2008 Woodie Awards
Milan establishes 'too skinny' law
Patricia J. Sheehan
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Perspectives
- Page 1 of 1
After the tragic death of Brazilian supermodel Ana Carolina Reston, 21, the modeling world finally took notice. She only had 88 pounds on her 5-feet-8-inch frame when she died. She refused to eat on a regular basis, surviving only on apples and tomatoes in extreme cases of hunger.
Now I don't know about you, but the last time I weighed 88 pounds I was wearing stirrup pants, rhinestone Keds and just learning my times tables.
Italy has issued a new "law" among the runway models for Fashion Week, which kicked off Feb. 24. In order to grace the catwalk this season, a model must have a body mass index of at least 18.5. BMI is a statistical measure of the weight of a person according to their height.
Reston's BMI was 13.5 at the time her death. London is also considering establishing this BMI rule on their runways.
Anorexia, sadly, comes with the modeling industry. You don't get work unless you fit into the clothes and if you don't fit into those clothes, you don't work. It's as simple as that; starving yourself is your only chance of survival.
Its not just supermodels who look like they might blow over at the slightest breeze, it's the ever so glamorous movie stars too. Nicole Richie, Mary Kate Olsen and Kiera Nightly are examples of ever-shrinking stars who are a constant reminder that sadly, very thin is in. Stars state that they don't have eating disorders and that they have always been naturally skinny. Bullshit. It's not natural to be able to see every tiny bone in your back and chest. Oh yea, I can count your ribs too.
The truth is Hollywood is overwhelmingly competitive. All these starlets are trying to beat each other for the movie, the magazine cover and the guy.
These women have a huge impact on American society. Honestly, sometimes when I look in a magazine and I see these stars, I question my own body. I mean, all I see boney shoulders and elbows dangling from tank tops and dresses, maybe I need to look like that too.
Then I snap myself back into reality. No, wait, I don't want to look like that. I want to be myself, and I especially don't want to give up potato chips and Cola-Cola in the process.
Whatever happened to glorifying classic beauties like Kate Winslet, Beyoncé Knowles and Selma Hayek?
These are what American women should be trying to be like- women who show off their curves and who are confident with who they are. If you don't like the junk in the trunk, don't look.
Or better yet, why not idolize women who have made a different impact on the world like Billie Jean King, Georgia O'Keeffe and Condoleezza Rice.
These women have changed the way society sees women in the professional fields. It's time to start to value the individual by what they have done; not by their dress size.
Now I don't know about you, but the last time I weighed 88 pounds I was wearing stirrup pants, rhinestone Keds and just learning my times tables.
Italy has issued a new "law" among the runway models for Fashion Week, which kicked off Feb. 24. In order to grace the catwalk this season, a model must have a body mass index of at least 18.5. BMI is a statistical measure of the weight of a person according to their height.
Reston's BMI was 13.5 at the time her death. London is also considering establishing this BMI rule on their runways.
Anorexia, sadly, comes with the modeling industry. You don't get work unless you fit into the clothes and if you don't fit into those clothes, you don't work. It's as simple as that; starving yourself is your only chance of survival.
Its not just supermodels who look like they might blow over at the slightest breeze, it's the ever so glamorous movie stars too. Nicole Richie, Mary Kate Olsen and Kiera Nightly are examples of ever-shrinking stars who are a constant reminder that sadly, very thin is in. Stars state that they don't have eating disorders and that they have always been naturally skinny. Bullshit. It's not natural to be able to see every tiny bone in your back and chest. Oh yea, I can count your ribs too.
The truth is Hollywood is overwhelmingly competitive. All these starlets are trying to beat each other for the movie, the magazine cover and the guy.
These women have a huge impact on American society. Honestly, sometimes when I look in a magazine and I see these stars, I question my own body. I mean, all I see boney shoulders and elbows dangling from tank tops and dresses, maybe I need to look like that too.
Then I snap myself back into reality. No, wait, I don't want to look like that. I want to be myself, and I especially don't want to give up potato chips and Cola-Cola in the process.
Whatever happened to glorifying classic beauties like Kate Winslet, Beyoncé Knowles and Selma Hayek?
These are what American women should be trying to be like- women who show off their curves and who are confident with who they are. If you don't like the junk in the trunk, don't look.
Or better yet, why not idolize women who have made a different impact on the world like Billie Jean King, Georgia O'Keeffe and Condoleezza Rice.
These women have changed the way society sees women in the professional fields. It's time to start to value the individual by what they have done; not by their dress size.
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