We have always advocated for responsible portrayal of women in media. The fight towards erasing impossible beauty standards so deeply infused in our society is admittedly a difficult one. Though we have seen some progress, the practice of altering women’s images to fit a certain mold remains rampant, for instance. Even the most gorgeous celebs from around the world, like Zendaya, Priyanka Chopra, and Kiera Knightley, are not immune to this. Despite protests, from the stars themselves and from body-positivity advocates, it’s still common practice. Known activist, Jameela Jamil, even recently campaigned to make the phenomena illegal.
Recently, Marina (formerly Marina and The Diamonds) joined the voices of these women. Through Twitter, she called out a certain designer she initially supported, whom she claimed altered her photo to make her legs and thighs “look like literal sticks.”
Marina didn’t disclose her name, but her stans believe she’s referring to Greek designer Celia Kritharioti, whose sheer, ruffled white jumpsuit creation she wore last December for the British Fashion Awards. Marina however refused to confirm this and instead stressed that “It doesn’t matter who it is anyway. I’m not saying it to expose a certain person—it’s part of a bigger problem.”
The bigger problem she’s referring to here is “internalized misogyny.” She claims the very act of the designer altering her body to make it “better” is a clear manifestation of that. For those unfamiliar with the term, it is basically how both men and women (yes, women can be misogynists too) subconsciously adapt sexist beliefs through various influences. Founder of the Critical Therapy Center Silvia M. Dutchevici further said that the ideology is “passed down through cultural norms, messages and socialization.”
The impossible beauty standards imposed on women can indeed be linked to misogyny and sexism. These images, almost always sexualized, were dictated dominantly by media, and behind them, men in power. If you think about, for whom are these standards? It definitely doesn’t do us, women, any good. It’s sad that these standards nonetheless has been promoted even by women.
This was what Marina was concerned with, above anything else. In another tweet, she said that she wasn’t emotionally hurt by the photoshopped image but she thought it was “super irresponsible and unkind to distort a woman’s figure for what is essentially someone else’s vanity.” She told the designer: “If you want me to wear your clothing, don’t photoshop my wonderful hourglass body shape as if it’s is unacceptable.” Adding that, “For f*ck’s sake. Do BETTER.” Enough said.
Art by Marian Hukom
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