Disney has announced a new Princess: Merida from Pixar’s Brave. They’ve given her a makeover to celebrate the promotion, and many of her fans believe the company has robbed the character of her very being. Their anger has led to a petition with more than 93,000 signatories. When Pixar and Disney released Brave in…
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Very few things get talked about more than ‘self-esteem’, or rather, the lack thereof. And after many news articles and prime-time television special reports, we are all very aware of the fact that when it comes to their looks, the majority of women (and men, I might add) are not feeling all that impressed…
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The pursuit of the ‘perfect’ body is not something new; one only needs to look at Classical Greek sculpture to realise that. And the idea that this kind of body exists and is attainable – if only we stick to the right diet – is a dangerous myth. Every week, it seems, a new diet…
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Hey body, It’s time for us to talk about your little renovations. I know you’re 25 now, and you’re thinking about settling down, but I’ve got a bone to pick with you. You’re too big for all of my clothes. I guess we could call this “retaliation”. I put you through a pretty hectic summer….
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This is an article that I have been wanting to write for a long time, but have never known how to go about it. It was originally sparked by the fat acceptance movement – a movement designed to encourage acceptance of ALL body shapes. It is, for obvious reasons, a movement that I am strongly…
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‘Dear fingernails…I’m sorry it took me so long to realise your cracks and peels were beautiful and alive. I’m still coming to realise that my cracks and imperfections are beautiful, too.’ This is an excerpt from Attention: People with Body Parts, a collection of words offered by various contributors to the project, now published in…
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I don’t know about the rest of Australia but in Brisbane it’s pretty stinking hot. When you step outside the heat whacks you in the face like a hot sticky pillow and for a moment you can’t breathe. If you stand too long in one spot you’ll begin to feel droplets of sweat crawling down…
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As I edge closer and closer to the exciting period of my life known as my ‘mid 20’s’, I’m beginning to notice a lot of distinctly ‘adulty’ things happening around me and to people I know. Engagements are being announced, houses are being bought, full time jobs are being commenced – things that once seemed…
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Confident women are bad for the economy. Think about it. Imagine a world where women felt perfectly happy with themselves. There would be no anxiety about bad hair days, weight gain, or crow’s feet. This obsession with physical perfection awakens a deep sense of inadequacy which we then try to smother through consumerism. Step outside,…
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Do you ever worry about how your body and/or body parts are perceived by society? Attention: People With Body Parts is a new international project that aims to address the issues of body image – to encourage us to celebrate our body parts and their connections to ourselves and to others. ‘Our bodies are filled…
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I want to talk about legs. That’s right, those twin appendages upon which your body is perched and that, if you’re lucky, you rarely spend much time thinking about. Those fiendish little fellas have taken up so much of my brain space that I feel I must now vent. I have always had a rocky…
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Michelle Bridges’ exercise and diet plan. Ashy Bines’ Bikini Body Challenge. Clean Eating. Healthy Living Tips. You may have noticed a recent proliferation of these kind of pages on social media of late. Some seem to be more legitimate than others (Ashy Bines has been accused both of ripping off those who paid for her…
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Melbourne woman Jessica Barlow recently asked Australian Cleo Magazine to ‘Publish diverse representations of beauty including at least one unaltered photo spread per month and put a disclaimer on any image, including externally sourced images, that has been digitally altered in any way.’ Inspired by the successful US petition resulting in Seventeen Magazine publishing one…
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Real women have curves: the unfortunate slogan of the backlash to a media dominated by stick-thin girls with flawless skin and either disproportionate or no curves. To a fashion industry creating ideals that are near impossible for women to live up to, without sacrificing their health. What was once a stance against heavy Photoshopping and…
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