Fetish has finally crossed over in to mainstream, causing a stir on this seasons catwalks. The weird and wonderful however,does not stop there with PVC and latex effects transcending on to the make-up and beauty scene, but continues with the larger lady being the fashionable body type and people implanting items under their skin. People have been unhappy with their looks for years. Since the advances and availability of surgery it has become a trend to change these dissatisfying natural features. But has it gone too far?

At the moment curvy is in. We are seeing a huge change in the media and fashion industry with plus sized women such as Tess Munster being snapped up by modeling agencies. This, some say, is a step in the right direction, others that fashion is promoting an unhealthy physique, but are we not just swapping one extreme for the other? Both as unhealthy as the one before but on the other side of the scale? We are yet again letting the media pigeon hole what is perceived as beautiful and condemning those who do not have the right attributes or those with mental disorders.

People who suffer from Body Dysmorphic disorder are excessively concerned and pre occupied by a perceived defect in his or her physical features.  This unhappiness can cause psychological distress, sever depression, anxiety and complete social isolation.  The need to fit in to the norm and present themselves as the idea of perfection is becoming harder, it seems, with every new trend. With the constant criticism by the media and other women competing to be better than the other with comments like “real women have curves” and “fat means ugly” we will never be content.

Perhaps we should all just stop and put forward the fact that all women are beautiful in their own way. How far are we going to go?

Fashion icon Lady Gaga has been seen sporting flesh colored spikes on her face and shoulders that look like subdermal implants in her new video ‘Born this way’ and on Jay Leno. This is apparently the latest trend in body modification in which metal shapes or even items of jewellery are implanted under the skin. It is questionable whether these are convincing prosthetics or surgically implanted.

She claimed on Gayle King’s US chat show that ‘They’ve been there this whole time but I waited until I’d put Born This Way out for you to see them’.  Fans have questioned her new look and the hypothesis they have come up with is that she is referring to a new race of humanity in which there is no discrimination and equality for all is prevalent in society.

Lady Gaga’s new look has been seen for years in magazines like Bizarre with articles further back than 2008 on Dennis Avner the human ‘tiger’ and Erik Sprague the Lizard man who have now found fame for their unusual looks. The question is with all this publicity surrounding subdermal implants will it become the norm and soon the desired look?

Facial piercing, branding and scaring have been popular throughout the years in primitive and modern cultures. Some tribes use body modifications as a right of passage. Today we see these piercings and modifications amongst our culture but they serve as an aesthetic purpose. These looks, which have become the norm, would have been frowned upon years ago however, now they have become almost desirable.

The constant development of body modification forces people to conform to the desired look and makes perfection harder to reach. People are fighting to fit in and this constant need results in plastic surgery and an increase in body dysmorphia. When the sizest nature of today’s society is combined there is no way anyone will be happy.
Its one thing to change your nose, get a face lift or get breast augmentation surgery if you are unhappy, but to implant objects under your skin to reach an, as some would say, unnatural perfection is a step to far. It seems we are traveling down a road of which there is no return, the desired look becomes more and more eccentric and further away from our ancestors. Could this be seen as evolution or merely self-mutilation?

Thin privilege, why this is another way for women to attack others.

Today I read an article on “Thin Privilege.” Now, although I can understand what the woman who wrote the article is explaining, I don’t think it is a privilege to be thin. This is another way for one group of women to point out differences, attack and blame another.

The ignorant closed minded argument is that Thin privilege exists because in society thin women are not frowned upon. Apparently they can eat in public without being looked at with disgust, get jobs, can fit in seats and can buy clothes from any store. But if you are a thin woman you will know not all of this is true. Clothes are to big at most stores and they do not stock many size 8’s or under so often you cant get clothes that fit. You can fit in to seats but often they are too big and you end up with bruises from them or a painful spine. Instead of people looking at you with disgust you often get people thinking that what your putting in your mouth you are going to throw up straight after.

Each and every one of us have faced criticism at some point in our lives, not just as women but as humans. The reason behind this? Human nature! we seek out differences in individuals, and although wrong, make snap judgements because of these differences. Each and everyone of us has privilege in different ways, to pick on thin privilege is unfair, if we are starting to point out who is better than someone else due looks or bodies the list is endless.

How about the non disability Privilege? The big boob privilege? The pretty privilege? The thick long hair privilege? The big eye privilege? The hearing privilege? The seeing privilege? Each and every one of us have privileges so to point out just one is ridiculous.

We need to stop persecuting and stop thinking the grass is greener on the other side. We can do that by not shaming each other or segregating for something we do not have. Stop comparing, just realise we are all “Real women” not just the ones with curves, we are all desirable not just the ones with a “thigh gap”, we all “hug well” not just the ones with more meat, we are all beautiful not just the ones who are “fit” ALL OF US! Beautiful and different in our own ways. We should embrace these differences and not use them to attack each other.
I have been both and fluctuated from a size 24 – 6 and I have faced the same amount of Shame at both stages and all the way in between, because someone will always find something to use against you. Names went from “Fatty” and “Big Burtha” to “little boy” and “Skellitor”. At no point did I feel womanly and feminine.

At this point some of you may argue: “you have trouble finding potential mates when fat” Its the same when your too thin, if you have no arse or tits or curves; its the same if your different or have a disability; its the same if your too tall too short, the list is endless.

Now comes the argument: “The media make you feel less of a woman they always photo-shop women to be slimmer” This is a common misconception, I have worked in a magazine company and in actual fact they don’t, they photo-shop women to an unattainable cookie cutter shape. If the model has no breasts or legs which are sickly thin, no arse they will enlarge them. They will also make waists smaller, eyes bigger, and remove any cellulite or skin tags. So this is unattainable to all women.

I know that many people will not take this in to consideration and stay in their little bubble of hatred. Its funny but the bigger frame, through the ages has been seen as the ideal body type, only in the last 50 years has thin been in. But now the tables are turning again and the fuller figure is coming to the forefront. But instead of all of us calling a truce after both body types having their time at the top, learning from the past that putting each other down in a never ending viscous cycle is pointless and coming together to idealising all women, we choose to continue in the same vain.

I put this point across on a magazine that is said to showcase diverse beauty, with an emphasis on curvy women, and exploring the generosity of Mind, Body and Spirit. I was told I shouldn’t be reading this magazine and it is not for me as I am not fat, I must be an “ignorant skinny, cry baby troll and a racist because if I wont accept thin privilege I wont accept white privilege”.

So because I have worked hard to be thin and I am not big any more I am not in your cool gang? I have no right to fight for women and beauty? This whole article is aimed towards the privilege thin people have and how big women are teased and segregated by society and yet read above, you are also the ones segregating, bullying and hating.
You see we all have problems, we all face this, and we need to stop comparing and just be who we are except ourselves and each other!