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In a bold move for the beauty industry, 19 Vogue editors are pledging to show only healthy-looking models who are at least 16-years old.
Most of us will never be models, but because media is powerful, this decision can impact our culture over time.
Young girls, in particular, feel pressure to look a certain way, based on what they see in magazines. Unfortunately what they often see are sexualized images of super-skinny young girls.
I spoke with model and author Carre Otis about Vogue’s move. She began modeling as a teen, knows the darkside of the business and wrote about it in Beauty Disrupted: A Memoir. Jenna Sauers of the Model Alliance also joined the conversation. The Model Alliance has been fighting for changes like this for years.
Please take a look:
Do you think Vogue will keep their word? Think these changes can impact our culture?
I have never been thin, even as a teen, it doesn’t matter what I eat or what exercises I do. It gets annoying seeing pencil thin women on the covers of magazines. Going to the mall with friends is a small nightmare. They can go to these “normal” stores and buy all these cute clothes. With us “heavier” women we only have a few options for “plus size clothes” that are cute enough for us. God forbid we go to one store and are one size and then the next store we can be 2 sizes bigger for the same kind of clothing. Thinner women don’t truly understand unless they’ve been in the heavier womans shoes. Our clothes never fit right, ever. Eating out in public, everyone stares like it’s a side show. Even if we usually eat healthy someone always makes the comment of “Oh, on a diet?” I give kudos to Vogue for pledging to not use super skinny models!!
I agree that women need various types of images but I don’t think you should fight discrimination and poor self image by discriminating against other women.Some women who model are naturally thin everyone sees super skinny as various things.Is a size 4 super skinny?If we go by the average woman size in America it would be but at a size 4 I’m at a healthy weight. It’s good that they want other images and I believe models should be young adults anyways but we live in a country that is struggling with weight issues and diseases like diabetes and heart disease.Are we really going to promote a bigger size to make others feel better?I view the media is giving mixed signals on one hand it says to eat healthy and the risks of being overweight and then on the other hand you have people saying what a “real woman” size is which is much fuller. It’s why I think instead of weight they should focus on bring in various types of women ,from various backgrounds and ethnicity.Models should represent every woman so showcase more everyday women if were going to try help boost up young girls self esteem.
A size four is not super skinny!! By super skinny they mean girls that are really unhealthy and have issues with eating. I dont think vogue is promoting “bigger sizes” but protoming health for their young female readers. Teenagers are very easily influenced by magazines and these unabtainable bodies that they think are healthy. I applaud Vogue for taking a step in the right direction!!
I agree I don’t think a size 4 is super skinny either, I wish I was a size 4. I think of super skinny as bones hanging out everywhere and just plain don’t look healthy! I don’t expect magazines to cater to the “plus size” crowd, but it’d be nice to see some women on magazine covers that are a size 10 (wish I was that too). Luckily for me being a plus sized woman I’m not having a lot of the medical issues a lot of heavier women do. My blood sugar is fine, my blood pressure is perfect, just my body doesn’t reflect how I feel!! LOL
I watched the interview today.as long as theres someone to speak up their can be hope for a bigger opinion.
Vogue is pledging to not to feature models who appear to have an *eating disorder.* I’m sure there will still be skinny models in their magazines.