Stop the War on Female Bodies

In more recent months, an uprising has begun to form at long last. In a society where shows likeare celebrated for cutting people down, isn't it time we take a stand?
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We, as a culture, have come to accept a bully-style approach to the female form. Constant criticism of women's appearance from fashion and style to weight and beauty has grown boundless.

In more recent months, an uprising has begun to form at long last. People are beginning to push back against those who have attempted to hold them down for so long. In a society where shows like Fashion Police are celebrated for cutting people down, isn't it time we take a stand? What gives anyone the right to sit around and rip apart someone else's outfit, hair, or makeup in glorified Mean Girls style? It is even worse that they do it publicly. I am not condemning them. People are watching! The only reason shows like that are on the air is because they have viewers. We are perpetuating the problem by allowing it to continue.

It has been said to me that it is human nature to want to point out flaws in others to make oneself feel better. I have a great deal of difficulty accepting that. If you don't feel good about yourself, knocking others down is not the way to bring yourself up.

It is about time we examine our approach to beauty. Actresses like Jennifer Lawrence are telling photographers to forego the airbrushing and hoping this will inspire others to do the same. It is important, especially for young women, to understand what real women look like and that not even superstars look the way they are made to appear on magazine covers. When we stop creating these illusions maybe women will stop holding themselves to an unrealistic and unattainable standard.

We have tiptoed around this issue long enough. We all know what the problem is and we even know how to fix it -- now it is time to take action. We need to have a no tolerance policy going forward. We can appreciate fashion, style and beauty without being critical. We don't need to tear anyone down. At the risk of sounding really cliché, maybe our mothers were right when they said, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Maybe then we could walk into a supermarket and start seeing pictures of stars we love on magazine covers looking beautiful...but human. It may just give young men a realistic image of what a woman should look like and young women a healthy body image. Women have come too far and have too much farther to go to get stalled by this pettiness anymore. It is time to break the cycle.

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