Thankful for Beth Ditto (and Love Magazine)
Thank you, Beth Ditto, and Love Magazine, for:
1. Showing that beauty comes in all sizes (Love Magazine chose to feature Beth Ditto as a fashion icon on the cover of it’s first issue, even though the magazine is not a plus-size magazine–just a fashion mag)
2. Photoshopping this photo to actually make Beth look bigger–when does that ever happen?
In a previous post we commented on whether images of plus-size models make plus-size women feel better about themselves. Beth Ditto is truly “plus-size,” and she is photographed beautifully. This definitely makes me feel better about my own beauty.
13 comments
I’m sorry, but something really botered me in this photo: they took off all of her cellulites. And this is part of being a big girl!
I love this! What a great picture. I’ll be looking for this magazine asap. I’m super curious about the content.
Having never seen any other pictures of Beth Ditto naked, I don’t know that she has cellulite or not. (The thinner you are, the more likely you are to have cellulite, interestingly enough.) Now, while I clearly advocate body love, cellulite and all, I’m not averse to a little airbrushing of cellulite. But, that’s me. I’m just glad to have so much naked skin featured in a beautiful way.
As you can see in this picture: http://www.thebestgossip.com/uploaded_images/BETH_DITTO_GOSSIP_NEWS-765044.jpg
She’s got it. Lots of them.
This picture bothers me.
There’s voluptuous.
There’s curvy.
There’s chubby
Then there’s being a little bit fat.
This is none of those. It’s more severe.
This is obesity, which is unhealthy and can kill her.
This poor girl is eating herself into an early grave.
What’s even more disturbing is that you’re promoting it.
@Jasmine I appreciate that you took the time to comment. I’d just like to address the idea that promoting loving your body at any size is “promoting obesity.”
There are healthy skinny people and unhealthy skinny people. There are healthy fat (even obese) people and unhealthy fat people. There’s a lot of scientific research supporting that (check out Paul Campos’ book “The Obesity Myth,” for example), and it is readily available online and in stores. I don’t know if Beth Ditto is healthy or not, any more than I know if Nicole Kidman is healthy are not–that’s between them and their doctors.
I do know, however, that a great predictor of health is a sense of well-being and positivity, so, that’s what I proudly promote.
@Litha Yes, indeed, Beth has cellulite. Good call. I guess I’m OK with “fuzzy cam.” Thanks for giving me something to think about.
Angela, I think this cover is a great start, even without the cellulite =) Don’t get me wrong. I loved it. But I think that it’s not healthy to our selfsteem to think that women don’t have cellulite, you know? Almoust every woman has it. And it should be ok. But it’s not. Everyone I know hates their cellulites, even I do. I think people should be encoureged to accept them =)
(sorry about my poor english, I’m brazilian)
xoxo!
@Litha I agree–this is really a serious issue. We feel that cellulite is terrible, when almost everyone has it. It’s not OK to act like you are unusual if you have cellulite. Often, when celebrities are shown in tabloid magazines at the beach, and comments are made about their cellulite, what we don’t think about is that these are un-retouched images, what these women really look like.
We really should embrace our cellulite. I appreciate that you brought this subject to light. Thank you!
What a great photo. She is sexy and womanly. Hoo Ray for her!
Beth ditto says in her own words that she HATES drugs, maybe that is a valid point in all of this!! Maybe Beth is the size she is because she flatly refuses to take anything to assist her in this world of size obsessed young woman who are jammed in the spotlight. Good on you beth, and Angela because if Beth were to decided to loose her curves then I believe that she would succeed easily due to having the confidence she now has and the strong belief she clearly has in DRUGS!! Lots of these woman such as Kate Moss are in fact assisting themselves by using class A drugs, in which case they are in fact putting massive risk on themselves health wise! Kate has a child to think about also. The lengths some people will go to to look skinny, I find it embarrassing. Any woman who feels sexy and confident inside will be attractive on the outside, it is about your behaviour and feelings about yourself that make you attractive. If you are a small cowering person who is abusing yourself then you will end up with a man who thinks it is ok to treat you the same way. We set the bench marks for ourselves. Beth you are fab, I like your music most of all. If she chose to airbrush the cel then why the hell not! Why wouldn’t she???? Don’t pick up on absolutely any old thing just to be picky, it is annoying… ”Standing in the way of my rolls” . Janey***
Yeah…being fat is sexy until you reach a certain point. After that it becomes very unhealthy. Curvy girls are extremely sexy, sometimes even sexier than thin ones, but as I said to a certain extent. They must have a limit.
I see a number of response posts here that attempt to draw the line between ‘acceptible’ fat and not. As long as these lines are saught and drawn, we will always be stuck in the debate. I am much older than Beth Ditto, but my body looks very much like hers. I have spent the better part of the past two years ‘changing’ from an unhealthy rut to a very healthy lifestyle. I lost weight, yes, but my goal was never to become a different size, but to become a different person by being healthy.
My cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure… all of it – as healthy as that of a any person who takes the energy and time to stay fit. My doctor has no comlpaints and neither do I.
Size alone does not denote the dregree of ill health. Just as it is with thinner people – it is the eyes, fingernails, and test results, etc., not in the fat a person carries.
So, I suggest folks stop trying to find the right fat to appreciate and start loving everyone for the wonderful souls they have – no matter the shell.
Food only feeds the body – but negative feedback can cause damages far greater than eating.
I am happy to finally see someone in the media who is interesting and truly shapely!
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