Lily James, who stars in Disney's new Cinderella movie has been receiving tons of hateful skinny shaming comments, stating that "her waistline is bad for girl's self image." This is classic "think of the children" mentality. I guess I can understand where some of these viewers are coming, because representation is important in pop culture. But does that make Lily James not of less value as an actress? Of course not. She is not defined by her body. Yes, representation for large bodies are important, but that doesn't mean that small, thin bodies are of any less importance. It doesn't mean that this woman's waistline is what defines her in her profession. She responded to criticism stating,
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“On one hand its upsetting and one the other hand it’s just boring... I mean, why do women always get pointed at for their bodies?
“This whole thing happened and I’m constantly having to justify myself. I’m very healthy and I always have been.”
The idea that all women are going to fit into a certain body type is ridiculous, and yet somehow expected. In this decade, it consists of a tall, curvy woman with a large butt, large bust, and small, toned waistline. Anyone who does not fit this ideal is shamed for this or that. It is important to remember that all women are "real women" despite thin shaming and body shaming. It is common for thin bodied women to be told they "aren't real women" or that they are sticks or bones, and that men don't want them. For example:
The idea that all women are going to fit into a certain body type is ridiculous, and yet somehow expected. In this decade, it consists of a tall, curvy woman with a large butt, large bust, and small, toned waistline. Anyone who does not fit this ideal is shamed for this or that. It is important to remember that all women are "real women" despite thin shaming and body shaming. It is common for thin bodied women to be told they "aren't real women" or that they are sticks or bones, and that men don't want them. For example:
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These images are just as destructive to women as fat shaming and bullying. Don't even get me started about how they not only thin shame but also place the value of a woman in terms of what men think of her. Many women see these kinds of posts on social media, particularly Facebook, and mistake them for body positive messages. Putting other people down about their bodies is not how someone should find value in their own. There have been many proper responses to these kinds of images.
So remember, if anyone body shames you, whether it is thin shaming, fat shaming, tall shaming, small shaming, any shaming. Your body does not define who you are as a person
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