Our discussion today in class reminded me of something I saw in the news earlier this year.
First off, let's start with this picture posted above. This is what barbie would look like if her measurements were converted to that of a life size real person. She would be six feet tall with a 39 inch bust, 18 inch waist and 33 inch hips. Clearly, this "body" is not realistic, and to me it is a representation of the unrealistic pressures society has placed on women to look a certain way, to look "perfect." The way barbie looks is NOT healthy and is NOT "normal" (whatever normal may in fact be).
Just like in the medieval writings we had to read for class, women in today's society feel the pressure to be thin, to match the size 0 of the models and actresses shown on the covers of the magazines in the supermarket.
Women strive for bodily perfection similarly to the way the women in the medieval stories sought sainthood. It's all about depriving oneself of pleasures (in this case, food) to reach that "level" of "perfection."
By showing this image of barbie, I also wanted to just touch on the role of the environment in shaping the idea that women need to reach this level of perfection.
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