I’m Not Perfect, According to the Media...

Every step you take determines who you are. Society tries to pressure us to fit inside the social “norm” and aspire to be more like what we see in the news. I know, I know, it seems as if everybody nowadays makes the statement about the one body size that is shown in the media. However, I’m here to show the other side of the story. People always talk about the hourglass figure that is displayed in the media and how larger people need to be shown too, but rarely does someone discuss the other extreme on the spectrum, the skinny.

My friends call me skinny, and while they might think it's a compliment, it actually burns me on the inside. When they point out how the bones in my wrist stick out, or how they can fit one hand around my ankle, it hurts. It comes across as a negative, when it is actually just the way I was built. The media doesn’t display this body type, either. While one might see skinny people online, never do you see someone's bones in a picture. It’s not that we’re unhealthy, it’s just how our bodies look. And there’s no successful advocates out there that I have seen who promote the concept of skinny people.

As a female, one standard that is shown online is the standard that says you have to have big boobs and a big butt in order to be pretty. I can stand here today and proudly say that I have neither of those things, and be okay with that. It has taken me a lot to get to this point, though. Everything I see online goes against it; the celebrities wear skin-tight, low cut dresses that show off their curves. Coming from a girl with an A-cup, there is no way that I can relate to those online.

I can't relate to people like Kim Kardashian or Kylie Jenner, since they have different bodies than me. But, the fact that they gained their celebrity status due to their bodies doesn’t help much, either. The reason they are famous is because of the way they look, which goes to shape the way they act. One thing that I am jealous of them for is their confidence. They are more than confident with their appearance, which is an amazing feat, but it is hard to be confident nowadays if you’re flat-chested.

We are influenced by everything that we hear and see. The music we hear, the images we see on Instagram or Snapchat; we're forever changed by it all. Meghan Trainor's song "All About That Bass" says it best when it states that "I ain't no size two." She references this size because that is what the media insists is the ideal size for a woman to be. But what about those who are smaller and skinnier than a size two? They can't "shake it, shake it, like I'm supposed to." Her song emphasizes why being larger is supported, since they can shake it, like it says, but those who are smaller cannot.

While it is tough, I believe that there is a way out. If the concept of the hourglass figure is shut down, then I believe that more women would be able to be comfortable with themselves and their body. Getting rid of the concept of a curvy female being prettier that a non-curvy one would allow me as well as other women around the world to get used to the idea that there is not just one shape of size that is perfect. We are all made in our own ways, and the differences between us should be embraced, not emphasized through the media.