When 14-year-old Carleigh O’Connell heard that a gibe about her body had been spray-painted on a cement block for her whole town to see, she responded in the unlikeliest, but most awesome of ways: She snapped a photo while posing proudly with the graffiti. She then shared the image on social media and told her mom, Daryl, to do the same. She wanted the image to go viral. She wanted to turn the story around. “[Carleigh] decided that she was going to be stronger than hurtful words on the concrete and that she was going to be proud of her figure,” the teen’s mom wrote in a Sunday Facebook post. “She also told me that she feels complete sympathy for the teenagers across the country who face this everyday. She understands and wants all of them to find strength inside to rise above the nastiness and be empowered by who you are, how you are made and what is in your heart.” Carleigh had heard from kids at her school that someone had graffitied a cement barrier in her hometown of Wall, New Jersey, and labelled it “Carleigh’s ass.” The teen was initially “upset,” her mom said, but she was determined to “make something good out of it.” Based on the speed with which Carleigh’s body-positive photo has made its rounds on the Web this week, it seems the teen has achieved what she set out to do. Carleigh’s Mom’s response:
“What an inspiration to others,” wrote one Facebooker in response to Carleigh’s picture.
“Rise above!! Don’t give them the power! You rock!!” wrote another.
Carleigh told TODAY that the experience with the graffiti has been an “empowering” one, adding that she hopes her message will inspire others.
“I didn’t know I could look something in the face like that and conquer it,” she told the news outlet. “The biggest message I want to get across is just to be strong, and that anyone who is experiencing bullying and anything like that, that they’re not alone and there’s people there for them — and I’m one of them.”
Babara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, what do they have in common, They are all powerful and history making journalist, AND they are all attractive women .
Both local and national news anchors, and weather people come into our homes daily, they surreptitiously become a part of our daily lives telling us to take an umbrella or warning us that downtown will be a mess due to a water main break. After watching, or listening to these people for years you suddenly look up and realize that, seemingly over night they have aged. The men have graying temples or have lost their hair, and the women, well the women oddly stay relatively the same, there are fluctuations in weight due to pregnancy but for the most part women in news exist in a sort of stasis. Sure there are those men who dye their hair and get a Botox and fillers but it is the woman who are “required” to “keep up appearances” .We all know why, it’s no big secret, we want, expect lovely looking women to tell us that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, after all it’s are more soothing to be told that the world is coming to an end by a petite blonde woman with an inviting smile, a sort of stewardess of the the news.
I jest, but only slightly when you here what happened to this female BBC morning show host you’ll see it’s not so far off!
This is Susanna Reid.
Reid is a very successful television journalist in the UK. She is so successful, in fact, that she was poached from the BBC’s very popular morning show to front a new show over at rival station ITV.
Unfortunately, the new show, “Good Morning Britain,” isn’t doing so well in the ratings. In fact, it’s getting comprehensively trounced by “BBC Breakfast,” the show Reid used to host.
Now, this is nothing new. “Good Morning Britain” is the third show in a row that ITV has tried to put up opposite “BBC Breakfast” — all without success.
So, what are ITV executives doing to prop up their sagging show? The answer, it would seem, is “microscopically analyze every aspect of Susanna Reid’s body.”
An ITV source said: “Helen is putting effort into training the presenters, who aren’t focus-testing too well. Susanna has been told to nod more, look more sympathetic and engage. Even her dresses are analysed to the nth degree. Her skirt length is checked and the colours now need to be brighter and lighter. A lot of people think she’s too harsh and intense. There was a discussion about lightening her hair. Most of their big-hitting presenters have been blonde – Anthea Turner, Kate Garraway, Fiona Phillips. Holly Willoughby is held up as the perfect nodder during interviews and she’s as opposite to Susanna as you can get. It’s a serious business getting GMB and Susanna Reid back on track.”
This follows an earlier “controversy” over how much leg Reid should be showing on air.
From the way Reid’s every move is talked about, you wouldn’t know that there are actually three other people hosting “Good Morning Britain” alongside her. Reid’s primary male counterpart, Ben Shepherd, does not appear to have received the same kind of micromanagement. His nodding abilities, it would seem, are just fine.
Of course, this kind of thing is nothing new for women in television, who find their every gesture scrutinized to an unbelievable extent. Reid’s predicament is strikingly reminiscent of that of Ann Curry, who found that she could do nothing right on “Today” and was summarily forced out.
