One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

So I wasn't going to say anything, but the more I sit and stew, the more necessary it becomes for me to say something.  I follow quite a few feminist blogs, groups, and organizations, which is what prompts my remarks today. So while the following may sound like whining or complaining, this often seems like my only outlet to raise awareness in my own small way.  Both of the stories today happen to be about the magazine industry.

Two issues (no pun intended):

1.  I received a notification of the victory that 14-year-old Julia Bluhm has achieved, by getting Seventeen magazine (through her petition on Change.org) to stop photoshopping their teen models.  The report states that Seventeen's "editor-in-chief vows not to use Photoshop to alter the face shape and body sizes of its teen models, and that it will feature a diversity of models with different body shapes, races, and hair textures".

And this is the picture that Julia is featured with:

Sooo...am I missing something?  From what I can see, I do not see any different body shapes, maybe I'm hallucinating but all those girls look White to me, and pretty sure all of them also have one hair texture.  If they wanted to show accuracy of what a teen looks like, Julia herself clearly has a different look than these models, with some teen acne on her face, and some frizzy flyaways :).  Looks like Seventeen may need a few more petitions to get THAT message across.

2.  I received an email from Missrepresentation.org.  (If you haven't seen the film, see it.) This email was about the cover of GQ this month, featuring a scantily clad Kate Upton in a string bikini, and a "patriotic" popsicle in her mouth.

Missrepresentation.org says, "Meanwhile none of the other popular men's magazines presented an alternative to this depiction of what makes a woman great. Is this how we want our men to value women in this country - as sexualized objects alone? "

The objectification of women is alive and well.  Not only is this phallic pose demeaning to women (not to mention patriotism), but this magazine is on display in stores where young children, teens, and even grown men and women are receiving messages that this is what merits a woman to be on the front cover.

Missrepresentation.org is encouraging a positive reaction--asking women to go write down a list of women who inspire you and who SHOULD be on the covers of magazines. The sad thing is, this is just ONE cover of a magazine that was brought to my attention today.  I'm sure for the one link I've given, thousands of covers just like it could be tied to that link instead.

So in the spirit of one 14-year-old trying to make a difference and Missrepresentation.org encouraging women to internalize what really makes women great, I encourage others to not stay silent as magazines continue to be printed that damage the self-image, self-esteem and self-worth of women, and send messages to women and men that a woman only makes the front page based on her (real or not) cup size and (again real or not) hair color.