"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
Okay, so I know that this is (usually) an all-girl zone. But today we are going to talk about boys. Just for a bit. Because you know what? They might be a bit more like us than I thought.
Whenever people talk about eating disorders, they talk about girls. And it's certainly true that the majority of people with known eating disorders are girls. But you know, as I learned today, boys deal with body drama too. Just... in a different way. Of course, boys don't get pressure to be stick-thin the way girls do. But more and more, guys feel like they have to be muscular, built, lean-mean-fighting-machines. They may not count calories or run for miles like a girl - instead, they might center their days around protein-packed meals and countless hours weight-lifting at the gym. Either way, it can become an unhealthy obsession. The other difference is that they might not get chances to talk about these struggles the way girls do, or even really understand what their struggles are. What boy wants to admit to having a "girl" disease? That sounds worse than cooties.
The reason I thought this was important was because it made me realize this: girl or boy, eating disorder or no, we are all people. We are all unique, but in some ways we can be so similar. And recognizing that can make it easier for everyone to get the support they need.
I have been so fascinated lately by all the talk going on about Jessica Simpson, and the recent photographs that everyone seems to have a comment on. Her outfit has been bashed, and her body picked apart and labeled - everything from "curvy" to "fat."
Normally, I would say it's just best to stay away from this kind of media and the nasty body talk. It just perpetuates our ideas about beauty, weight, and what's considered acceptable to say about other people. But I'll admit - I've been obsessed, clicking on every Jessica link I've seen (believe me, there are quite a few!). It's just so strange. We always say that we are so over the skinny thing, and everyone tears apart the stick-thin celebs. But if someone does look normal, whether or not she has gained weight, everyone feels they have the right to call her a pig. No wonder we are all so confused about beauty.
But as I was on my celebrity gossip frenzy, I found on article on Us Magazine's website. They talked about her "new curves" in some back-handed way to seem nice. But when I scrolled to the bottom, so many people had left comments. And most of them were talking back. They said things about how she looked beautiful the way she is, but that it really isn't our right in the first place to decide what her body should look like. And I am so glad these people chose to say (or type) what they did.
You see, you can try to stay away from the negative media all you want. But sooner or later, you have to face it. So I think the better approach is to face it - and speak up when you see something you don't like. Things won't go away just because you ignore them. Now, I understand that speaking up may not change the way the media works. But it will give you the power to have your own voice and make your own decisions about what beauty means to you. And that's beautiful in itself.