Former CNN anchor Kiran Chetry and PBS’ Judy Woodruff spoke out on Sunday’s “Reliable Sources” about the way women in television are scrutinized over their appearance. The discussion came after recent reports that executives at Britain’s ITV have criticized host Susanna Reid over her dresses, hair and nodding in an attempt to boost ratings. On Sunday, Chetry seemed to be able to relate to the story as she listed some of the feedback she’s received about her looks during her career in television. The former anchor, who previously worked in local news and for Fox News and CNN, said she has been told to: — buy a wig — not wear bare arms — not wear taupe — dye her hair blond — wear shorter skirts — wear longer skirts — get Botox
Diana Adi-Khalil is a woman who looks at the world from a different perspective. Once I went to an art exhibit with her, and entered a room that was an installation, the church like pews in side were built in the round, and the room had no ceiling. You were meant to simply look up and …experience. Everyone entered the room with a quiet reverence and took a seat on a bench, and commenced to looking at the night sky. My best friend April and I followed suit, however Diana a matter of factly laid on the floor… It had never occurred to any one to do what seemed to be the most logical thing, given the fact that the point was to look “heavenward”. As others entered the room, seeing this petite, woman with a mane of wild curls wrapped in a haphazard topknot lying on the floor, they instinctively stretched themselves out on the carpeted floor. Diana Adi-Khalil literally sees the world from a different perspective…
Perhaps it’s her eclectic background, she is of Lebanese parentage, but raised primarily in Paris, she has unpretentious, purely authentic, bohemian laisseze a faire sense of being and style that one would associate with the 1920’s or 30’s. She is an artist, is the same sense. Art is not what she does; it is who she is. She lives her live artfully; she is constantly in creation, whether it is deciding what to wear, drawing a little doodle, or taking pictures. Her speech she is colorful and animated in her descriptions of the most simple of things. (I have experienced her in her third tongue English but am told that in French she is the same). She came to New York to study at New York University and has been here for 5 years. I asked her to share some of her thoughts and her work on the subject of health, beauty and body image. And in true fashion she crafted something unlike any other. She is truly singular, and original, and has made some keen observations relative to the American culture, our relationship to food, lifestyle, and yoga…
MADLYBACKWARDS- Diana Abi Khalil- Digital photo reworked on Photoshop Photo taken by Diana at Anton Kern Gallery featuring work by artist David Shringley
New york style.
These two words resonate in my head because they are pretty much everywhere on the streets of NYC:
“Yoga” and “Organic”
I get overwhelmed… by a “good” cause
These two words are use these are used as something to denominate “goodness” in so many people’s conversations that it is hauntingly overwhelming
Who else sees the “good” in ingurgitating the dose of orange you are supposed to eat in a year, in a little powdered pill?
A Chewable Strawberry Vitamin C from Sunkist is “All Natural” they provide 500 mg each. What is natural about a pill that provides “833% of your daily value per tablet”?
Is it “natural” to drink your exhaustion away in a juicy cup containing the vitamin and iron of an entire organic farm?
As a Lebanese woman I was raised on the gourmet food, I praise it, and gain satisfaction by feeding others and myself.
EAT & CRAM ‘TIL YOU BURST– In Lebanese homes. My aunt almost cries if we do not try every single dish she serves. She stuffs me with her delicious food.
ABUNDANCE.
Full bellies, nourished and contentment.
As a French woman, I do* eat McDonald’s and squeeze my fries in my double cheese. Yes! Inside the burger, that is my ultimate pleasure! But that is not so French it is actually a remix of Lebanese Shawarma sandwiches:
This proves that I am a product of both cultures equally.
I smoke like a fireman till my teeth turn green, and smuggle tons of cheese,
Saucisson, and quiche paste in my luggage direction NYC. Enough stereotypes!
(Although all of above is true) as we say in French, “Plaisirs Gourmands”=Gourmet Pleasures
I do not deprive myself of anything, and should surely moderate myself. Hmm
Whatever, I am a Libertine, it courses through my veins.
One thing that I have clearly gotten out of my New York experience is having a sense of my body, the FEEL of MY BODY.I have always lived through excess and ate, as I wanted, without thinking of my Health; but I now I feel that I am not immune anymore. When I eat too many bagels I feel down, (and the NYC tip to scoop them out did not help my body feel better.) I feel tired and lazy when I eat badly. My body is pulling the emergency alarm. This never happened to me in Lebanon or France I realized it is not because of way* of eating but because of the food itself.
NEVERENOUGH- Diana Abi Khalil- Digital photo reworked on Photoshop Photo taken by Diana at Anton Kern Gallery featuring work by artist David Shringley
Why that? How come I never sensed that before? There might be a reason. Maybe it’s because most of the meat in the States has hormones and steroids in it, or that all the non-organic stuff are MGO or who knows what it is that makes chicken taste the same as the beef? Or maybe because most of the people eat at their desk, or that the deli around my corner is open 24-hour and was still open during hurricane sandy, or for the 4th July, I can go on and on about the American lifestyle …Life in NYC is INSANE!
