a bit of analysis

[rivendellrose]

The following are my self-righteous opinions about a stupid pop-journalism article. Why do I do this to myself? Mostly as an exercise, but also because I think it's important to really examine what's going on in the media, and the images and ideals being presented to us. So here's my

Backstory: I read MSN Women's columns for entertainment when I'm at work. Don't look at me like that - I can't help taking perverse pleasure out of their inane commentary on relationships, fashion, and self-esteem. Also, it helps me keep a finger on the pulse of popular society... for instance, is it really a novel idea that women should try to love their bodies for what they are? No. Is it something that enough people still have problems with that articles like this get put out every few weeks? Yes.

Enter this article, entitled Six Ways to Love Your Body: Treat yourself with the R-E-S-P-E-C-T you deserve.

Parts of the article are really pretty useful, although I think there's a big misunderstanding at work in the first few paragraphs. Yes, almost all 20-something women bitch about their bodies. Speaking as one, yeah, there's stuff I'm not a big fan of about my body. But there's also a cultural imperative to say that, especially in conversation with a friend who's just said something of a similar quality. Women are trained to empathize, and to support our friends by agreeing and expanding on what they say. So if one girl says she's fat... what does the other say? If she doesn't find a way to turn some sort of denigration back on herself, her friend might feel bad. I'm not saying that there aren't unrealistic expectations going on here - there definitely are - nor am I suggesting that 'all' that's going on is talk. The biggest factor here is the cultural stuff that needs to get changed.

Leaving that, however, there was this lovely little gem:

As you go through your day, ask yourself if what you're doing is best for your physical and mental well-being. What's better for you: Spending another hour at work or at the gym? Watching a mean-spirited reality show or reading a good book? Drinking a beer or a glass of water? "Every time you put something in your mouth, ask yourself, 'Is this nourishing me or is it undermining my health?'" says Somer.

Now... I agree to this in principle. Yes, I try to drink water more than soda or beer or what-have-you. Yes, I try not to drink alcohol more than once every couple of weeks, and even then only one serving or two. Yes, I try to work on a system of doing what's healthy. But mental health is another factor there. I enjoy having an occasional beer or wine cooler or something. So I do. I enjoy having ice cream, especially during the summer. Yeah, sometimes I have sorbet instead... and that's not only because it's healthy but because I like it, and sometimes that's what I'm in the mood for. Don't try to make me feel guilty because I take a few of the little pleasures in life.

Earlier in the article, the writer makes the point that "if women are at war with their bodies, then food is the ammunition. When we deny ourselves nourishment, we feel we've won; when we give in to cravings, we've lost. It's easy to forget that food is actually a good thing, something we need to stay alive." That's very true. But how the hell is denying those pleasures going to help? Contradictory advice is at the core of this article, and that indicates to me that this woman hasn't gotten over the cultural issues she's discussing any more than the women she's claiming to assist and liberate.

It's not as if I'm shocked to see this kind of poor thought going on in such a venue - I'm just confused by how people swallow this crap like it's candy-coated gospel.

Comments

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

Moderation is the key, as always. The part you italicized, I believe, it talking about daily life. On a daily basis, water is better than beer. (And I know more than a few people who will reach for beer when they are thirsty, rather than water). Once and a while, special occasion, no one cares.

I don't think it reads as gospel or contradictory at all. As a culture, we have very unhealthy habits, and there are people who do need to ask these questions an a daily basis. They aren't always going to choose water.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I guess I overestimate the usual person's understanding of moderation. I read the article as preaching on the one hand toward 'respect' and on the other toward denial of a lot of the simple stuff that, granted, I know people overdo. It just worries me, because I know a lot of people take it too far into complete denial, and then crack and go out the other end into over-indulgence.

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

Most people understand what moderation is. Most people just don't practice it. *raises hand*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you're healthy about it. It's definitely an effort for all of us.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

"if women are at war with their bodies, then food is the ammunition. When we deny ourselves nourishment, we feel we've won; when we give in to cravings, we've lost. It's easy to forget that food is actually a good thing, something we need to stay alive."

Okay, as someone who's on a diet, I can say that this quote makes me mad. First off, it makes no sense. On one hand it says fight your body, on the other it says be reasonable. Which one people? I do have an icecream or something sweet every once and a while. If I didn't, I'd go crazy.

But I think what women need to realize is the reason you have for being on a diet should be a good one. For me, it's because I have high blood pressure and I should lose a bit of weight for my health. Also, I like having better endurance and more energy. It's not about being thin, it's about being healthy. Respect your body by being healthy (sugars and dairy are good for you, too), not by forcing yourself to be super skinny.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

I think the author is generalizing women's tendency to not eat, rather than eat healthy. She's saying 'don't not eat, eat healthy'.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that's what she's going for, but she's not doing a very good job of actually saying that.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I didn't have any trouble understanding the points she was making. It came across clearly to me. But I read a lot of these things, and they're all written sort of the same way.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It's possible I was just feeling gripey. I get really irritated when I feel like people give off the impression that you shouldn't ever have a beer or an ice cream or something.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really think you're reading too much into this. The way I read it, it was pretty clear that it was just saying 'eat healthy, and keep the less-than-great-stuff to a moderation'.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

Ah~ Yes, I see that.

