Beware of Distorted Images

I have recently been reading a book called Every Young Women’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge and it has proven to be an awesome book and my inspiration for this blog.

If you are familiar with my writing on my website “Our Beauty Struggles” or even if you follow me on twitter you will realize that I hate the media and blame it as one of the main reasons we live in such a self-conscious nation, where no one is happy with their beautiful bodies. Now I know that eating disorders are caused by so many different things like abusive relationships, rap music, or the lack or a father figure. But because my poor self-esteem and distorted views of my body were caused by images I saw on my television screen, read in my novels, and listened to on my little black boom box I hate it for all the damage it has caused me and so many other young girls I see filling their minds with trash. It makes me angry because the media even turns on those living the life style of the rich and the famous.

Two examples of movie stars I think of are Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. I grew up watching these girls on the television screen as child stars. My favorite movie of all time was Parent Trap and I still watch it from time to time, but now I stare at the screen in disbelief that that beautiful little freckle faced girl is the same person that is always getting arrested and constantly in and out of rehab for consumption of drugs. I am even sad to say that I idolized her when she developed her first eating disorder; when she started her musical career as well. Do any of us remember the song Over by her? Well I remember that at one point in the music video she is at a pool party wearing one of those off the shoulder shirts and the camera captures her at an angle that lets us see how truly skinny she has become. You can see the pure boniness of her arm and I remember thinking I have to look like that someday. And even until two years ago I would have said she was my all-time favorite celebrity because of her beauty and even for her reckless behavior. However her life is no longer glamorous; it’s just sad and even the media is no longer kind to her. They just exploit her and have almost set her up to fail so they can continue profiting from her mistakes. Everyone I know who was once a massive fan of hers just looks away from these magazines and the news reports.

I hope she can one day go back to being my hero and I hope that she is able to discover how beautiful she really is. The same way I hope you all reading this realize your self-worth and beauty. This world is destroying itself at an alarming pace and I’m not talking about the end of the world or environmentalism. I’m taking about women and what they are now subjected to every day. The images and life styles children are absorbing are scary and it’s so sad. I hope you all realize this.

Let us all stand together and make our voices be heard: we are tired of this and the way the media portrays women and we’re not going to allow it anymore!

-Angela

This article is intended to convey general educational information and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

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