Never compare yourself. No-one can live up to the false perfection of airbrushing, not even the celebrity herself.
According to The Sociological Cinema Britney Spears has offered these before-and-after pictures to schools in the hopes that they will help students overcome body image issues.
Years from now Britney Spears will be an entire course in womens’ studies.
Part of the problem is that we have a foolish belief that photographs are always accurate to what they depict. Most people do not realize that photographs are as much a product of their maker (and manipulator) as any other form of art. We are used to seeing drawings and thinking, that doesn’t look anything like the real thing. But we have to teach our kids that about photography too – that lighting, angle, framing, processing, etc. all effect what we see in a photograph. And, since so many people are resistant to the idea of evaluating these kinds of things for the sake of women (sigh), this might help get the idea through to a wide variety of different people.
Look how much they’ve narrowed her waist. Makes me wonder where they think the poor thing will keep her internal organs.
I needed this this week. Normally I feel happy about my body and love it just for being mine, but my confidence was shaken a bit in catching a pretty thorough back view of my legs (where else but trying on clothes in bright fluorescent light). They are strong, good legs, but I have a lot of veins and this week I noticed how lumpy the skin looks at the back in the light… exactly the same way Britney’s legs there do.
I feel good now. Strong legs! Rargh!
Also, I really want that women’s studies course to be taught by :you:, Bluemilk!