BlogHer is happening this week and I’m not going. BUT, if I was going I would definitely be attending this panel discussion: “How can your blogs be a conduit to transformation?” Heather from MAMAvision, Carla Birnberg, aka MizFitOnline, Claire Mysko, Kate Harding, and Roni from Roni’s Weigh will lead the panel discussion.
I think we all can testify to the fact that blogging can definitely encourage and motivate someone to learn, grow and change in a positive way. I really started thinking about it though when I read the rest of the session description: “In a society where more young girls fear becoming fat than they fear cancer, nuclear war, or losing their parents, some bloggers are taking a stand against teaching their children learned behaviors that affect their body image.”
Think about that.
We are bombarded daily with images that tell us that we can be healthier, more successful, have a better job, cool friends, a better career (the list goes on & on) if we were skinnier, had bigger breasts, different eyes, fatter lips.
These images reach young girls who begin to believe they aren’t okay as they are. That they need to change. When they should be chasing butterflies and reading Ella Enchanted they start to question the way they look and to equate their physical image with their self-worth. If the goals presented are unattainable then how do you feel worthy?
Heather, Carla, Claire, Kate and Roni want to discuss the impact we as bloggers can have on this unattainable and market-driven ideology.
We can do something. We can write about the reality of women’s bodies. We can teach acceptance. We can reveal the ridiculousness of the fashion and marketing industry’s attempts to sell people a concept of beauty that is neither healthy, based in fact or accessible.
How to do this?
- Encourage taking care of our bodies we have and focus on a healthy lifestyle instead of constantly be trying to perfect something that is already wonderful.
- Point out role models of all shape and sizes that are successful and happy in their lives. Think America Ferrera from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. There are lots more – find them, talk about them.
- Use examples of unhealthy body image concepts, commercials with anorexic models, ads to enhance body parts, as starting points for conversation regarding a healthier approach.
I love to show girls this video, short and to the point, from Dove (2006).
This is the reality behind the goal to be beautiful. There is no acceptance here of what is. Only the need for modification.
Not to mention unnecessary.
We can promote companies, products and people that encourage healthy self-awareness and realistic achievable goals.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all wrote in a way that that didn’t perpetuate this myth of not being “good” enough?Helping others always leads to learning with those you are teaching. Helping younger women and girls learn and encourage self acceptance can only be a positive experience and a lesson in acceptance for ourselves.
Thank you for all your work in putting together this panel discussion. Friday July 24th at 1:15-2:30 I won’t be there. Will you?
Remember we don’t have to be there to participate. What will you do to “step up & guide the next generation as best we can [so that there is]… hope for change?”
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
I am glad to hear about this panel on BlogHer 2009. I wish it would be an issue on any conference and not just a woman related one. This should trouble us as a society.
I just want to add that I think that although not directly related to self esteem, this pursuit of physical perfection (yeah, define that) is connected to our youth’s obsession with money and consuming. What do you think?
Yael – I agree. It’s not *just* directed at girls/women but historically females were the primary target. YES! That obsession is definitely connected to this learned behavior of imperfection. We must consume to look and *be* cool. Great point Yael – thanks so much for adding it!
Some very good points, Kathryn. I wish I had had the benefit of this information when I was a young Texas girl growing up in the 60s and 70s. Even then, body image was the most important thing about which a girl had to be concerned — a serious waste of time and resources spent on something really none of us had or have much control over.
Perhaps someday that will truly change. Thanks for your insight.
Morning Snow – thanks for stopping by. You know you would be someone to point out as a role model for young women. Strong, smart, and a free spirit. But, yes – what a waste of time……… I agree.
This feels like a related video: http://is.gd/1GjMS
Good Morning Joel! Thanks for sharing that. Yep, I agree it is. Look at all the products designed to rid women of the natural symptoms of aging. Thanks- I appreciate that coming from an ad man like yourself
I love this post! I think this is such an important topic and we should be talking about it more. Dove has done a wonderful job with their Real Beauty campaign.
Thanks lovelyk! I agree Dove has a LOT of great initiatives. Thanks for stopping by
We can choose to sell and promote things through fear or through inspiration. The idea that we would be “healthier, more successful, have a better job, cool friends, a better career (the list goes on & on) if we were skinnier, had bigger breasts, different eyes, fatter lips” is essentially fear based marketing. It promotes the basic fear, “You’re not good enough” so that people will turn to use a certain product.
An opposite kind of marketing is all about creating a wonderful experience and attracting customers. Instead of making people run away from themselves (and then to the product), we can make them feel so empowered and whole that they begin to love being around us (and our product). Our basis for marketing is to be encouraging and accepting (a much lacking quality in the market today), and this will create die-hard loyalty through the good feeling we create.
Todd – oh well put! Thanks! How true : fear vs. empowerment. We MUST learn to support companies that encourage this kind of acceptance. Face it, we all still need to but stuff. Why not support those who have a positive message and not one that encourages and promotes fear.
Oh & thanks for the hint. I’ll get that set up – thanks so much!!
