GENDER BENDER



Looking from the outside in - people, place and practice

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Alexa Chung talks about her body and the media

Alexa Chung recently said that she feels the media and the public should re-evaluate the way in which they view women and their bodies. The fashionista has often received criticism for encouraging thinspo and por-ano blogs, especially after tweeting the below pic of her and her mom, with the media and the public commenting on her super skinny frame. Is this fair?

She told Vogue UK:

"I think it's about time people stopped judging women on their appearance and more on their intellect, like you can appreciate my style without having to appreciate my weight," she said. "It's not actually mutually inclusive. I just get frustrated because, just because I exist in this shape, doesn't mean that I'm like advocating it and saying: 'I look great.' How do you know I'm not looking in the mirror and going: 'I wish I could gain ten pounds?' Which is actually quite often the case. But if you say that you sound like you're bragging that you're naturally thin, and you're not allowed to do that because even though it's not the ideal weight, it kind of is as well."

That is one of the reasons why we want you all to sign our 'Body Bill of Rights'. We should never say that only curvy women are 'real women'. All women are 'real women'.

She also pointed out a massive disparity between skinny and larger women, saying: "how people that are bigger can be on the front covers of magazines saying: 'I'm really happy with my shape.' But if I was to do that, I'd be completely criticised and ridiculed. But why can't I be happy with how I look?"

Is it true? Are people ganging up on thin women?

I definitely think that this is often the case. It should be about health first and foremost. If a 'skinny' or 'overweight' person is unhealthily so, say because they are being pressured into it for their job, then I have a problem with it. Yet, if one is naturally super skinny or overweight, perhaps because of genetics, that is a completely different story.

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