Heidi Blog 6

 Body image, especially for women, is something that is extremely important to understand in today’s society. One story that I really enjoyed was Hollywood Summer. I think the author did a great job of portraying body image struggles that women have in a subtle way. They pointed out how, in the entertainment industry, there are rarely women of size, and the only women portrayed are the ones who exactly fit societal standards. In reality, barely anyone actually looks like that, and you feel the strain it has on the main character. Another excerpt I liked was Roxanne Gay’s Bad Feminist. I read the entirety of this book freshman year, and I loved Gay’s tone of voice in her writing style as well as her message. In this excerpt, Gay talks about how men (and people in general) do not have boundaries when it comes to women’s bodies. A lot of people, but mostly men, feel entitled to comment on what women’s bodies look like based on their own unrealistic standards. Additionally, Gay talks about how feminism is flawed, but provides a way for women to fight for their rights. And although it is flawed, it keeps evolving through time. Lastly, I loved reading You’re so Brave for Wearing Clothes and not Hating Yourself! This story points out the hypocrisy of body standards for women. When a woman of size wears a certain style, she is praised for “having confidence.” But when a smaller woman wears the same thing, she is simply complimented and seen as fashionable. She talks about how people are uncomfortable seeing bigger women in the media because it is still so new for most of society. And, while her confidence does not need to come from other people’s approval, it is important for women of size to be represented in the media.