[cpbell0033944]

I know it’s a bit long, and a bit academic, but this sort of problem makes me so sad:

Body image

[phenoms]

cpbell0033944 wrote:

I know it’s a bit long, and a bit academic, but this sort of problem makes me so sad:

Body image

cp, you had an extra “http: //” in the link preventing it from clicking through correctly. I have fixed that in the quoted link above. Everyone, click on the quoted link and it will load.

You are always the one on here that consistently gets me thinking and we suck each other into these intellectual discussions that alienate half the other forum members.

Incidentally, I happen to consider that a good thing. The intellectualism, not the alienating. They just seem too often to go hand in hand.

I did not even finish reading the article before I had to write this reply because it put a thought in my head that had to be addressed.

And that thought is that while this article is not about mental illness, it infers it to some degree. Right about where the author says that she saw an old picture of Cindy Crawford and was struck by the thought that Cindy’s thigh looked fat only to correct herself and acknowledge that Cindy was “athletic” aka that it was muscle not fat.

This immediately made me reflect back to an old talk show episode I remember seeing where a very attractive and fit girl kept complaining how fat she was and how much time she spent on her stair climber. She had toned thighs thick from muscle. An audience member asked her to flex her legs and when she did, pointed out that you can’t flex fat.

Never mind the contradiction that this girl claiming to think she was repulsively fat happened to be wearing a skin tight mini dress. Not really the kind of attire anyone that was deeply convinced of their own dumpiness would dare wear.

But it illustrates the central point that there are people afflicted with mental illness that manifests itself as distorted body image. That if the girl with the muscular thighs had dressed in oversized overalls and baggy shirt, she would have been wildly out of touch, and there are people afflicted with distorted body image mental illness that are unable to see themselves in a mirror with any kind of accuracy.

Note I said people, not women because mental illness is an equal opportunity affliction.

The thing is though, mental illness is the key, not body image. If we all lived in a world fixated on buttering the top or the bottom side of our toast, the mental illness would conceivably latch onto that instead.

Eradicate the mental illness (the cause), and you will eliminate the distorted body image (the symptom).

My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
phenoms.deviantart.com

My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
phenoms.booru.org

Also
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

[cpbell0033944]

That, sir, is, for me, post of the year. B) I couldn’t agree with you more. I immediately spotted the athletic thighs reference.

[phenoms]

cpbell0033944 wrote:

That, sir, is, for me, post of the year. B) I couldn’t agree with you more. I immediately spotted the athletic thighs reference.

Thank you for the high complement. Forgive the delayed response… I was basking. :laugh:

Well ok, I was kind of stalling because I knew that was not my final word on the matter. But I’ve learned that forums too often have an odd inability to digest more than one subject within a single post. I have found that separate posts and spacing with time can help some.

That said, you do realize the irony of posting that on a board that essentially revolves around not only womens appearances, but on fantasy and exaggeration. Some of what is discussed here is attainable, most is not.

However, flip the coin to female fantasy, and ask what impact that has on men. Sure its less publicized, but adjust the numbers to account for relativity and then talk about that… you never really get both sides. It isn’t talked about or investigated. But I’m betting most people reading this formed assumptions in their head.

Women are not wired the same as men, and males and females have vastly different life experiences. Men will never know child birth or a monthly period. Women will never know getting kicked in the ‘nads or excessive back hair. :blink:

Journalists seem to love these topics. It sounds good and stirs up controversy and will never have any resolution so they can just go write another article next time they are coming up empty for new subject matter.

My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
phenoms.deviantart.com

My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
phenoms.booru.org

Also
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

[cpbell0033944]

I definitely appreciate the irony – and, of course, I’m well aware that dysmorphia can also affect the muscular physiqued ladies as well as the thin ladies who are trying to emulate models, actresses, etc. Additionally, if taken to extremes, the physique lifestyle can be as unhealthy as the the thin, calorie-counting lifestyle. My reason for postingis more the body politics side of things – a muscular woman is proud of her body for what it can do. She is refusing to reduce herself, to apologise for taking up space in the world and is probably bold and conident.

[Author]

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