SENSEOFSELF- Diana Abi Khalil- Digital photo reworked on Photoshop. Photo taken in Bushwick
In NYC, not only I feel overwhelmed by the pressure to be “good”, but also I feel tempted to the extreme. And he who has extreme temptation has extreme reaction. So here I am reacting to the fast hormones antibiotics, bad oily products, MGO vegetables blahblahblah… I could hear this little voice telling me to run to the other extreme and eat vegan NO gluten NO meat NO fat NO oil no….
NO NO NO!
This extreme revolution, whether it is for pros or cons seems no good for me.
SOULBURST- Diana Abi Khalil- Digital photo reworked on Photoshop- Photo taken at Printed Matters NYC, showing artwork by Rikrit Tiravanija FEARS EATS THE SOUL
Even though we’ve found the perfect summer dresses that won’t land us in hot water with human resources, rising temps have created another issue: inner thigh sweat.
We become miserable the very second we start to feel our thighs sticking together from all the heat and humidity. Next thing you know, our pretty floral frocks and bright cropped pants are soaked in sweat, creating an embarrassing stain.
If you’re fed up with sweaty, moist skin ruining your outfits, try these five methods to stop thigh sweat in its tracks.
1. Baby powder. Our mothers swear by this stuff not only to soak up extra moisture, but to keep their bodies feeling soft and smelling fresh when on the move. $3.99, Target.com
2. Deodorant.Yes, deodorant. Smooth on this cucumber-scented antiperspirant along your thighs, wait a few minutes before getting dressed and leave your home with a thin layer of protection against thigh sweat. $4.99, Drugstore.com
3. Anti-chafing gel. Fitness buffs namedrop this product all the time. This non-greasy balm helps to minimize friction and its aloe vera and vitamin E formula moisturizes dry and inflamed skin. $10, REI.com
4. Cooling wipes. The editors at HuffPost Style can’t get enough of these handbag-friendly body cloths, which immediately cools down our clammy skin and leaves behind a silky, powdery finish. $2.97, Walmart.com
5. Runner shorts. This probably seems like a no-brainer — they are made specifically to keep you dry — but when you’re used to wearing too-stuffy Spanx, then prepare to sweat way less. $25, Nike.com
I think that this briefs might not be brief enough for underneath summer dresses, so maybe some wicking underwear might be the way to go… or botox in the bum, that’s right, botox is also used to prevent excess sweating under the arms, hands and feet….
26 year olf Turia Pitt is a lot of things, a burn survivor is merely one of them, although it was probably the thing the most effected her life to date by altering the very course of her life. Ironically she was running an ultra marathon course in Australia when she was caught in a brush fire and severely burned over 65 percent of her body. Her strength of both mind and body were already evidenced by her taking on the challenge of the 100km race in WA’s Kimberley region in September 2011, but were truly tested when she had to endure over 100 surgeries and spent more than 864 days in the hospital fighting for her life. She won that race and has been honored as the July cover woman for Women’s Weekly magazine.
Today, the mining engineer is a motivational speaker and author. She is also a member of Women’s Weekly judging panel for the annual Women of the Future scholarship awards. After Pitt was photographed as part of the panel, Women’s Weekly editor decided to put her on the cover.
“When Turia was photographed as part of our Women of the Future judging panel among a group of similarly impressive Australian women, it was clear from the moment she sat in front of the camera that the July cover had to belong to her,” Editor-in-Chief Helen McCabe said, according to Australia’s Women’s Weekly. “Any attempt to describe the magic and beauty of Turia seems to get lost in platitudes or clichés. Yet I have never met a more remarkable person.”
Pitts says of the honor:
“Being on the cover of the Australian Women’s Weekly is a huge honor. I feel very humbled. For me, it sends the message that confidence equals beauty. There are a lot of women out there who are so beautiful but don’t have the confidence, and that’s what gets you over the line.”
I think this is great and we should be seeing more of this. Not just women who are survivors of physical trauma, but women who are strong, and successful but may not look like your average cover models (I like the irony of the statement…) This is what we as the readers should expect, after all the magazine is WOMEN’S Weekly not “Beautiful Women’s Weekly” not “Thin Women’s Weekly”, it is a magazine that seeks to represent or speak to Women- all sizes, shapes, colors, religions, and social strata…This cover- or having a “full figure’ woman on the are things that as readers we should not only expect but demand, as equal representation of our gender… Let’s hope that this shows them that we desire more of this, which means that this issue must sell—out sell the others in order for them to do it again, and make it a mission!!!