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

The first sentence in the quote is a bit tongue in cheek. When I choose a wimply salad over a cheeseburger, my misguided mind thinks I'm winning the battle. But we actually do need the fat and protein in our diets. We just need not to over-do it.

It doesn't say fight your body. The first sentence is a misconception, and probably further miscontrued taken out of the context.

The key word in that sentence is that we FEEL like we've won. Not THAT we have won.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

Heh, once again, misreading I have done. ^_^

[ellid.livejournal.com]

One of the major reasons so many women have osteoporosis in their old age is because they deprive themselves of dairy foods as being "too fatty." The risk for osteo rises dramatically for very slender women.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

I don't get that. I like milk. It's very tasty, and you can't have cereal without it. Well... not like Cornflakes or anything. Lucky Charms, tch, milk almost ruins Lucky Charms.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

A lot of women and teenagers try to stay thin by basically living on salads, or having a single low-fat yogurt for lunch (I once bought two small cartons of yogurt at a convenience store and was greeted with a cheery, "You must be hungry today!" Those things had about 300 calories between them - that's supposed to be *lunch* for an adult????). And of course it rebounds on them.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

*shakes head* That's just stupid. You need calcium and fats to survive. I'm of the opinion of if it tastes good, we're suppposed to consume at least some of it. I think there was a study somewhere saying that's why we have tastebuds, to know what we can eat. Huh, off topic...

Anyway, I dunno how people can think that eating so little is good for them. Even dieting I still eat three meals a day and I'm talking full meals, and I'm still losing weight.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that the article was more pointing out an over-all sort of lifestyle. It's not about taking a few little pleasures, but in generally eating well and keeping indulgences as actual indulgances.

Look at me. I'm sure you remember my 'pint of ice cream a night' habit. That would be the time to think 'gee, maybe I should have an apple' instead of giving into my cravings.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. It just felt poorly written, to me. People have so much trouble with all this, it's really really important for writers to be careful of what they say in regards to it.

Oh, me too. I do spend a fair amount of time thinking on "okay, yes, I want ice cream. How about some tea instead?" or something like that.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

Like I said, it seemed written fine to me. And seriously, I think a lot of women in America do need to pay a hell of a lot more attention to what they eat. Knowing so many women who life off of fast food and junk food and whatnot that they need to really think about what they eat. I think the women that know they're eating well and doing right wouldn't really see the need to do that, or feel they were being addressed.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, so do a lot of men. But nobody seems to pay much attention to that...

*nods* Yeah, I was overdoing it. Ah well.

[theladyfeylene.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can honestly say that I've never given much thoughts to the eating habits of men. I think, probably, because men don't seem to give it as much thought. I don't hear my male friends going on about dieting or their weight or anything like that.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It's interesting - I was talking to one of my old friends from highschool, a guy who never in his life has had to pay the slightest attention to what he eats... and he's trying to figure out how to eat healthy, now, because his metabolism is starting to catch up to him. And I know other guys who concentrate on keeping weight off, but it's totally not what you see in the media - in the media it's all about women getting fat, women dieting. It's an interesting cultural thing.

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Was that Derek? Is his metabolism actually catching up with him?
Actually I didn't have too much issue with the article. I'm finding that since the doctor said keep the sodium level down to such a low amount, I'm having to make good healthy choices and am now enjoying them!
Sadly, it makes it more difficult to enjoy eating out, but I'm learning the right things to say and the right things to order, and am doing a lot better. But Most fun of all, I'm really enjoying learning to cook REALLY healthy and good tasting foods!
That along with all the walking (and the fun walking partner) is actually keeping the health issues under control. Whee!!!!
Oh, I almost forgot my main point in the post, you were saying that the media is all about women dieting, and honestly in all fairness to the press, all the talk lately about obesity has focused on Americans in general, not just woman, but men and children too. Did you ever end up watching that movie Supersize me? It was really something, I strongly recommend it if you haven't seen it!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

That's what he tells me - I think he's just being paranoid, but I won't complain about anything that has him cutting back on junk food. ;)

No, I haven't seen it yet - maybe we should see about renting it this weekend, it sounded really fun, if also really disgusting. Yes, the talk about obesity has focused on all Americans, but if you look at the general media, what you end up with is 90% focus on women. And women's magazines and media focus on it a lot, whereas I almost never see it in men's media.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Bingo. Women are supposed to obsess about food, while men are supposed to obsess about food, sports, and NASCAR.

No wonder society is such a mess.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Oh, and don't forget clothes, shoes, and makeup. And our relationships with men. That's all we're supposed to think about, you can tell from any women's magazine.