Body Shaming Expressed Through Cartoons

The body-positivity thinking outlined in this cartoon:

 

Is quickly replacing the the shame shown in this cartoon:
The second cartoon upsets me deeply, yet is has more notes on Tumblr than the first cartoon. To somehow insinuate that the skinny girl (removed of all the fluff) is somehow better than the girl in the first panel (still filled with all the fluff) is horrifying. It’s 2014, and girls should be able to look however they want to look without being ostracized or made to feel like they are less than perfect.

In all honesty, it isn’t even about how girls “want to look” it’s about how they “have to look”. Sometimes, our bodies are just made with a fuller waist or a larger breast size. There is nothing wrong with that. And, in some cased (depending on medications, heredity and numerous other factors) there is nothing that we can do about it. Our only choices are hating the body we are put in or embracing it. Many girls feel that their only choice is to hate it- and to perpetually try to change it. You can’t change hight, or eye color, or overall body shape. There are thousands of imperfections on each individual body that you can’t change no matter how hard you try. You can look in the mirror and desperately wish you look like Beyoncè, but it is not going to change anything. At the end of the day you are still you. You can rock Beyoncè’s confidence, but as hard as you try, you will never look like her.

Instead of chasing after ideals that aren’t achievable, women should be focused on loving the body that they are in. And as the media pelts them with numerous images of the “perfect body” every second, women need to be educated enough to realize that they are essentially being brainwashed into believe that they aren’t beautiful, when they indeed are a unique beautiful creature.

So, to everyone out there, remember that, no matter what others think or say, when you like in the mirror, remind yourself that you are beautiful.

Love Your Lines Campaign Inspires Body Positivity

 

The Love Your Lines Project is promoting body acceptance by encouraging women to submit pictures of their stretch marks, which they then post to the Love Your Lines Instagram. Started earlier this week, the pair have received an overwhelming response in a short amount of time.

The Love Your Lines Instagram account was started by two mothers who wanted to share and celebrate the stories of real women’s stretch marks

“Even though we are moms, we both had ‘stretchies’ before having kids,” one of the founders, a 25-year-old entrepreneur who asked to remain anonymous, told HuffPost Women. “And we are aware that women get them for different reasons at different times. Both of us are thrilled to have had such an amazing response in less than 24 hours.”

More than 80 percent of Americans have stretch marks, and rather than hide them, or try creams and potions to make them fade, the account’s curators wanted to celebrate the experiences that give our bodies character and strength.

They want everyone to realize that their bodies are beautiful- no matter what stretching or size-chaning it has gone through. With the photos, the project encourages women to submit stories that reflect on their marks, and the positive outlook they choose to take. This inspiring project is helping to combat the body insecurity that many new mothers feel after giving birth.

Along with posting the submissions they receive, the project also posts messages to their Instagram account like the one above. These pictures read NO HATE ZONE or BEAUTIFUL to remind every woman that kindness is beauty,that all women are beautiful and should be told that.

The body that has housed a baby for 9 months is going to stretch and change- and that is beautiful. The miracle of life that a women holds inside her body for 9 months should be cherished, not degraded. Below, check out my favorites from the Love Your Lines Instagram account. Beneath each picture is the story that goes with it.

“Mom of 1 beautiful goofy boy. My sons dad ran out on us when I was 7 months pregnant and never came back. I had to work 2 jobs to afford everything and it was the hardest yet most rewarding time of my life. I gave birth to my son with no man to hold my hand. And I did everything from feedings and diaper changes to paying all the bills. Today I’m in a wonderfully healthy relationship with someone who loves my stretch marks and thinks I’m beautiful. Moral of this story is, you can’t win a battle without getting some scars. These are mine, and I wear them proud!”

 

“I got pregnant at the age of just 20 years old and I gave birth when I was 21. My skin wasn’t able to stretch with my growing body and so I got a lot of stretch marks. On my boobs, my butt, my thighs and my tummy. I used to be skinny and smooth with nothing to complain about but after my pregnancy I had such a hard time accepting my new body. I cried and felt so ashamed. I’m slowly starting to understand that they are very normal and a lot of woman have them. I don’t hate them anymore. Thanks to all the wonderful beautiful brave woman who shared their story I am ready to share my own and love my lines!”

 

“Mummy of a 2 year old girl & due to have a son in October/November. I love my “tiger stripes” as it shows the place my babies called home for 9 months.”

 

“I’m 18 years old now. Five years ago I got myocarditis. It was a long and tough struggle that took one year of my life and caused my family and I much sorrow. Due to the big doses of cortisone that I was taking my body swelled immensely for a short period of time. From that I got these stretch marks (although to me they look more like scars so I call them that) all over my body. I would be lying if I said it was easy for me. In the beginning I didn’t quite realize what was happening. They spread in a short period of time, and before I knew it, the marks were all over my body. It was also very hard back then because the marks were thin and painful. I started seeing myself differently. I had glasses and braces. So I have never had much confidence. The marks were the last drop. They brought me deep down. I felt depressed because I thought I was ugly and I would never be normal. I considered myself unworthy to wear anything beautiful. I was very young and naive, so I was waiting for the magical day that I would wake up and all of it would be gone. I was waiting for that to happen in order to feel pretty. That day never came… Slowly I began to realize that it’s all in my head. And no matter how I look, I would always feel unattractive if I continue to treat myself that way. I spent time just looking at my body in the mirror. I started to wear shorts at home. These are things I avoided doing before that because I felt disgusted and sad. Eventually I made the first step by accepting myself and my life. All in all it is a struggle. I have my ups and downs. Sometimes I feel that it’s unfair. Being so young, this should be the age in which I could wear anything and just be young, beautiful, happy and free. But on the other hand I have people in my life that accept me for who I am and love me no matter how I look. I am truly blessed to have them. I am grateful for the chance this page gave me to finally show myself the way I am. It is surreal how I feel about it. I no longer feel alone. Most of the stories here inspired me to accept and love myself more.”