PBS Digital has an awesome series whereby they take clips of old interviews with celebrities and animate them. It’s quite intriguing as the animations are spot on and the clips they use are in and of themselves are humorously revealing about the subject…in the Meryl Streep clip she talks about being on the Blackwell List of worst dressed for years…and what the director of the movie King Kong said when she came in to read for the lead (the Jessica Lange Role). And an INCREDIBLE story of a old half knitted sweater in a knitting bag….(you have to listen to find out) Enjoy it I did!
Ok lookahere. I am a 43 year old woman who looks damn good head to toe, I may have some body image issues but I ain’t crazy… what the hell is up with these “powerful, self empowered” established female artist exposing and shaking their asses like newbies and come-ups? Why the hell does Jennifer Lopez– I will speak not of her talent but I will speak of her popularity and earning power because one is not a fair barometer of the other… Lopez who was making 17.5 million dollars as a judge on American Idol has chosen to show us that she can stop with the puppies in her new video.
It smacks of desperation, it’s that Annie Oakley song “anything you can do I can do better” except it’s “anything you can shake I can shake harder, anything you can show I can show more!” Beyonce did it, therefore now I have to bend over and pop it, shake it, dip it, and grab my coochie from behind and lift it up… to what sell albums? to get buzz? to sty relevant? I am not sure…The one thing I can be sure of is that it is not for money, she has it, a lot of it they all do. I have a nauseating feeling that it harkens back to why college girls kiss other girls in front of Frat boys at parties… It’s why every actress talented or not feels the need to bend over or spread eagle and strip down for a spot on Maxim’s hot 100…for the approval of men. I know that both men and women buy albums but the hyper sexualized nature of the material is not for us gals…well not for most of us, many of the women who are actually these artists contemporaries would buy their work because…we like the work not because they are singing strippers with a fierce glam squad. Personally it all turns me off. I watched this appropriately entitled “teaser” and was sickened and saddened and immediately glad that I did not have a teen aged daughter. Concomitantly I felt blessed that I am secure enough in myself and my personal hotness that I did not, and do not feel the need to compete, to drop it like it’s hot to prove that I still got it at 43.
And please don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a middle aged woman shaking it, popping it dip, trip slipping it, I just believe that there is a time and a place for that. I am middle aged, I have never been nor felt sexier in my life but everybody doesn’t need to to no, or deserve to know how I work my sexy. Part of that has to do with my confidence and my not just owning but understanding my womanhood and femininity, its mystic and power, and above all its subtly…subtly is the key..
Ad agencies employ some of the most creative minds in the world. Most of their time, unfortunately, is spent selling us want things we never actually needed. But these campaigns were created by copywriters who sought to make positive change and point their brilliance in the right direction.
Heads up New Yorkers, if you blink you could miss Tara Stiles doing yoga in a glass box on wheels. You heard that right. Celeb “rebel yoga” teacher, Tara Stiles, is promoting her new “FIT with Tara Stiles” yoga program at W Hotels by traveling around NYC all day in a “Yoga Truck” where her yoga show is on display for all the lucky city folks to see in a somewhat unfortunate caged-animal scenario. Because a skinny, model-y white woman doing yoga in a box for everyone else to gawk at isn’t a metaphor for anything. Nope. (Sometimes we have to wonder if we’re all on some sort of Yoga Candid Camera.)
Ok This is how we know that the world is coming to an end as we know it….
Is it not bad enough that Westerns have taken the sacred and once spiritual practice of yoga and commercialized it, created a line of fashion attire around it, or that a pimp-like Indian man, named Bikram capitalized on Westerns desire to concomitantly seem spiritual while looking “hot” by heating the yoga room, reducing the physical science of the practice to a mere 26 postures (and 2 breathing exercises) while teaching in a Speedo. There is even a yoga competition where avid practitioners and teachers alike put on their skimpiest outfits and perform a 3minute yoga routine in front of an audience for a trophy, bragging rights, and I am certain a fair amount of cash. This had always struck me as rock bottom, that is before I heard about Tara Stiles’ shenanigans. The very last thing most women in New York City need is to see a skinny white woman in a leotard, with her legs behind her ears riding by as they bob and weave, dodging slow walking, texting, spatially unaware folks, and tourists. Is it not bad enough that we have constant printed reminders of how far we are from the ideal on every billboard and bus that goes by? Do we need a human being in a glass box telling us we need to do better? I just have to say, when you have just dipped out of the office to indulge in a “this never happened cookie” the last thing you need is Tara Stiles in a downward facing dog shaking her head. Instead of saying Namaste, she says “You’regonnastay… FAT!”
I get it we all get it, it’s about marketing and promotion and I am sure that she will not be fighting to hold that tree pose as the truck rolls by, but I DO know that most who see her will hope that one of the wheels hits a pothole!!!
Namaste
Creating a healthier body image through Acceptance, Appreciation and Respect
