So what is it about the clothes that I wear that makes other's within the society I am in analyse, interrogate and examine? What is it about my weight that makes people talking, questioning and asking? So what! is the answer...
In an article I recently read on one of the woman’s magazine, Marie Claire, a woman by the name of Ashley Falcon writes about how much she is a 'big girl' within her society and how she has struggled with her weight ever since she has been growing up. She then writes about the clothes that she wears in order to 'hide' her weight. The article written by Falcon is in fact very subjective and this is one tool used by a writer in order to manipulate the audience to agree with the subject matter of their respective piece of writing. One could argue that this is exactly what my piece of writing is doing to you, the reader...I am manipulating you to believe that what I am writing is true. Well let me just say that I believe that what I am writing is true and if you feel the urge to analyse it thoroughly before taking any further actions in implementing what I am about to say in your life, please do not hesitate to...by all means be my guest.
Weight is one of the things that has negative connotations within a society for females if you are ‘fat’; this excludes the African societies that mainly prefer big woman. In the western society that many of us have been bought into (yes you too) we have grown up knowing that weight is a sensitive issue and one should not be big and fat as this would mean scary looks coming your side on all corners and a certain feeling of uncomfortably. We should credit most of this to the texts written by journalists about 'the perfect body' as if this exists? No it does not! As individuals we have formulated a certain ideology of the perfect body with the help of journalistic articles. Going back to my point that the subjective matter of how a writer constructs their text will manipulate the intended host in many ways.
"Woman dress for other woman. They may dress to please the man as well, but usually it is what other woman say that clinches the decision between the short skirt and the long skirt." This is quote taken from a book by Bishop Lea and Bailey Covert (1989:4) titled, The fit or fat woman.
This quote is actually true if one thinks about it, woman are advertised to be these perfect creations and most woman would love to live up to be the perfect woman and this is where the dress code fits in. The ideology behind a scruffy dressed woman entails negative connotations and that is why a woman would always want to look her best. The book goes into explaining the issue of weight by stating that, " A woman’s appearance is not only scrutinized more carefully by other woman but often unfairly criticized by the woman herself " Bishop Lea and Bailey Covert (1989:3).
So my task for all the females out there for the rest of the year is that you must love who you are because if you do not, then you must go and dig a hole for yourself!...just joking. On the serious side; females please let us not let these journalist’s through their powerful words in magazines, manipulate us to think that there is a thing such as the ‘perfect body that exists.’ Be who you are and dress the way you feel comfortable in, easier said than done? I know! Rather implement the change now before its too late and you find yourself in hectic depression mode. One of our woman ambassadors, Oprah Winfrey once said,
“As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to
decide what is best for you - the first time around.”
So be clear about what YOU really want and what YOU feel because it is all about YOU and not the writer who tells you what to do! (Excluding myself of course). Make sure that in life you always read the fine print: You are beautiful the way you are females, so do not change to become what others want you be unless the change in itself will bring you a world of happiness, break free of the ideologies that are put out there within societies!
In an article I recently read on one of the woman’s magazine, Marie Claire, a woman by the name of Ashley Falcon writes about how much she is a 'big girl' within her society and how she has struggled with her weight ever since she has been growing up. She then writes about the clothes that she wears in order to 'hide' her weight. The article written by Falcon is in fact very subjective and this is one tool used by a writer in order to manipulate the audience to agree with the subject matter of their respective piece of writing. One could argue that this is exactly what my piece of writing is doing to you, the reader...I am manipulating you to believe that what I am writing is true. Well let me just say that I believe that what I am writing is true and if you feel the urge to analyse it thoroughly before taking any further actions in implementing what I am about to say in your life, please do not hesitate to...by all means be my guest.
Weight is one of the things that has negative connotations within a society for females if you are ‘fat’; this excludes the African societies that mainly prefer big woman. In the western society that many of us have been bought into (yes you too) we have grown up knowing that weight is a sensitive issue and one should not be big and fat as this would mean scary looks coming your side on all corners and a certain feeling of uncomfortably. We should credit most of this to the texts written by journalists about 'the perfect body' as if this exists? No it does not! As individuals we have formulated a certain ideology of the perfect body with the help of journalistic articles. Going back to my point that the subjective matter of how a writer constructs their text will manipulate the intended host in many ways.
"Woman dress for other woman. They may dress to please the man as well, but usually it is what other woman say that clinches the decision between the short skirt and the long skirt." This is quote taken from a book by Bishop Lea and Bailey Covert (1989:4) titled, The fit or fat woman.
This quote is actually true if one thinks about it, woman are advertised to be these perfect creations and most woman would love to live up to be the perfect woman and this is where the dress code fits in. The ideology behind a scruffy dressed woman entails negative connotations and that is why a woman would always want to look her best. The book goes into explaining the issue of weight by stating that, " A woman’s appearance is not only scrutinized more carefully by other woman but often unfairly criticized by the woman herself " Bishop Lea and Bailey Covert (1989:3).
So my task for all the females out there for the rest of the year is that you must love who you are because if you do not, then you must go and dig a hole for yourself!...just joking. On the serious side; females please let us not let these journalist’s through their powerful words in magazines, manipulate us to think that there is a thing such as the ‘perfect body that exists.’ Be who you are and dress the way you feel comfortable in, easier said than done? I know! Rather implement the change now before its too late and you find yourself in hectic depression mode. One of our woman ambassadors, Oprah Winfrey once said,
“As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to
decide what is best for you - the first time around.”
So be clear about what YOU really want and what YOU feel because it is all about YOU and not the writer who tells you what to do! (Excluding myself of course). Make sure that in life you always read the fine print: You are beautiful the way you are females, so do not change to become what others want you be unless the change in itself will bring you a world of happiness, break free of the ideologies that are put out there within societies!
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