The Voices of Readers

The media is a power vehicle which can be manipulated and shaped to reach an audience. I have written a few articles which have discussed the influence of the media on women’s (young and mature) body image and how the images are not representative of the whole. Since the first blog was published a few weeks ago, I have received numerous e-mails expressing their feelings and perspectives on this topic.

Hear what other readers have to say.

Enjoy!
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Ms. H (Cincinnati, Ohio)

I went to your blog spot. It was excellent. I especially liked the first part of the blog that explored the various ways we can be our own worst enemy. We really have to believe in ourselves before anyone else will believe in us. I truly believe that people are able to reach great heights when they are confident and know that they are able to achieve their dreams; this confidence shines to others, and they have no choice but to believe in you as well.

I also liked your exploration of the Western standard of beauty, but I have a question for you. Have you ever felt that you (personally) did not fit the mold of Western beauty? I hear a lot of people say that the standard for beauty here includes White skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, but I've truly never felt that I didn't "fit" into the Western standard of beauty. Of course, I'm Black with dark hair, dark eyes, and thick thighs and hips, but I never felt that I had a standard of beauty pushed on me. How do you think most women of color feel about this issue?

My reply:
Thanks for the reply and for sharing your thoughts. I believe that issues such as these vary from person to person.

As for my personal experience, well it is like this. I have a very athletic body, long lean and defined muscles with broad shoulders and narrow hips. The body that I described was the body which many young women in my high school viewed as desired, but may I also note that my school was about 98% white. After graduating from high school, I was awarded a full scholarship to attend a historically black university where the student population was about 96% Afro-American. At this university however, my body was considered “too European”; this was a terminology that only the “name callers” truly knew the significance.

So as you can see, no one is immune from prejudices based on body image. My story demonstrates that body image is cultural and that, who ever dominates, sets the standard of beauty. In short, our bodies may be shaped differently but the words still affect us in similar ways.


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Ms. M (Denver, Colorado)

I agree with everything you said about the media. I am Latina, but even within Latinos, I see the lighter skinned Latina women on TV much more than darker ones.

I am actually a light-skinned Latina myself, but my mom is dark (she has African blood). It is shocking how people treat me different than more African or Indigenous looking Latinos. My mom has faced so much discrimination for being dark.

Fortunately, my family taught me better and many of my relatives actually fought during the Guatemalan civil war to defend the Indigenous people of Guatemala.

I used to work with at-risk teenagers; the grand majority of them were Black or Latino. I was paired with a Black girl, so I hung out with her friends a lot. It was also so shocking that she and her friends admired the lighter-skinned, more European looking African Americans, like Beyonce Knowles. In Africa and the Middle-East, they have skin-lightning creams that are dangerous! I can go on forever about this, I better stop.
Anyway. YOU ARE SO AWESOME!! And you're a “BEAUTIFUL COLORED WOMAN”! Take care of yourself.

My reply:
Thanks for the reply and for showing readers that discrimination can occur in any form and in any place.

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Mdme C. (Abbeville, France)

I live in France and I have enjoyed reading your weekly articles about fitness for women. It is true that the media does present an artificial image of beauty, even in France. I am 62 years of age and grew up in a time that walking was the type of exercise in all people did regularly in my village. The type of food that we ate was more natural too; there were no conversations about additives. Times have changed. I believe that things are more superficial than before; but I do see advertisements now on television for cosmetics which show the beauty of older women in the nude. The time has arrived for all women to be represented without shame.

My reply:
Merci Beaucoup for your reply Mdme C. Your story indicates that women worldwide are affected in one way or another by false images of beauty.
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Ms. P (Virginia Beach, VA)

Dear Alicia, I just wanted to let you know that your article about women’s body image has been very encouraging for me.

When I was 7 years old, my experience of weight management was at the local “Weight Watchers” with my mother and her issues with being over weight. Because my mother had battled her whole life with her weight, she always insisted that I watch what I eat; and even though my mother thought that she was trying to help and give me good advice to insure that my life with weight would be different than her life, what she was actually doing was planting a seed that would affect the way I saw myself. But you know what, I am winning this battle!

I was very thin growing up and I often had numerous battles with Anorexia and Bulimia to keep my slim petite figure but the obsession became so bad at the age of 17 that I had to be hospitalized for Bulimia.

Today, I am learning how to love myself for myself. I have been through so much in my life to let what others say or do determine my self-love; I am taking my life back!!!


My reply:
What a powerful testimony and I do believe that you are already winning your battle. I know that there are going to be many women who can relate to what you have just shared.

Thank you!