[Mimi]

cpbell0033944,

Wow, you know your history, honey.  I wasn’t even aware of some of the details you listed.  Both you and Stmercy are absolutely correct.  But in terms of history, these trends are cyclical, and eventually, it will level back out to (hopefully) a normal look.  All I know is how hard it is for us women to try and find a good balance of being healthy, and “looking” healthy too.

I don’t necessarily agree that gay men had THAT much of an influence on fashion, although some, but only to a point.  Fashion is very susceptible to many factors. 

Who knows.  All I know is that curves are a good thing for girls.  ;D

Peace and Love,

~Mimi[/size”>

[cpbell0033944]

I only learned about that sort of thing recently.  I couldn't understand why such thin physiques were the "in thing", so I decided to educate myself via the internet.  I read articles and opinions on the subject, and am now more knowledgeable, although it still doesn't make complete sense to me.  Certainly, if a muscular physique is not desireable to or attainable for a woman, then the curvy, voluptuous shape would, to me, be by far the most preferable alternative. 🙂

[AlexG]

Seems that this topic has reached the American talk radio circuit.  8)

Source: http://www.townhall.com/talkradio/show.aspx?radioshowid=3

Thursday June 21, 2007
The New Renee Zellwegger With Dennis Prager
Prager H2: We liked the old one better. The new one is rail thin.
When did this obsession with thinness start? Who finds it attractive?

“I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)

[cpbell0033944]

Oh blimey Alex – it'll take me a long while to get used to your new avatar.  I've never known you to have anything other than your previous one.

[AlexG]

Oh blimey Alex – it'll take me a long while to get used to your new avatar.  I've never known you to have anything other than your previous one.

Its more of an experiment, so as they say in that great book, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Don't Panic!

I only wanted to see how well this one appeared crunched down – and if anyone would notice (after only 2115 posts), which you did.  😉

I'll be switching back to my Nietzschean one in due course.  8)

FYI / BTW – if you click on the link (see above post) a rebroadcast of the program is available – either via your computer or d/l for podcasting.

“I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)

[cpbell0033944]

Alex, I have indeed just returned from listening to this section of the "Dennis Prager Show", and found it most distressing.  The last lady in particular seemed utterly distraught at her fate.  Indeed, whilst he was repetitive, the host seemed geniunely saddened, baffled and upset with this trend, thus perhaps causing his repetitiveness.
Perhaps this whole sorry situation has been caused by Western society's extreme phobia of being fat.  Of course, as a trained biologist I am all to aware of the dangers of being overweight in a strictly medical sense, but the obsession that so many women seem to feel can only, in my view, be seen as a result of society's extreme overreaction to being fat.  The irony is that, whilst this is going-on, the US is not reducing obesity levels, whilst my own country is now the fattest in Europe and is rapidly catching-up with the US.  This shows that the obsession with thinness isn't helpig to reduce obesity levels; all it is doing is to cause polarisation.  In other words, women are either genuinely overweight, or underweight in terms of bodymass %age. :'(

[JimmyDimples]

Well, well, AlexG… you look so … real. 🙂

Renee and Sarah look real… bony!  I swear, when you can make a skeleton sketch for biology class using their arms… that's just crossing the line. 🙁

Those two need a sammich.

[AlexG]

Alex, I have indeed just returned from listening to this section of the "Dennis Prager Show", and found it most distressing.  The last lady in particular seemed utterly distraught at her fate.  Indeed, whilst he was repetitive, the host seemed geniunely saddened, baffled and upset with this trend, thus perhaps causing his repetitiveness.

Well, that can happen, but then it's live talk radio.  8)

I might add, and something I'm certain you'll appreciate, that one of the central themes of his program: That clarity, not agreement, is what's most important.

“I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”
~ Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens (1907)

[spicer]

I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes here, but I think an aspect to Ms Zellweger's situation that is not being considered.

Is Rene too thin? Absolutely! Are way too many female celebrities too thin? Yes! Should we discuss why this trend exists, and whether it can be reversed? Sure.

But I just have this feeling, maybe I'm wrong, but I have this feeling, that at least some of you are looking at those pictures and thinking, "That poor woman! She took her perfectly healthy body and dieted herself into anorexia just to be 'fashionable'!" If you're thinking that, or something like it, you're just off base.

Did you all read the line in the article about Renee gaining two stone (that's 28 pounds, fellow Yanks) to play Bridget Jones? The character of Bridget Jones is heavier than Renee Zellweger is normally. If Bridget had been a lot heavier, maybe Renee would have gone with a "fat suit", like Eddie Murphy in "Norbert" and "The Nutty Professor". But it was only 28 pounds, so she just forced herself to gain the weight. And when she finished making the movie, she lost the weight. Then she was aksed to do a sequel, and she gained the weight again. And when the sequel was finished, she lost the weight . . . again. The point is, looking at those photos of what you and I would call a "healthy Renee" is like looking at a photo of Boris Karlof in his Frankenstein's Monster make up. It isn't the real Renee Zellweger. It is Renee Zellweger playing Bridget Jones.

Okay. So I'm an annoying, obsessive nit-picker. And you'd probably be right not to give a damn about my central point. But before I submerge back to lurkerdom, let me try to save a little face by summing up:

Hollywood's obsession with dangerously, unattractively thin women is a worthy topic of discussion. But it just got under my skin that this time the discussion was kicked off by this on-line article that was using tabloid sensationalism (OMG Look what Renee Zellweger has done to herself!!!) to draw in readers.

I'm outa here before I rant again.
Spicer

[pelourinho]

The point is, they're not doing it for straight men.  It started in the haute couture world, where most of the designers are gay guys, who therefore naturally tended to favour a teenage boy-like, gawky figure.  In addition, I have read suggestions that the designer's dresses can be better displayed on skinny models.  From there, it entered the glamour world of celebrities and magazines, whereupon teenage girls and young women saw it as being chic and glamourous. 

The irony to that is, that while the dresses can be "better displayed" on the twiggy bodies, the clothes themselves don't look like they fit on a live body, but merely hang loosely as if on a moving coat rack.  Some of the models look pretty, I would grant, but yet so brittle that they can't possibly look sexy. 

[Author]

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