You have to wonder whether some magazines and advertisers have heard of the Federal Government’s National Advisory Group on Body Image and its recommendations as part of the National Strategy on Body Image.
Or maybe, given that it’s all about self-regulation and there are no penalties for ignoring the code, they know it doesn’t really matter what they do?
The fashion industry, media and advertisers have been encouraged to present a range of body shapes and sizes in the new voluntary industry guidelines, part of a report on body image launched recently in Canberra.
The report, which aims to counter the “unhealthy epidemic” of negative body image, asks magazines and advertisers to use realistic images of models and reveal when images have been digitally manipulated. It also urges the use of models over 16.
Soon after, this appeared in Frankie
This in Portman’s
And this in a surf magazine
[note, deliberately cropped]
The Frankie image was especially disappointing, as the funky indie magazine has been seen as an alternative to mainstream girls’ magazines.
Sydney psychologist Sarah McMahon wrote to Frankie expressing concern about the impact of the image in a magazine read by clients suffering, or at risk of developing, eating disorders. In her November 29 letter, she drew attention to the possibility that the girl in the image might have anorexia, as depicted by her slim frame, disproportionately large hands, blotchy skin and dysthymic presentation.
Editor Jo Walker replied November 30 citing time constraints, budget and how it was ‘almost impossible’ to find regular bodied models. Here is Sarah’s response:
“Hi Jo
Thanks for replying so promptly - I agree that you need to do better. However I am otherwise shocked by your response.
In relation to not having enough time to do a reshoot, I would hazard a guess that the model in question would look unhealthy in any photos.
Moreover, the issue we are talking about is larger than one photo shoot. There were many other models in this edition that were unusually thin. So long as there is a homogenised and unrealistic beauty ideal, models will never be “regular sized”. As an indie magazine- ie independent to mainstream culture and, specifically, mainstream magazines- why do you need to use models? What is stopping you from using real women?
Further, I understand a core feature of the indie movement is social responsibility. Rather than blame society and the availability of “regular sized” models, why not take some interest and responsibility that Frankie can play in shaping culture?
Frankie promotes itself as an “Australian magazine that’s as smart, funny, sarcastic, friendly, cute, rude, arty, curious and caring as you are” . I believe that you need to be looking for models that actually possess these qualities and a bit of a personality – rather than ones that look mentally and physically sick. You cannot possibly maintain and empower an audience (ie “as you are”) with these qualities if you are not exhibiting them consistently yourself.”
Just after seeing this ode to thinness, I came across the latest Portman’s advertising images. Here, in the (limited amount of) flesh, are airbrushed, freakishly skinny images, which again send a message: real women need not apply.
The gaunt faced model is 16-year-old Cassie Van Den Dungen, a contestant on this year’s Australia’s Next Top model. She became famous for being in a sexual relationship with a 25- year-old man and for being a chain smoker. Cassie was first runner up behind token ‘curvy’ size 10 model Tahnee Atkinson.
Cassie is reported to be 175 cm and 53 kilos, giving her a BMI of 17.3 – this puts her in the ‘underweight’ category (minimum healthy BMI is 18.5).
It would be good if Sarah Murdoch, who was host and judge of Australia’s Next Top Model, season 5, 2009 – spoke out against the underweight models in the show she is part of, given her commitment to tackling body image problems and given she helped launched the Government’s body image report.
And then, to top it all off, here’s another 16-year-old – this one posed naked on the cover of surf magazine, Stab. Ella Rose Corby’s is not even surfing, of course, because she is merely decorative adornment for male readers.
Ella Rose’s body is plastered with sexually suggestive graffiti. The cover headings include “She’s only 16” and “How to get a woman to yes”. She is seen as advertising herself for male masturbatory fantasies.
Stab writer Mike Jennings said that a girl this age means danger to the adult male.
“They’re moving into womanhood and they know it.
They dress older, sneak into clubs and are easily mistaken as adults.
And as girls in their early twenties try and hang onto their teenage beauty, lines are blurred and we’re left confused.
“You can leer at the 16-year-old as you would an adult woman, so long as you’re ignorant.
Once you become aware of their age you must look away.”
Er, so that’s why her image is on the front cover – so male readers can look away?
Ella Rose is reduced to an object to be ogled.
Jennings is supported by University of Sydney media and communications lecturer Marc Brennan, who said the controversy was “an example of how women’s bodies were over-protected in popular culture” (italics mine).
Over-protected? If that is over-protection I wonder how Marc Brennan sees under -protection?
Brennan continues: “I mean, the only person who should be leering at a 16-year-old, as far as I’m concerned, is another 16-year-old and maybe that’s something else we need to consider here.”
That’s right, encourage boys to start leering early. That’s just what girls need.
We’re going to need a hell of a lot more than a voluntary code of softly-softly recommendations if homogenised, objectified and sexualised images of women are not going to continue to be exploited to sell products, services and magazines.
Speaking of objectification, an update to my first blog post about Dr John Ashfield who makes a case for the objectification of women in an article posted on the Men’s Health Australia emagazine.
Previously the Men’s Health Project Officer with the Lower Eyre Peninsula Health Service in SA, Dr Ashfield is now employed as a psychotherapist by the Commonwealth Government funded Mid North Division of General Practice in South Australia.
Let Health Minister Nicola Roxon know that you think funding should go only to services employing medical professionals who respect women and girls.
Now in its second printing!
