Everyone knows and watches the weekly The Try Guys videos on Buzzfeed, right? We all sit back in our chairs, and laugh at whatever experiment they try, and send it off to our friends so they can join in the fun too. This past week on Buzzfeed was their annual "Body Positivity Week" which sheds light on the social constructs set forth by our society for what it means to be "beautiful" in this day and age. They spend a week producing videos that shed light on some of the bigger issues facing body positivity in our society today.
One video in particular, however, really grasped my attention the moment I began watching it. I sat down to watch this video in my bed this morning upon seeing it shared from a friend on Facebook. Now, normally when it comes to a Try Guy video, you'll have me laughing from the moment the video starts until it ends. I went into the video thinking it was going to be the same old, same old. We see the video, I get a few laughs and I move on. However, this time, the video gripped me in a way I didn't expect. For those who have yet to watch, I have included it below for your viewing pleasure, so to speak:
After watching the video, I'm sure you all have your own stirring thoughts and developments on ways this impacted you or your thinking. I thought that, since I have the platform to do so, I would shed some light on this particular video and give my insights on something that is important to me. We all have these ideals in our heads on how we want to look, and the constructs that society places on us for having those ideals. We know that, for celebrities, it's easier for them to look a certain way because they can pay the million dollars, and they also rely on photoshop to fix whatever needs to be fixed.
But, we all need to take a step back and realize that THIS is not the way our society needs to be. There is nothing wrong with how you are, there is nothing wrong with you as a person. Society has given us these impossible standards to live by, both males, females, non-binary and anyone outside of the binary. We cannot live up to those standards, and because of the wishes of some people to look a certain way, it takes away from what you have to offer as a person. Underneath the physical, comes the emotional, the personality. People are not going to remember you because you look a certain way. They'll remember you for who you are as a person. Social media shouldn't make you doubt that; it should do the opposite. We as a society should be working towards getting rid of these ideas that someone isn't good enough because of the way they look. No one should be made to feel less good because they aren't fitting society standards.
We need to band together to raise each other up. Show people how proud we are to be who we are. Don't be afraid to be yourself. Wear what feels good. If you want to work on yourself, do it. But do it for yourself, and not for anyone else. You're beautiful the way you are, and you don't need anyone else's validation but yourself.
Love yourself first. Put yourself first. Listen to yourself first. You're perfect the way you are.
#YOURBODYYOURRULES #MYBODYMYRULES #LOVEYOURSELFFIRST
