I always think of you when I read an article about a star and their weight "issues." It always says, "Dr. ----, who has not treated the star." I am waiting til I see "Drstacey, who has not treated the star."
I am SOOO tired of these ridiculous articles. The entertainment tv news does weekly stories like these also. Everywhere it's, "Is She Getting Too Thin?" A different version everywhere you look. I admit that these stories initially drew me in and would sell the mags or the show, but now the novelty has worn off. Here is a theory on the trend. Or maybe just an observation. What does it say of "us" in society who are continually intrigued by the same stories judging the bodies of women we don't even know? Why haven't we lost interest? It's because we are no better than they are, and can't find anything more interesting or educational to discuss. Maybe the reason Hollywood women get so thin is that they are amused by the attention and speculation they receive from normal people like us. Perhaps the get a power trip losing weight and indirectly shifting attention towards themselves without "acting out". It might be a little bit sick psychologically, but perhaps many of us who claim to be "appalled" at the shrinking trend subconsciously desire the self discipline posessed by many celebs. No, not saying everyone wants to look like a skeleton, but if 65% of women are overweight and these magazine articles are so popular, there must be a connection somewhere.
interesting comments, Beth. I, too get sucked in into reading these stories of weight loss, thinness, etc. I think a big part of me buys and reads these magazines because I think I understand the celebrities' issues with body, and for me its like watching a car wreck, mine and theirs. Will someone pull us out with the Jaws of Life? Will we recover and if so, how? What will we have learned? and blah, blah, blah. But, speaking to the article, a big WHY still remains for me. It's as if we want to get so thin that we will disappear. Is this what we want? I know I have wanted to disappear, and in the throes of my ED I tottered between the absolute control it gave me and my wanting to appear or disappear. Things not going right? Well then, I'll just disappear. You piss me off? I'll just whither away like a fall flower and blow into the winter wind.....and if all you can see is the shell of my self, well then, you can't really get to my Self. wacky, wacky, wacky. Somehow some wires got crossed, obviously. I have to admit, its sickly funny that when I read about thin people, I don't want to eat. What is that all about? Is it like the addict who relives the high just thinking about it? I think so. 'Nuf said.
Then, of course, if these actresses gain five pounds, they'll show up on the cover of the same magazines with an arrow pointing to their stomachs saying "BABY BUMP?" or something equally repulsive. Women cannot win in the media these days.
beth--from a basic economics perspective, you're right, the magazines wouldn't continue to publish these articles if we weren't reading them. Thanks for raising some interesting points.
fc--I have to think more about the disappearing concept. Is it self-destructive? A way to punish others? A way to protect ourselves?
Did anyone watch the trailer for the HBO documentary "THIN" that's linked to the People article? It's about a rehab facility for women (I didn't see one guy) with eating disorders. The young girl at the end was so tragic. She was wailing "I just want to be thin. I'll never be thin!", while her mother and younger sister(?) watched. You have to see their expressions to see the damage that the thin obsession does to people. That's the reality of our culture's obession with thin. Little girls, mothers, grandmothers, all killing themselves in the name of thin. It's sick and sadistic.
6 comments:
I always think of you when I read an article about a star and their weight "issues." It always says, "Dr. ----, who has not treated the star." I am waiting til I see "Drstacey, who has not treated the star."
Ha!
I am SOOO tired of these ridiculous articles. The entertainment tv news does weekly stories like these also. Everywhere it's, "Is She Getting Too Thin?" A different version everywhere you look. I admit that these stories initially drew me in and would sell the mags or the show, but now the novelty has worn off.
Here is a theory on the trend. Or maybe just an observation. What does it say of "us" in society who are continually intrigued by the same stories judging the bodies of women we don't even know? Why haven't we lost interest? It's because we are no better than they are, and can't find anything more interesting or educational to discuss. Maybe the reason Hollywood women get so thin is that they are amused by the attention and speculation they receive from normal people like us. Perhaps the get a power trip losing weight and indirectly shifting attention towards themselves without "acting out".
It might be a little bit sick psychologically, but perhaps many of us who claim to be "appalled" at the shrinking trend subconsciously desire the self discipline posessed by many celebs. No, not saying everyone wants to look like a skeleton, but if 65% of women are overweight and these magazine articles are so popular, there must be a connection somewhere.
interesting comments, Beth. I, too get sucked in into reading these stories of weight loss, thinness, etc. I think a big part of me buys and reads these magazines because I think I understand the celebrities' issues with body, and for me its like watching a car wreck, mine and theirs. Will someone pull us out with the Jaws of Life? Will we recover and if so, how? What will we have learned? and blah, blah, blah.
But, speaking to the article, a big WHY still remains for me. It's as if we want to get so thin that we will disappear. Is this what we want? I know I have wanted to disappear, and in the throes of my ED I tottered between the absolute control it gave me and my wanting to appear or disappear. Things not going right? Well then, I'll just disappear. You piss me off? I'll just whither away like a fall flower and blow into the winter wind.....and if all you can see is the shell of my self, well then, you can't really get to my Self. wacky, wacky, wacky. Somehow some wires got crossed, obviously.
I have to admit, its sickly funny that when I read about thin people, I don't want to eat. What is that all about? Is it like the addict who relives the high just thinking about it? I think so.
'Nuf said.
Then, of course, if these actresses gain five pounds, they'll show up on the cover of the same magazines with an arrow pointing to their stomachs saying "BABY BUMP?" or something equally repulsive. Women cannot win in the media these days.
ptc--cute!
beth--from a basic economics perspective, you're right, the magazines wouldn't continue to publish these articles if we weren't reading them. Thanks for raising some interesting points.
fc--I have to think more about the disappearing concept. Is it self-destructive? A way to punish others? A way to protect ourselves?
mandy--of course! Thanks for stopping by. . .
ej--sounds like you're doing wonderful work.
Did anyone watch the trailer for the HBO documentary "THIN" that's linked to the People article? It's about a rehab facility for women (I didn't see one guy) with eating disorders. The young girl at the end was so tragic. She was wailing "I just want to be thin. I'll never be thin!", while her mother and younger sister(?) watched. You have to see their expressions to see the damage that the thin obsession does to people. That's the reality of our culture's obession with thin. Little girls, mothers, grandmothers, all killing themselves in the name of thin. It's sick and sadistic.
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