Some months back I came across the above picture of Cindy Crawford on a website somewhere- I've forgotten which one, or what the item related to. The picture was taken in 1991, according to the source. I was struck by just how much more feminine she looked than the 'ideal' bodies promoted these days- Victoria Beckham being a prime example. But even in the heyday of the 'supermodel'- Cindy, Naomi, Elle and co. there was the nattering about how it was impossible for 'real women' to achieve a body like that- typically featured in women's magazines alongside 'how to' articles on fad diets or exercise regimes promising to attain a supermodel figure. Funnily enough, 1991 Cindy Crawford would be lumped in today with the 'real women' who couldn't achieve the underweight and typically over-exercised look that prevails on the catwalks (and often the red carpet) today.It gets better though. The models typically hired for lingerie and swimwear shows are the 'bigger' girls. The 'fatties' of the catwalk model world. A bit more meat is served up with the typical skin-and-bones. Compare 1991-Cindy to this 'fatty' in the Victoria's Secret show:
The only women with an excuse for having thighs with no fat and muscles in strange places are marathon runners and other elite athletes (and bodybuilders). Frankly, it's not sexy and it's not feminine- and when it comes to a lingerie show, what the hell else is the point of it? Naturally skinny is great, but most of them aren't- instead it's like some kind of freakshow.Thankfully 'our' Miranda Kerr doesn't look like she's exercised to the point where her body has started to cannibalise itself, but -pretty girl that she is- she's been stuck with a couple of huge chicken-fillets in that bra to make her look like she's got some curves.
The notable exception among the photos of the Victoria's Secret show featured in the SMH gallery was Karolina Kurkova, who was recently labelled a fatty by some dickhead in the press.
Yeah. Uh, lay off the buttered pork sandwiches, girl. And maybe vomit some more. Meh. I take pleasure in the thought that the fashion industry might be hit hard by the worldwide recession. Sure Anna Wintour or any of the countless wanker big-name fashion designers responsible for perpetrating the farce probably aren't going to lose their jobs, but it's nice to imagine them lined up in a 1930's-style bread-queue...
Finally, for a lingerie show, I think the actual lingerie was pretty shit. Dressing it up with costumes that look like a poor-man's imitation of something from the mardi gras doesn't really make it any more appealing.
How times change!
2 comments:
As a female bodybuilder, I can assure you I remain all woman. As do my friends. You don't suddenly grow a penis because you lift heavy things.
Our look may not be to your taste, and that's fine, but no need to be nasty.
Keira
To be fair, it depends on the bodybuilder- and the 'roids. But feminine? No. I'm not saying you guys suddenly develop a y-chromosome, but there's no arguing with the effects on the body of the female bodybuilders who take steroids.
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