Body shaming, dehumanizing standards, and demeaning measures of female worth are all very real and ever-present in today's society. Through various forms of media, society subliminally slips in their "one-size-fits-all" standard for women. Have you ever noticed the way in which women are portrayed in the magazines or television ads that you see daily? You'll typically see a beautiful, thin, flawless woman laughing and smiling while sitting with her significant other and adorable children. Seems harmless enough, but what is this ad actually telling us? This woman who is laughing is "America's Sweetheart." She is the woman that all women should aspire to be (in society's eyes, of course). Let's dissect this hypothetical ad for a moment. What are we literally looking at? A beautiful woman who is thin with perfect skin, hair and makeup, enjoying an evening with her husband and kids. Now, what is the subliminal message? In order for a woman to be happy, she must be thin, physically flawless, and have a family which includes both a husband and children.
How many women do you know who perfectly match this fictional ad above? I'm going to guess not many, given that no one is perfect and cannot achieve the "one-size-fits-all" standard of beauty. Sorry society, but "Stepford Wives" are not real. The media gets women to grow up believing these false, impossible standards by using female celebrities to spread their message—whether they are aware of it or not. Celebrities are our role-models and the people placed on pillars for all to see and worship. Since all of Hollywood seems to believe and advocate these false principles, it is easy for those actresses connected with it to also get sucked in. Thankfully, stars such as Jennifer Aniston and Meghan Trainor, have been speaking out against our current standards.
A recent article written by actress and "Friends" star, Jennifer Aniston, has helped to spark discussion about the impossible beauty standards that society places on women. Her piece for The Huffington Post entitled, "For The Record," exposes the media's unfair and downright demeaning treatment of women. She is the modern female's ally, exposing the falsehoods and standing up for the majority of women who do not fit into the "perfect woman" persona. She states, "We [women] are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child. We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies." A little extra fat around a woman's core should not automatically signify that she is either expecting or has let herself go. These false rumors are what pushed Aniston over the edge in the first place and led her to write this much needed article.
Aniston is not the only female celebrity to combat the standards for female beauty. Singer and songwriter, Meghan Trainor, is a huge advocate for embracing your body. "All About That Bass," is about being proud of your curves and being aware that you don't have to look like a runway model in order to be beautiful. Trainor recently became involved in a photoshopping scandal. She removed her music video for "Me Too" after discovering that her waist had been photoshopped without her knowledge. Being that she is always outspoken about her waist and curves, she was upset to find that her waist had disappeared in the video to make her appear thinner. When the video was brought to her attention, she apologized to her fans and replaced the video with the unedited version.
Both of these famous women have created a conversion that is long past due. Women everywhere need to know that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. It is not "one-size-fits-all" and certainly cannot be found in the airbrushed and photoshopped pages of a magazine. Happiness and worth are also not to be measured by merely looks or if you have a man and a child in your life. Just because you are single or do not have children does not make you less. A change in the standards for beauty and living can happen but it needs to start with women. Stand up for and support one another. Show the young women in your life what it truly means to be beautiful.
