that the bigger issue was the fact that I was not comfortable enough in my body to wear a bikini in public. I was ashamed of how I looked and had terrible self image. I still struggle with this. To me, the most important thing was to build confidence in myself, in my beauty, in my body– the bikini was secondary.
I wish the media saw Demi’s move the same way. Promoting her improved self image rather than her ‘hot bikini body’.
I think Samantha hits the nail on the head with her last statement. To me, the problem is not with Demi’s decision to post a bikini pic, but the problem lies within the people who are interprating this as “flaunting her hot body” rather than her just being proud of her new direction towards a healthy self overall. I only see this as a negative thing is people are seeing it as negative, but I don’t believe it was intended to for that reason.
I believe that outside the new healthy body, she will continue to display a healthy mind and lifestyle as well.
I’m with you…I had mixed emotions when I first saw this, but I love her reasoning behind it.
I support her in whatever helps her heal.
This just seems like a dangerous thing to do for a person with fragile body image. People will write comments and some of them will not be kind. It is the realm of the Internet- where anonymous commentors can find something negative and hurtful to say about anything- especially the female body.
I hope she is strong enough not to listen.