We Are Beautiful NOW
Why we should all live like Queen Latifah:
"Latifah is an example of how women in the black community show a kind of love for themselves that infects those all around them. Her celebrity franchise has opened a door. We are fortunate today that we can step out of our big-boned loving community and set an example of grace, style and boldness for big women suffering in communities clinging to a Size-4 Kate Moss Model of beauty."
The writer of this article becomes inspired to turn her back on weight-loss leaders who say things like "...don't let me down. I want to see you lose the weight and see how beautiful you'll be." What do you mean, how beautiful you will be? Man, I hate that.
"Latifah is an example of how women in the black community show a kind of love for themselves that infects those all around them. Her celebrity franchise has opened a door. We are fortunate today that we can step out of our big-boned loving community and set an example of grace, style and boldness for big women suffering in communities clinging to a Size-4 Kate Moss Model of beauty."
The writer of this article becomes inspired to turn her back on weight-loss leaders who say things like "...don't let me down. I want to see you lose the weight and see how beautiful you'll be." What do you mean, how beautiful you will be? Man, I hate that.
posted by mo pie at 9:25 AM
7 Comments:
Queen Latifah rocks.
The only thing that does weird me out is how she is often cast in roles (I'm thinking of "Bringing Down the House") that would never be given to, say, Halle Berry or Gwyneth Paltrow. Also, I recently read an interview with her that was talking about the fact that many directors are casting her in roles originally written for men. In other words, her size makes her androgynous or asexual.
But she still rocks. And she's gorgeous.
(Unrelated to Queen Latifah)
Did you hear this article on NPR this morning?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4120015
tszuj
http://tszuj.diaryland.com
"A crown, if it hurts us, is not worth wearing."
--Pearl Bailey
She's right.
Which brings us back to the old question of why, exactly, are we losing weight? Why have we set the goals that we have? We keep saying it's for our health, but then we push ourselves past a healthy goal. I am 5'8" and per the insurance charts my weight range should be between 130 and 165. Well, I've been 135 and it was ghastly! Too, too thin! Skin and bones. And I caught every single stray virus passing through. I've also been 165 and that was just on the edge of uncomfortable. At both weights, and everything inbetween, people said I was good looking (though not the same people.)
Now I am a few pounds shy of becoming morbidly obese and that is the limit. Now it really is about my health; aesthetics don't even enter the room. But my personal goal is 145lbs., at which point aesthetics will be a major factor and I see no reason to kid myself. Why 145lbs? Because at that weight I could do things, and do them well, that I would really like to do again. (What things? that's my secret. :))
My bet is Queen Latifah is comfy in her own skin for reasons having little to do with what she weighs and much more to do with how she lives her life each day.
Unfortunately, the standards are different for black women. I'd LOVE to be a black woman - larger women are embraced. They can wear clothes that flaunt their curves and don't think twice about it. As a large white woman, I can't get away with that.
Yes, maybe it's babyish of me to say this. But do you really, honesty disagree that the standards are different?
You know, this really bothers me, too. Star Jones, who is in no way my role model, actually said quite some time ago: Why do they always say "She'd be beautiful if she lost weight. Nobody even considers the possibility that you can be beautiful at any weight.
I hate that about this society.
My impression is that African American and Latino cultures do embrace larger sized women more so than white culture, but I think there are two things going on there: 1) African American and Latino women ARE often larger than white women; it's just a reality, and 2) although things like "big" rear ends are lauded by some African American and Latino cultures, I have noticed that what they're referring to is simply the different shape -- look at the Sir Mix A Lot video: the women have large(r) rears than your average white girl, but that's all... they're still quite thin.
I agree that it's hard to flaunt your curves if you feel that those around you won't be receptive to it, but I've also found that when I do flaunt my curves, I feel like I look better and those around me do actually comment that I look better. I always think the biggest mistake for larger-than-average women is to wear loose, baggy clothing -- it only makes you look even bigger. No tents!
In America when we can't solve a problem we try to make the world to accept the problem with words like "It's not too bad". Or sometimes we even protest against the solution of the problem.
For example, in the SF Bay Area, a few years ago, a group of overweight people called the press and TV media to a celebration of "fat is beautiful, let's not fight it" and staged dances to show how the world would be if we all let our bodies go.
I am overweight and I didn't like it a bit. First I laughed, it was funny, for a while, than it was sad. The desperation for acceptance sometimes makes us look pathetic.
I've lost a few pounds, since.
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