THEY are the women who possess that rare combination of ethereal beauty and farm girl relatability.
They walk the red carpets of the world, in all their gold-spun glamour, with their Adonis of a boyfriend/lover/husband hanging off their arm, while still taking the time to acknowledge the “little people”. They are the quintessential embodiment of the type of being all hot-blooded males want to date, and every gal wants to call their BFF.
But they are also the women who purport to be all about positivity, while effectively reinforcing the average Jane’s feelings of inadequacy. I am, of course, referring to the Hollywood breed of beauties who elicit a collective groan as they proclaim their ardent support for not augmenting the negative – and exceedingly unrealistic – body image perpetuated by the modelling and entertainment industries. But is such a stand indeed a fist-pump in advancing the battle for a more authentic representation (and expectation) of the female form, you wonder?
Well, yes. Except for the itty bitty detail that these same lobbyists of the “you need not have a thigh gap to be attractive” argument are drop-dead gorgeous! And while they preach about embracing a broader definition of the body beautiful, for the most part, they themselves conform to the tall-and-skinny standard. Adding insult to commoners’ injury is the fact they claim their perfect corporeal proportions are purely down to a lucky draw of the gene pool.
Case in point: Blake Lively.The leggy blonde (who once again graces our big screens in her latest flick, The Shallows, which releases on circuit today) has, over the years, repeatedly stated that her enviable physique is simply the result of an “active lifestyle”. And, during an interview with Vogue magazine last year, she even went so far as to declare: “I don’t need to have a trainer or pay attention to what I eat. I eat cupcakes and don’t work out… I don’t even drink water. It’s terrible!”
That’s right, ladies. While you’re munching on a tasteless rotation of no carbs and raw carrot sticks in between slogging away at the gym in all your body odour, flushed cheeks glory – Bridget Jones style – in desperate hope of attaining a two-pack (much less six), the Blakes of the world get to saunter about with washboard abs and flawless pins, without any effort whatsoever. And that’s not even to speak of the likes of the rake-thin Kendall Jenner, who’s the latest starlet to come out saying she’s simply too busy to hit the gym. Yes dear, but the question in your case is, do you actually eat?
Yup, it’s enough to make you gag. Mainly in skepticism. Granted, there are those fortunate creatures populating our planet who do indeed possess that ingredient in their genetic mix, which allows them to devour what they want, when they want and still remain a walking stick figure without ever breaking a sweat. But much as Blake and co would have us believe their figures are au naturale, those tell-tale toned-muscle lines indicate that perhaps their “look” is not quite so God-given after all.
So why all the denial? Heck, even Adriana Lima is honest enough to admit she does “really intense training” and embarks on a 12-day liquid diet (kids, don’t try this at home) ahead of every show. And if even a Victoria’s Secret model can’t get away with a scoff-your-face-and-never-lift-a-dumbbell approach, it’s highly dubious that anyone else can!
More power to us plebs!
lara.dematos@inl.co.za
@Lara_de_Matos