December 7th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Fabulous letter Sarah.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Oh wow! I am gobsmacked about the Portman’s model. 16 years old? That is who they are getting to model “women’s clothes?” I’m going to write to Portmans. I’ll let you know the response I get.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Here is my letter to Portmans. I will post here any response I get from them:
When shopping the other night, I walked past a Portman’s store and was shocked to see pictures of a very thin, gaunt looking woman modelling your clothes. After making some enquiries I found out that this model is only 16 years old and going by her measurements (she was on Australia’s next top model) is underweight – which is quite obvious by her gaunt appearance in these photos. I’m surprised that you would choose such a model, considering all the media attention given to air brushing, underweight models and eating disorders, with the new proposed national strategy on body image being presented to the government just recently. Did you notice the body image initiative?
Why are you using a young girl, to model women’s clothes? She looks like she is ready to go to a nightclub, yet she is 16. Why did you choose a model who looks unwell for your main advertisements?
Here is a link to some info about the body image initiative. It looks like Portman’s is taking full advantage of the “voluntary” aspect of this initiative and it will be business as usual. I would like to hear what Portman’s has to say for itself on this issue.”
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/sarah-murdoch-launches-body-image-initiative-20091027-hib0.html
December 10th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Hi, I was just commenting on a friends facebook page about this issue and she recommended that I come and place a comment here. I haven’t read much or know much on this topic and am only writing on my experience and ideas but thought they might be worth mentioning?
I have heard people mention they think measuring and monitoring models BMI or whatever other measures you can possibly use is a good option to ensure the advertising industry shows a ‘healthier image’ for society. I continually here comments in the media about how unhealthy skinny models/actors are and completely agree that often they are however I would also like to add and remind people that there are naturally tall skinny freaks out there that do eat normal and don’t chain smoke or take drugs. I am one of them and have been my whole life AND I’ve now had 2 kids in 2 years and have remained….a skinnyish freak (for the record about 180cm and hover around 55kgs.) Contrary to what I see to be popular belief , I believe myself to be of sound mind and fit (although I don’t exercise beyond the running around I do at home chasing kids) OK, so I couldn’t run a marathon or anything and doubt I could jog to my local store, but then how many of us can? Anyway the point I am trying to make is that it is wrong to assume that all people who look this way lack personality and assume all of them to be mentally and physically sick. Although rare, there are people out there in society like this and I am good friends with people who are I guess scientifically classed as “underweight” but they are actually healthy happy people.
Personally I think it would be best if magazines were told to have a range of body sizes in magazines, so that everyone is represented. Not just the skinny people. Why not look at it from that angle rather than everyone always throwing rocks at anyone skinny? Again, I haven’t read much on this issue but this is the general feeling I get from what I see in the media and people I have worked with or met in my life.
To share a glimpse of my own personal story, while most young girls and some guys are concerned about looking thinner, I was one of those people who thought sometimes I had to gain weight because I was too thin. It took me ’till mid 20’s to accept my skinny lanky arms and long hands with a bumpy bony knobs on my wrists as normal for me, seems so dumb now but I wouldn’t ever have dreamed of wearing singlet tops as it showed too much of my ‘lanky’ arms I preferred to hide. In hindsight now I think I had (and still get) people telling me so often how thin I was, with all good intentions of giving me a complement or showing concern (as some believed when they see a skinny person, they assumed them to be sick) it made me doubt my own beliefs about myself. When you hear something so much you begin to think there is something wrong with you even though you feel alright?? I’m not after sympathy but just pointing out that probably almost everyone at some stage has poor body image through whatever reasons, but this was just another issue that added to my insecurities of the teenage/young adult years… Ohhyeee to not go back to that time again. Yayee to being 30.
I just think that perhaps rather then focusing on an option of putting more skinny people in the media advertising that just pass some BMI or whatever test, it may be more beneficial to society to see a broader range of people in the media?
December 13th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Great point Sheryn- it is important that in a quest for more diversity in beauty ideals that there is a place for natural thinness, I could not agree more about this. My dream would be a world where people are not made to feel “too” anything- fat, thin, black, white etc. The purpose of my letter to Frankie certainly was not to criticise the model in any way but rather challenge Frankie to take more responsibility around presenting diversity in body sizes.
Further, the comments pertaining to her being “sick” were also not necessarily in relation to her size- and I certainly was not accusing or diagnosing her with an eating disorder. Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses and it is impossible to make a diagnosis without a comprehensive clinical assessment. Most people with eating disorders are normal weight, perhaps even over weight- you cannot tell that anyone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. However the images did exihbit several concerning features, including blotchy skin (which is can be a result of malnutrition)- as well as depressed and distanced posture and facial expression. It is the cluster of symptoms that I was referring to when I suggested she looked sick.
As well as duty to care to my clients in ensuring that their recovery environment is no more hostile than it needs to be (whcih was my motivation for writing to Frankie), ultimately my gripe is that too often females are presented in advertising as frail and vulnerable, such as in this picture. Think “classic” female representations in advertising, such as “heroin addict”, “school girl”, “desperate house wife”…I do think “sick and frail” comes into this. Why is it that women continue to be presented as disempowered? What is stopping magazines, especially magazines like Frankie which purport to having a social conscience, from using images which present females as strong, confident and happy?
One of my fav post modern feminist artists who captures this idea very well is Cindy Sherman http://www.cindysherman.com/art.shtml. If it is what I am referring to is not clear I commend to you her photographs in the 1981 “centrefolds” series. She challenges the stereotyping of women in films, television and advertising and states of the series “In content I wanted a man opening up the magazine suddenly look at it with an expectation of something lascivious and then feel like the violator that they would be. Looking at this woman who is perhaps a victim.” These photos can be viewed via a google images search.