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The Daily Mail reported today that Marilyn Monroe was voted top beach body of all time. Which in itself, is somewhat offensive—we’re talking about real women here, not a pie-baking contest—but their spin took it to an unnecessarily body-negative level: Instead of praising Marilyn for her timeless looks, they took the chance to bash skinny girls, deeming curves “victorious” over other body types.
The headline, which reads as if written by high school bully, pretty much sums up everything that’s wrong with the piece:
Bad luck, skinny girls! Victory for curves as Marilyn Monroe is crowned best beach body of all time (ahead of Kim Kardashian and Kelly Brook)
The article quotes “experts” who think the survey shows a trend towards better body acceptance. Sasha Nagalingham, a spokesperson for Debenham’s, the British retailer that commissioned the survey, thinks the results should make us feel good:
With the average cup size of the list going from a C to a D in just one year, they are proof that a voluptuous figure is even more desirable that ever before.
Our results tell us that looking great on the beach is not about being the thinnest or the youngest woman around.
Women are increasingly appreciative of figures that symbolise all the great things about womanhood.
But she also says that women are increasingly willing to buy bust-enhancing swimsuits:
And women want to imitate the look; sales of gel-filled bust-boosting bikini tops increased by 58 per cent last season and we have extended the range ready for the spring 2012 swell.
Someone, please explain: How do increasing sales of figure-transforming swimsuits indicate that women are feeling better about themselves?
Another expert, Jenny Caven, the director of Slimming World, which commissioned the survey, also offered a misguided attempt to paint the survey in a body-positive light:
We think it sets a good precedent for women. We shouldn’t all struggle to be really skinny.
This is a good example for young women to see that real women have real curves.
I’ve already written about how calling “curvy” women more beautiful than skinny girls isn’t body positive. The idea that a single body type could somehow be a realistic beauty ideal for all women is ridiculous, whether that type is a size zero or a size eight.
Caven is absolutely right that we shouldn’t all struggle to be thin. But teaching girls that if they don’t develop Marilyn’s 37-23-36 proportions, they’re not a “real woman” is no way to teach body acceptance, either.
Thin women can be hourglass-shaped, like Monroe. Large women can have straight figures. Also, when these people who claim to champion body positivity start banging on about ‘curves,’ I wish they would just say what they really mean: tits and a$$. Stop whittling women down to their body parts with a stupid little euphemism! Anyway, I’ve got the same measurements as Marilyn, and have been harassed my entire life for being too thin and shaped like a boy, despite the 13″ hip/waist difference.
Also, it’s kind of hilarious and sad that an increase in sales of cleavage-enhancing swimsuits is seen as women accepting their bodies. I wonder what they would say about the drastic increase of breast implants? “Women are seeking the surgical procedure to be more womanly and healthy-looking and voluptuous! This means the world is finally viewing women’s bodies in a more egalitarian way! Yay curves!” Rubbish.
Guys, Marilyn Monroe was TINY. According to Simon Doonan, “… Marilyn was shockingly and unimaginably slender. She was sort of like Kate Moss but fleshier on top. Didn’t see that coming, did you?”
He couldn’t even find mannequins that would fit her clothes she was so small. I agree with the author of this post that we shouldn’t expect all women to conform to some feminine ideal. But the idea that the choice of Marilyn Monroe represents some kind of preference for larger women is laughable.
The Doonan article: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/doonan/2012/01/was_marilyn_monroe_fat_her_secrets_revealed_.html
I think this is just sending the message out there that starving yourself to death is not sexy! You wanna look good? Don’t over eat and don’t under-eat either! Be healthy and you’ll be beautiful! No matter if your curvy or not.
seriously? you guys are acting like super skinny girls are offended by this? come on now… the only reason larger women (or “curvacious” women) are posting these images and sharing those views is a result of their own insecurity or self-proclaimed ignorant superiority. no skinny girl ends up eating more or losing sleep. let’s be real here.
Firstly, it’s hilarious to me that people are referring to this photo of Marliyn and calling her a “heavier woman.” She looks thin to me in this photo. Secondly, I completely agree with the writer when she says that shaming thin girls is wrong. It is absolutely refreshing that this photo of Marilyn is deemed the “best bikini bod of all time” because she looks fit and healthy – not extremely emaciated nor overweight. However, that’s not to say that HEALTHY women of all shapes and sizes are not equally beautiful. I AM glad that the “ideal” bikini body is a photo of a healthy-looking woman, but thinner women are healthy too!
She’s sexy, cute, hot or beautiful. Yes I would sleep with her.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120203031017AAyLNnu
Briana, Women don’t really think this is “body positive” – they love saying this to bash thinner women when they are “curvier”/heavier, pure and simple – it’s “body positive” only in that it touts the body of a heavier woman, the person spouting the nonsense. Fact is overweight is unhealthy, whether anyone finds it attractive or not, grotesque or not, blah or exciting. Within a healthy body weight there is still a large diversity of breast size, physical body shapes and statures, plus hair color, bone structure, facial shape – only imbeciles (of which there are many) pose these “hottest,” “sexiest” (for men and women) narratives.
people make fun of girls with curves all the time saying that they are fat and what not. its about time people realize that it is normal to not be a size 0.
Brittany, I’m a US size 0/UK size 4. Naturally. It is completely normal to be a size 0 if, like me, you are genetically predisposed to be one, and while I understand that a lot of girls abuse their bodies in awful ways to reach this supposed ideal, not all of us do. I respectfully suggest that claiming one body size or another isn’t “normal” probably isn’t the best way to promote a positive body image across the board, which is clearly the goal of this article.
Oh, I read that completely wrong. I read your comment as “it is not normal to be a size zero”. Should have been wearing my glasses. My humble apologies, Brittany.
Isn’t the definition of size zero measurements : Bust: 32″, Waist: 24″
,Low Hip*: 35.5″ (* Defined as 9″ below the waist )? The current obsession with size zero doesn’t really seem that far off from Marilyn’s measurements of 37″, 23″ , 36″. I think the emphasis that society or the media puts on body image or shape isn’t body positive; curve-shaming or skinny-shaming or in any other form.
P.S The definition was obtained from Urban Dictionary.
Agreed. Society doesn’t do this with men. There is no “real” man shape. How annoying. Also, I get that she’s an hourglass and curvy, but she’s still skinny as hell. 23″ waist?! That’s so tiny! I’m so tired of this type of female body or that type of female body being most desired by men. Hello, it’s the 21st century. My body is healthy and fit, but I don’t rely on it alone to feel attractive. I like my body, but I also like my wit and humor. I recognize that no one can put a picture of my wit on the cover of a magazine, but don’t imply I’m fake because I don’t look like Monroe. There’s a reason no one else has been able to take over the crown of Blonde Bombshell–she’s an anomaly.
Even though I’m closer to curvy than skinny, I appreciate this sentiment. ALL women are real women, and to imply that a woman’s “realness” and value is dependent upon what shape the lines of her body take is not just reductive… it’s misogynist.
Thanks Naomi! I’m amazed at how many people still think that this is somehow body positive… Thanks for the well-put support!