Since the beginning of time, society has looked down on women and viewed them as vulnerable, weak and submissive creatures who are dependent on men just to survive. As it is portrayed in films, shows, music and ads, women are almost a human subspecies. From a young age, we are taught that our main goal in life is to be aesthetically attractive to those around us. Whether it be to secure a job or a husband, it is forced into our heads that, basically, nothing can be accomplished unless we present ourselves in a way that society deems attractive.
From cosmetic advertisements to fast-food chain commercials, women are depicted as flawless and vulnerable creatures with perfect hair, airbrushed skin, sparkling eyes and figures that seems to have about 5 percent body fat. This “perfect” version of a woman is so common in our everyday lives that this example of what a woman could look like has become the definition of what a woman should like. I hate to break it to you men of the corporate world, but no real woman looks like the girl in your media.
This image, which has proven to subconsciously distress women into unhealthy habits, is translated into just about everything women do. From removing our natural breasts to get new ones that are more attractive to the male gaze, to covering up imperfections on our faces with makeup, women are constantly shown that the only way to achieve perfection is to, essentially, become nothing.
This has even gone beyond the typical surgical or cosmetic enhancements and into the clothes we purchase. Unlike men’s clothing, women’s pants sizes start at a size double-zero. What the hell kind of size is a double-zero? I can assure you that even the smallest women will have hips larger than double-zero inches. Men’s pants and pants manufactured in Europe are labeled with how many inches their waists actually are, not these strange singular digits that honestly have no correlation to a woman’s size.
By no means am I attempting to degrade women who are that size, as everyone’s shape is different based on numerous factors, mainly genetics, but I am attacking the fact that a woman’s size has reached the point where it is equivalent to nothing — to being a double-zero. In no way should anyone, not just women, be compared to a symbol that is representative of nothing — of non-existence — that is also a symbol of perfection.
Women are constantly told they are too big. Even some models, who tend to be significantly smaller than the average-sized woman, are fired for being “too fat.” The media plays into this notion by persuading women to eat less, workout more and take more supplements to lose weight to achieve this ideal beauty. And now, women are being objectified through something as simple as a pair of jeans.
The fact is that women come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tall, some are short, some are extremely muscular, some carry more fat. But at the end of the day, each woman, each person, is unique and should be celebrated for the qualities that make him or her special.
We are more than the unrealistic, sexist interpretations of what a women should be. I am not nothing, you are not nothing, and by understanding that the media and a silly set of numbers cannot define the standard of beauty, we are, in fact, everything.
