Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Eckhart Aurelius Hughes]

eva_and_tara.jpg (76.47 KiB) Viewed 22362 times

And who thought aesthetics wasn't fun?! Then again, to add some gravity to the debate, consider that the rates of eating disorders tripled for college-age women from the late 1980s to 1993 and have risen since then to 4% suffering with bulimia. And consider that there has been a 119% increase from 1999-2006 in the number of children under 12 hospitalized due to an eating disorder, the vast majority of whom were girls (source). Additionally, people who are traditionally considered overweight but not obese even by the medical-seeming BMI measure may actually be healthier than those in the so-called normal range.

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings over their weight, and that may be a bad picture of Eva to make a point, but frankly Eva looks sickly in that picture. Unhealthy isn't sexy and isn't beautiful to me, especially when it speaks to behavior, like with the sloppy-look of an alcoholic. In an aesthetic not moral sense, and in my opinion, there is something severely wrong with a culture and a society that shoves this unhealthy, anomalous version of feminine beauty down our throats to promote an industry that thrives on cultivating low self-esteem. That's an issue that fundamentally isn't just about women and isn't just about weight, but really epitomizes modern commercialism at least as played out in the corporate West and namely in corporate America. I forget where I read it, but I'm under the impression that it was actually Sigmund Freud's son who made a career out of teaching the wealthy elite how to manipulate people, even if subconsciously, by playing on their insecurities to sell commodities and ultimately create a consumerist culture of wage slaves contributing to their own domination via their quasi-brainwashed materialism. I know that kind of sounds conspiracy-theory-ish, but that doesn't make it false. Besides, I'm reminded of the memorable speech from V for Vendetta in which our rebellious hero poignantly says, "If you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror."

What do you think?

[Misty]

I think for this to be fair I want two young handsome men from which to choose. Biased post and I object!

[Belinda]

Models are unhealthily thin because capitalism has gone berserk. The link is that the clothing industry wants to sell more, thin models make clothes look more elongated therefore more graceful, the perceived need for the clothing industries to sell more is because the consumer demands more and more and more and more . Capitalist politicians want the people to appreciate bread and circuses of all sorts so that the people can thereby be controlled to be a compliant workforce and gun fodder.Consumerism is Capitalism's tool.

[Misty]

The height of each woman would be important for this evaluation, other than that I think both women are beautiful and would appeal to their share of onlookers. Add another woman who is between the weights of the ones already pictured and one say 400lbs on the other side of the size 12 and ask the same question - each will get their share of attention. I don't get the value of this topic - and I demand two fully muscled, gorgeously handsome, mostly naked, bulging in the right places, young men and their opposites to further make this topic fair and interesting to me and other women. Come on Scott be fair!!

[chazwyman]

Beauty as little to do with size. However Size 6 per se is terrible. It is an example of the ridiculous standards imposed by fashion upon women who have little hope of attaining them. It is the root of anorexia and a range of other psychological disorders of the modern world. The emulation of this standard is equally reprehensible with the "supersize" me culture of the fast food industry.

[Xris]

There are models and there are real women. I would love to know who believes a stick can represent women. I would post a photo of me Misty but the six packs has turned into a party seven.

[A Poster He or I]

It's not a fair comparison. One of these photos is of a normal, utterly beautiful woman. The other looks like she's a freshly rescued survivor of a Nazi concentration camp.

[Ecurb]

Without minimizing the problems of anorexia and bulemia, the threat they pose to public health in the U.S. is surely dwarfed by the threat posed by obesity. In general, models are supposed to sell clothing -- and tall, thin women make the clothes look good (although they aren't as attractive as more athletic, healthy women when unclothed).

[Misty]

Without minimizing the problems of anorexia and bulemia, the threat they pose to public health in the U.S. is surely dwarfed by the threat posed by obesity. In general, models are supposed to sell clothing -- and tall, thin women make the clothes look good (although they aren't as attractive as more athletic, healthy women when unclothed).

Took the words right out of my mouth. But to be fair, there are some men who prefer skinny, fat-fatter, taller, shorter, young, older, and a wide range of what a good looking face would be- women. Same goes for women's attraction to men. Also by the time a woman is 'unclothed' (not bikini clad) most men don't care at that point.

[Jinxy]

In the fashion industry, it is required that the models be stick thin for runways because a designer does not want any part of the woman's body to get in the way of the clothing. In essence, they seek human coat hangers. Somehow, this thinking translated to the print models - and it has spiralled down from there. Once again, society doesn't need to blame anyone or anything but themselves for accepting this as the 'norm' and for allowing their standards to be set by an industry.

[Xris]

We are men of the flesh and those delicious women are our obsession. What a wonderful obsession they are.

[chazwyman]

Are there any women on the Forum? It would be interesting to hear their views.

Through most of my life the small size has been the one most promoted by the fashion industry. It has fed the dieting industry. Moves have been made to re-instate the Marylyn Monroe, Jane Russell look over the years but the Twiggy seems to persist.



Maybe it is the unobtainable that makes it so sought after by women?

[Misty]

Hi chazwyman,

If your read all the posts you will find woman/women have given opinions.

It does not matter what a woman looks like as there will be men that will degrade them. It is a way to make women feel insecure and needy leading to more effort to try to please the male. Of course, there are always exceptions so all males do not do this.

[Jerry]

Well Scott, I tried my best to come to a sophisticated resolve to your question looking through various photos.

But I see that the most beautiful is the one I see at the moment.

Dang! They are all beautiful.

[Piros]

Took the words right out of my mouth. But to be fair, there are some men who prefer skinny, fat-fatter, taller, shorter, young, older, and a wide range of what a good looking face would be- women. Same goes for women's attraction to men. Also by the time a woman is 'unclothed' (not bikini clad) most men don't care at that point.

Right, Misty. "Sickly", "stick", "toothpick" etc. are labels. There are lots of healthy, naturally slim women out there with no eating disorders, that would take offense at the name-calling. I do belong to the size 6 group, always did, since high-school, I can eat whatever I want, as much as I want and I won't put on weight, Imagine that. It's really true. And there are millions like me in Europe where I was born and in Canada too, where I live. Yes, people, men and women, come in all shapes and sizes.