Anything to be Thin
I have a friend who often tells me, "I'll do anything to be thin." This concerns me because I'm not sure if she is just being flippant or seriously would do ANYTHING. This of course leads to all kinds of disturbing mental pictures. More than anything, I picture her fading away, trapped behind some self-inflicted, invisible prison wall.
I then must ask myself if my recent obsession to visually capture the pressure to be skinny in any way encourages her determination to achieve a malnourished body type. I've come across similar criticism when portraying women's issues in the past. By exposing, for example, the suppression of women in marriage, many argue that I only reinforce the stereotype.
Aside from that debate, she is on my mind tonight. I do understand and remember what it was like to be young and single, trying to "catch" that perfect man. Although difficult to watch without throwing in your "older and wiser" advice, that kind of untarnished confidence in love and life is almost irresistable to watch.
But when I imagine the lengths to which she would go to be thin, it's like a record playing that is suddenly stopped with the needle tearing across the surface.
posted by Christi Nielsen at 9:40 PM
15 Comments:
stop using animal products.
its very easy.
ease the strss off your system and it will return to balance
I felt the same way and luckily I never really ment *ANYTHING*. There were things that were totally out of the question.
(although I did have surgery after almost 10 years of fighting it)
I don't think that your artistic expression about body image reinforces stereotype. I've never understood that argument when we are bombarded by media lies in every possible format that really do perpetuate ugly stereotypes. My attraction to your work is in the truths you expose.
I wish I had had an older, wiser friend when I was young and willing to do ANYTHING to be thin. Luckily I survived. I hope your friend takes care.
i have struggled for years now with what i would describe as a pattern of disordered eating marked by long stretches of semi-starvation, excessive excercise, crash diets, diet pills and occasional vomiting. the really sad thing about it all is that despite the fact that the scale tells me that i am not overweight at all, but in fact barely 100 lbs. i still cannot see myself as anything but heavy-set and big boned. no matter how much weighti lose i feel a terrible compulsion to lose more. it's sad that we cannot seem to win, regardless of whether we are heavy or thin.
I'm so glad I found your blog! You write so truthfully and the photography is amazing :)
Christi, that has to be one of the loneliest expressions I have ever seen. I love how your photography makes me feel and relate.
Your pictures are awesome I identify with so many of them. Pictures of me (inside) would be identical.
My best friend has been my best friend since high school...we'd overeat together and then lament about how we wish we were thin. Full of food, we'd remark how we'd start dieting TOMORROW, IMMEDIATELY!
We had this "game" we'd play on the phone. *What would you do if you could be the "perfect" size and have a whole new wardrobe overnight?*
Some of the things we came up with:
Eating five cans of Crisco
Having sex with Danny DeVito ON camera with the lights on
Losing fingers or toes
Shaving our heads
Sleeping with any number of horrible high school boys and having everyone find out about it.
Being stung 1,000 times by wasps.
Of course, eating healthy and exercising and being willing to be consistent never came up. ;)
christi - two things about your blog.
1 - how i appreciate your talent and your art. and that is sincerely and deeply.
2 - how i relate to the emotion driving your talent and your art.
again - sincerely and deeply.
and while i regret that you do battle with your weight and self image i am profoundly grateful you are able to express this turmoil so beautifully and prolificly.
your expressions touch my soul.
thank you.
i am a (new) faithful reader
reminds me of something i've read today. more women would rather be thinner than smarter... which is kind of upsetting. For me, I think I've always valued intelligence more..
Thank you everyone for your feedback. I'm glad the work speaks to you.
t - keep posting on your blog. Perhaps it will be the outlet that you need to work through your issue.
Laura - I think I'll have to say no to the wasps!!
;-)
I once said I'd do anything - and I did. I had my guts rearranged. It worked, and now I need my head rearranged.
::sigh::
this picture is a little earie....and are you watching those movies...there will be a quiz on monday...
quiz this!!!!!
I'll be marching down to the local movie rental store with my tail between my legs...
But not tonight!
;-)
Sorry folks - Russell is harassing me because I haven't seen Super Size Me.
I suppose she is, apart from her obsession of becoming thin, perfectly healthy. Because when you get a serious illness, weight is sooooooo not important.
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