Lately, body image has been a widespread topic with much controversy across America. There's a lot of talk within the media and among girls about self-image and loving their body. Many have turned to Meghan Trainor as she advocates for body image in a different way, promoting curves and a thick figure. While I'm all for promoting curvy women, I'm also about promoting skinny women and all women in between.
In Meghan Trainor's Billboard Top 100 song, "All About That Bass," released in 2014, she opens up with the lyrics, "Because you know I'm all about that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble." As we can infer, the metaphors refer to a girl's bottom end (bass) and top end (treble). The song then goes on to say, "'Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase. And all the right junk in all the right places." Meghan Trainor says this as if girls are supposed to be curvy only in the places guys care about, eluding to guys only preferring a certain type of girl as well. This is also stated in the lyrics, "She says, boys like a little more booty to hold at night." Not every guy just wants a butt to grab and some men may not care for a bigger hind end at all. Meghan notes next that she "won't be no stick figure, silicone, Barbie doll." OK, great. No girl needs to feel the need to look like Barbie. But shaming skinny girls by saying they're "silicone Barbie dolls" is no way to promote a healthy body image for all women. She again shames skinny figures later in the song by saying, "I'm bringing booty back. Go 'head and tell them skinny bitches that." If all girls are supposed to love their body type, why is Meghan Trainor bashing on the skinny figures and only promoting curves?
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2014, Meghan Trainor also made light of anorexia, stating, "I wasn't strong enough to have an eating disorder... I tried to go anorexic for a good three hours. I ate ice and celery, but that's not even anorexic. And I quit. I was like, 'Ma, can you make me a sandwich? Like, immediately." She noted that she was a "chubby girl" growing up but never battled an eating disorder because of it. The concept of being "strong enough" to be anorexic didn't sit well with many and Demi Lovato took to Twitter to express her feelings on the matter. In summary, she talked about how having an eating disorder doesn't display strength but rather overcoming the illness does and how lack of education on the matter is what continues to put mental health care on the back burner. She stated that eating disorders are not a choice like many believe.
All in all, it seems as though Meghan Trainor is really only siding with one body type and while it's great to start promoting curvy women the way media fails to, it's important that we're not shaming or bashing other body types in the process. If we promote one, we promote all. It's about acceptance for all women and support for each other.
