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Darren Churchill ACT- Media Release: 26th February, 2010: Proposed police powers laws labelled “Draconian” by Democrats
- Media Release: 22nd January 2010: ACT Democrats join Great Australian Internet Blackout.
- Media Release: 20th January 2010: Canberrans must have a guarantee that South Australian Movie Laws won’t be copied by ACT Assembly, say Democrats.
- Media Release: 14th January 2010: Canberrans Need Action Not Words in Opposing Internet Censorship, say Democrats
- Media Release: 02 December: Canberrans Let Down as Humphries Toes Party Line, say Democrats
- Begin Rant – Kathryn Crosby
- Begin Rant: The disenfranchised and forgotten Australians
- Begin Rant: Cheesecake and the path not taken
- Begin Rant: The dangers for rural health in Rudd’s proposed health care takeover
- Begin Rant: You really can’t get mad cow from a meat pie.
- Begin Rant: Internet Censorship reflective of Rudd’s wider control agenda
The Model Is Barely There – Disgraceful And Debasing Portrayal Of Women.
The fashion industry, notably the Ralph Lauren company, is out of control.
For years now society has demonstrated it does not find the ultra thin bodies preferred by the fashion world attractive. Authoritative research has proved these thin models we are all familiar with have a destructive psychological impact on women, particularly young women and teens, and can lead to psychological disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
The data has been collated, analysed, charted and presented. The verdict of public opinion is well and truly in.
What is Ralph Lauren’s response? To release a clearly Photoshopped image of a model whose head is larger than her pelvis. (If you click on the image you can zoom in)
Arguably both of the images, side by side, have been Photoshopped. But look closely at the one on the left. Her skin is a superfluous accessory. This lady, through image manipulation, has been rendered skeletal. Not that she was in any way large or even average to begin with. One female model – again a mere slip in stature and weight – Ms Hamilton, said Ralph Lauren did not renew her contract because she was “too large.”
This is a disgrace. Business has a responsibility to not only sell its wares, but to also operate within what is socially and culturally acceptable. This cynically modified image is neither. To display a full grown woman – after tricking it to proportions no woman could stay alive with – purely to create an ideal based on the “desirable body shape” of somebody with a lot of problems (Ralph Lauren?), is bizarre, socially unacceptable and sick.
I usually hesitate long and hard before advocating government regulation of business. But living people must come first. My own daughters are exposed to this moral deception – every hour of every day. Your daughters, girlfriends, wives and mothers are dismissed and denigrated by an industry that has no respect for the health of the people they are selling stuff to. It is no better than the tobacco companies selling poison and death by the packet.
Ultimately, we pay for the mental anguish and health care costs of our loved ones that are caused by the deliberate excesses of companies whose moral and cultural compass has been sent to orbit Pluto.
It must change. Legislation if necessary. Clearly, they are not going to yield on their own.
But then I wonder “Why portray women like this? What happened to you people as children?”
The rights of women as individuals have come a long way. But this kind of imagery demonstrates how much further there is to travel.
What can we say, except maybe: “ET go home!”
A remarkable similarity.
.
Scott Kane
Tags: anorexia and bulimia, anorexia nervosa, archetype, australia, Australian Democrats, australians, authoritative research, body shape, democrat, democratic, democrats, denigrated, desirable body, detrimental impact, disgrace, excesses, extent, fashion industry, fashion world, female model, girlfriends, government legislation, government regulation, grown woman, image manipulation, individual liberty, pelvis, photoshopping, psychological conditions, psychological disorders, psychological impact, public opinion, ralph lauren, ralph lauren company, scott kane, social responsibility, sound foundations, stature, thin bodies, thin models, tobacco company, wares, young women
It is truly bizarre. The “women” portrayed in fashion ads have become nothing more than decorated clothes hangers. In fact, some of the hangers in my closet are bigger than these models. It seems that a large percentage of the people who sell women’s clothing really hate women and are repulsed by real female bodies, even very beautiful female bodies. And through the power of advertising they have persuaded many in the general population to feel the same way. Look at portrayals of the ideal female body throughout the ages, even as recently as 100 years ago. Most classic goddesses would be considered completely unacceptable by the standards of today’s fashion industry. And when you compare the proportions of today’s models to those of people who are dying of disease and starvation in developing nations, you have to wonder what fate these designers really want for women.