That is funny. I actually mourn my lack of self confidence when I was young and had a body that was nothing to get self conscious about. I don't mourn the bod itself.
I have quit parading my body around in my marriage because of my feelings of rejection. I used to walk around naked more, I used to come to bed naked, I used to display myself because I wanted my H to look and to feel invited - even if nothing happened. I have gotten to the point where I don't change in front of him much although I don't hide either. I don't come to bed naked either. I don't wear flannel nighties and such but it hurts me to have my nakedness ignored day afer day - when I'm not 9mos preggo my body isn't bad for a woman my age. After baby I plan to work out and have a rockin bod - I may even get a trainer for a while. I guess I'll have to learn to appreciate my body for myself since H clearly doesn't appreciate it much at all. This is just the same lesson I should have learned as a young girl all over again - it is healthy and it is mine, might as well learn to love it.
BTW - my 9yo daughter brought home a school assignment yesterday - "If you could change one thing about yourself physically what would it be and why?" Glad our schools are fighting the good fight on body image - NOT!!!!!
when she was modeling in the early 80s, the average size model was 6; now models are typically size 0
Today's size 0 IS yesterday's size 6. If you can find a 25-year old catalog or dress pattern, compare the measurements, and you'll see that the size numbers have shifted. I picked up a dress pattern from the 1960's at a garage sale to verify something that I thought was fishy. When I was in college (I graduated in 1970), I was 5'6" and weighed 117. I NEVER got into anything smaller than a size 10. Once I got into a blouse that was a size 8.
The size 10 of the 60's became the size 6 of the 80's and is the size 0 of today.
Like I said, find some old dress patterns in your mother or grandmother's sewing closet and compare the measurements with todays measurements at an online clothing store.
So when people say that Marilyn Monroe wore a 12-14 in the 1950's, that would probably be the equivalent of an 8 today.
Mojo I would say that my sexual body image is better now at 42 with all the accompanying minor sags, ripples, varicosities, wrinkles, gray hairs etc. etc etc. LOL than when I was 16 and really had an objectively excellent body......Not perfect but mine and a wonderful gift from the goddess that I shouldn't neglect I like that attitude ^5. WTG.
A form that functions as more than a form. A form that functions well is more valuable than a form that looks good but functions with reservations IMO
Mrs. Cac I am very grateful that I have a son The adds cut two ways.
Look for adds with Thin women and bumbling men. How many adds are there where the men fumble around with a work project and a thin woman comes in and does the work in a jiffy and she does it with out much effort!
Raise your son so he knows this isn't reality, or he might compare himself/his own actions with the competent women in the adds.
Most of the strong, competent men in adds are associated with cleaning products, or security alarms.
NASCAR had some good, “men that liked to drive fast” adds but that can be taken too far.
Other adds that feature men jumping high and other super power feats, also can get some boys to think, "why can't I do that."
I remember when apple juice marked to mother’s of babies, did not contain any apple juice. The companies sold lots of product.
At one time Gerber Grow -up Life Insurance was sold but the actual insurance company wasn’t Gerber. t Another company was the actual insurer and Gerber doubled their price and did the marketing.
My point is, marketing plans sells us things/ideas that are not true or realistic. Fad diets or a Ford VS a Lincoln. Same frame, engine, transmission, just different trim.
Woman in magazines are TOO skinny. It is unattractive. What is driving these size 0's, I am not sure, but it is not coming from normal men. I thnk it is coming from other women (they can be so critical) and fashion designers, who seem to love the waif look.
There was a survey done several years ago where they asked men to look at black silhouettes of different female forms and vote for the sexiest female form. The Marylyn Monroe silhouette was by far the favorite. She was a size 10! Most men like some curves on their women. Seeing ribs from the BACK is not sexy.
It's not only dress sizes that are changing/cheating the old standards.
I have a 30+ year old sesrs 2 horse power air compressor that puts out more high pressure air than my newer Sears 5 horse power air compressor. The new one gets used very little and has some problems.
What I think is kind of interesting is the difference in body type/appearance between the women in porn movies back in the 70s and today. Back then they might have even been skinnier but less toned and much smaller breasted on average due to the lack of implants. Also, they still had pubic hair. What it comes down to in the end, IMO, and also based on scientific research, is that men are attracted to women who have bust to waist to hip ratios between .7 and .75, and have signs of youth, fertility, symmetry, health and also signs of sexual arousal. Everything else is just the fashion of the moment. So put on a corset, dye your grey hair, rouge up your cheeks and put some belladonna drops in your eyes to make them dilate. Oh yeah, add a few drops of vanilla on your wrist so that you smell like Mom and cookies and you'll put them over the edge.-LOL
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver
