By: Kadin Daigle, Copy Editor
Recently, a new trend within the realm of popular culture has created massive controversy over the way the media views body image. The #teamthick movement, which shows a significant rise in support for women with a curvier body type than the stereotypical size zero women that society has seemed to favor, has been blasted for selecting one body type to praise over another. Popular songs like “All About That Bass” and “Anaconda” celebrate people (predominantly women) who are a bit larger than most. At the same time they seem to put down skinnier people in the same way that name brand clothing lines do to large people.
“For real, the thick movement is great,” says senior Shayna Solomon. “It doesn’t put down thin girls in my opinion; it just promotes self-love for thick girls.”
Previously, those who supported a thinner body type were ripped apart and branded body-shamers; vice-versa, the new thick movement is gaining numerous anti-fans who claim the followings ideals to be just as shallow as those who adore stick figure shapes. The public youth claims they wish to see messages that send out a common feel-good vibe for everyone, regardless of shape or appearance. However, the realistic possibility of achieving this goal seems to be growing less likely by the day.
Promoting self-love, independent of preconceived notions towards how someone “should look”, has become increasingly difficult. The number of eating disorder, self-harm, and suicide cases among teens has been on a steady rise in this past decade, and that can be attributed to the fact that everybody has this “need” to compare themselves to everyone else.
While women may face the brunt of this overwhelming issue, with multiple magazines, song lyrics, and beauty blogs preaching about the standards they must reach to be considered worthy, many forget that men are also under a lot of pressure regarding looks. Just as women face challenges with body size, the media has certain ideals that men are expected to meet in terms of fitness, and how good they look without a shirt on. For either gender, pictures bearing the perfect man or woman are posted for all to observe and attempt to copy—trouble is, no one can be anyone else but themselves. And when did society begin viewing that as a bad thing?
Sophomore Jack Carr says, “I feel people are always comparing their body types to others because they want to be like them. Sometimes they might feel like the person they compare themselves to looks better than them, and they feel the need to look better.”
Though comparisons to celebrities, who have personal trainers, and the ability to purchase advanced cosmetic items to achieve flawless appearances is a problem, not even this can receive full blame for the issue at hand. Comparisons to anyone, whether it be the popular boy/girl in school, the model on TV, or the neighbor next door, aren’t helping anyone to fulfill the acceptance they must have in order to really begin understanding the concepts of self-love. It shouldn’t be about “thick” against “thin” because in the end, those are simply terms created to further separate everyone into categories. We are not categories, we are people.
In reality, everybody is born differently. There shouldn’t be a need to compare one body type to another, mainly because beauty isn’t just on the outside. As cliché as that sounds, it’s true. The desirable body type trends shift every day: whether it is tall, skinny, short, or curvy. Instead of worrying about the next trend, we instead should focus on finding an acceptance with ourselves that’s a bit more lasting than next week’s tabloid photo-shoot.
Junior Jonny Kashani says, “There is always someone that thinks you are beautiful and appreciates you for who you are.”
There’s no need to seek out any approval, save for the approval that comes from within. In the end, beauty is fleeting. Individuality, however, is what people truly remember.