I am always amazed how women of any age, race, and body type can be made to feel less than even average. What one women despises, another yearns for. It is saddening and sobering. I found this site a while back, and passed it around to all my friends – the women AND the men I value. Imagine my surprise when I went back to get the link this morning and found it was sponsored by Blogher. Neato!
http://operationbeautiful.com/
Lisa – I know, I know but we all contribute I think. Advertising can be such a negative influence in a major way. We have to focus on acceptance. Thanks for sharing that site! Are you going to BlogHer?
This is the year of my newly found self-employment. A fulfilling effort, but cash flow is rare this early in the game
My goal is to attend Inbound Marketing Summit, SOBCon and BlogHer in 2010.
Lisa – sounds like an excellent plan!
Hey Kathryn, check out this “Subscribe to Comments” plugin. I’ve been using it for a long time and like it. I don’t always remember or have time to check back to a blog to read follow-up comments, but when they are delivered to my inbox, I don’t miss them.
http://txfx.net/code/wordpress/subscribe-to-comments/
What a great topic, Kathryn, and it’s so nice to hear it’s being addressed at such an influential conference like BlogHer! There’s so much we can do to tip the scales, considering how prevalent blogs and various social media channels are in many young girls’ (and boys’) lives. Not only can we change the concept of beautiful into something healthy and reasonable for young girls, we can change the views of the rest of society, too. Maybe take the focus off physical image and put it more on living a happy, healthy, productive life?
Awesome post, and I hope it motivates a few of us to start blogging a little bit more about these issues.
Thanks for posting about this, I would like to read more about this topic.
You’re very welcome. Follow @MizFitOnline – she writes about this often and is an excellent resource, and extremely funny & amazing woman. Really glad you stopped by
Thank YOU.
Hi Kathryn, I was linked over here by a tweet from Chris Brogan. Working towards self-acceptance — for both women AND men — is a very important goal, and I applaud BlogHer for holding such a panel.
I won’t celebrate Dove’s marketing campaign, though. Dove is owned by Unilever, the multinational that also owns Axe, notable for their own take on advertising and the human body. Here’s just one example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU
Gradon, I agree. It’s a male and female goal. Thanks for the info about Unilever….. hard to make informed decisions about products these days. I appreciate you stopping by
Thank you for sharing this. It’s a subject heavy on my heart. My daughter has so many more messages to overcome than I ever did growing up.
Mistress Mia – She has an amazing role model in you who I am certain will offer many choices and positive enforcement in her life. Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it.
I so agree with you. Thank you for your well thought-out blog on women’s body images. This is one aspect that we address at womensoutdoornews.com, in that we encourage women to get outside their comfort zones when it comes to finding their outdoor callings — whether it’s hiking, hunting, fishing, shooting, kayaking, geocaching … and along the way, true outdoors women usually toss preconceived notions of beauty (in a box or from a big box chain department store ina mall) because they have seen true beauty — in nature and in other people who are loving the outdoors, as well.
Barbara – Awesome! I do understand that! I’ve spent a LOT of time in the North. Takes about 3 days and all those “ideas” about what people are “supposed” to look like are out the window to be replaced by healthy, strong, and empowered perspectives. Thanks for commenting.
My girlfriend and I started a club for girls 9-12, Tween Club, to deal with these issues. It’s been 4 years and we have hit capacity every year. The girls have learned about healthy eating, mountain biking, meditation and beauty through they eyes of photographers. Girls of all ages need more opportunities to be around strong role models and try new things. With knowledge and experience comes confidence. And like minded people and great role models sure help too!
Patti – So glad to be connected. Thank you for all the work you and your girlfriend has done. I’d love to hear more about it! Thank YOU!
The “3 Billion Women” image is so great! I put it up on my Facebook wall and instantly got a bunch of comments. It’s a message that really resonates with people.
I am a sexual health educator and coach. Body image is an issue I work on with almost every woman. And of course, men are not immune either.
Kathryn,
Thank you for your post. As a father of three daughters I am deeply concerned that they will compromise their inner and outer beauty for the sake of fitting in. I am forever reminding them of how great they are exactly as they are. We all need to allow all of us to be celebrated as the unique individuals that we are, not discarded because we don’t fit into a certain Madison Ave template that is just unrealistic.
Thanks again for sharing…looking forward to hearing more!!
This is such an important issue. While we need to use diet and exercise to keep our bodies healthy, heredity plays an enormous part in our various beautiful sizes and shapes. What are we teaching teenage girls when the stores that their friends love don’t carry clothing large enough? Why should they be unable to buy things at Aeropostle, where an extra large is size 14? As a society, we are failing our children, and not just the girls. Boys have image problems, too. Thank you for bringing awareness to this issue.
Kathryn – Thank you so much for your thoughtful post. Is is so sad that body image is such an issue with girls (and boys as Renee pointed out). It can be so incredibly devestating to self confidence. One of the things that yoga tries to teach is acceptance. In fact more than that – (to echo Peter’s mantra to his daughters above) you are perfect the way you are right now. I think we can still strive for change (if that is what we want) but we don’t need to knock ourselves down for who we are now nor attempt to mold our bides into what someone else thinks they should look like.