Thursday 23 January 2014

"Unpretty" - TLC

My friend and fellow blogger Jen wrote a piece about body types/image issues and linked to this song:


It's "Unpretty" by TLC. The lyrics and the music video are critical of the pressures women - especially young women - face in order to have the supposedly "perfect" body. "Unpretty" was released in 1999; what has changed in the (almost) fifteen years since that song? Women and girls are still pressured to conform to a certain look and the problem has even spread, to a certain extent, to men and boys.

I also recommend reading Jen's blog post on this subject; she did a good job and wrote a strong piece. She also covered about how many people are dismissive of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and why it's bad to prioritise one body type over another.

4 comments:

  1. Ugh, yes, not much has changed. I remember as a kid, my mom said to me, "if you gain an ounce of weight, no eating for you!" That was the beginning of when mom was struggling with her thyroid and was gaining all this weight. I still struggle with weight because of my thyroid (I did lose a lot of the medication weight though). People are even worse when it comes to a medical condition that causes weight. I've seen comments where people said, "that's a bunch of crap! That's an excuse!" Uh, no, it's not. I'm not a lazy ass, I get out there and walk everyday (if I can... like today was icy and I didn't walk or if I'm really sick) and for the most part eat healthy. It just really sucks.

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    1. I've seen those comments, too. It's not an excuse at all. It's sickening that there are people who think that it is. :(

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  2. Whoa that song is a total throwback! I'm all about "healthy," everything in moderation, you know? I have so many strong feelings on this, especially in the realm of people bashing skinny girls for "not eating" or being "unhealthy" when some people are just predispositioned to be that way. Anyway, I am working and should probably not rant right now :)

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    1. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this, so feel free to rant later! :)

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