Ever notice

[KittyT]

HAHAHAHAHHAA. I've been tempted to look into something like botox because of the heavy-duty frown lines I have between my eyes and brow.

You should try Frownies. They're totally vintage and they do work pretty well.

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

HAHAHAHAHHAA. I just turned 40, and my body is in pretty good shape. But I gotta admit, I've been tempted to look into something like botox because of the heavy-duty frown lines I have between my eyes and brow. The main reason I won't do it isn't because I think I should embrace my age(I don't act it anyway), but I know that once someone starts down the plastic surgery road, they have to maintain it, and I frankly don't have the time or patience to do that.

So I'm aging disgracefully.

Back to the topic at hand...

I dunno, I've done plenty of reading on old Hollywood, and there was a reason why it was called a "system". The way actors and actresses first start in Hollywood is usually different than when they hit the peak of their careers. There was some plastic surgery "back in the day", and it was used on the famous folk. Off the top of my head there's the famous story about Rita Hayworth having to get electrolysis to raise her hairline so that she looked more "anglo" and less Mexican.

But I do think that there was a time before WWII where actresses were able to have a wider range of acting roles, which showed off more aspects of their personality so that would make them less cookie-cutter to us than current actresses. And maybe the OP is picking up on that.

RD

I hear you...I think botox sounds great, but the cost can really add up! Just another expense...

 

[SarinWrap]

The average American woman is 5'4", weighs 140 lbs, and wears a size 14 dress.
The "ideal" woman--portrayed by models, Miss America, Barbie dolls, and screen actresses--is 5'7", weighs 100 lbs, and wears a size 8.
One-third of all American women wear a size 16 or larger
I do believe that the modern idea of the perfect woman is flawed. You open a magazine, you turn on the telly and you see protrayed constantly women who are not a realistic body size. I have noticed an attempt lately to remedy this but it is slow going. The appeal of the glamorous female icons of the past is obvious, they seemed to have a body type that is more approachable. I mean, Greta Garbo had a 27' waist, she would probably be considered "healthy" by today's standards, but in the 30's, she was considered the height of beauty and sophistication. I have rarely met a woman that did not have some body issue, I am a 36-26-36 and I am constantly trying to figure out how to get smaller, and I am not even quite certain why! ;p

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

Great points across the board. Re the botox.. sure if it makes you happy, why not. Personally, I woudl just save the money, and have the whole shegan pulled back ala Joan Crawford at the age of 60, but that's just me. Re the body issues: I am 5'7 and 106 pounds and I am always trying to GAIN weight.. maybe we women should just like ourselvs for who we are. I also think most men like what they like. Some men dig curvy women, others like the model-skinny type.. whatever.. to each their own.. We are all gorgeous in our own way

 

[Odalisque]

I mean, Greta Garbo had a 27' waist, she would probably be considered "healthy" by today's standards, but in the 30's, she was considered the height of beauty and sophistication;p

But she was also 5' 7". Angelina Jolie has the same height and waist and I consider her pretty thin. I'm only 5' 4" and have a 31 inch waist. I don't look "heavy" but according to society and doctors, I am. For my height, I should have a 25 incher. Time for me to lay off the sweets! lol

 

[Lily Powers]

Great points across the board. Re the botox.. sure if it makes you happy, why not. Personally, I woudl just save the money, and have the whole shegan pulled back ala Joan Crawford at the age of 60, but that's just me. Re the body issues: I am 5'7 and 106 pounds and I am always trying to GAIN weight.. maybe we women should just like ourselvs for who we are. I also think most men like what they like. Some men dig curvy women, others like the model-skinny type.. whatever.. to each their own.. We are all gorgeous in our own way

Although FDA approved and used by normal looking women (not the pulled back, frozen faced Hollywood types), Botox scares the bejeebers out of me. Paralyzing the muscles... eek.

Audrey Hepburn is a woman that many women view as an ideal - trim, gamine and everything looked good on her. But you'd be hard pressed to find a man who really thought she was much more than a "skinny actress." We're always hard on ourselves and wish we were younger, or thinner, or curvier or nearly anything we're not. I have a cat - he's cross-eyed, bowlegged, has a crooked tail and a cowlick that sticks straight up from the very middle of his head. He'll sit and look at you in all his bowlegged, cross-eyed glory and just dare you to think he's anything other than "all that." And when I look at him, I just see the most wonderful little guy in the world. Confidence is a wonderful beauty enhancer.

 

[Lenah]

Although FDA approved and used by normal looking women (not the pulled back, frozen faced Hollywood types), Botox scares the bejeebers out of me. Paralyzing the muscles... eek.

Audrey Hepburn is a woman that many women view as an ideal - trim, gamine and everything looked good on her. But you'd be hard pressed to find a man who really thought she was much more than a "skinny actress." We're always hard on ourselves and wish we were younger, or thinner, or curvier or nearly anything we're not. I have a cat - he's cross-eyed, bowlegged, has a crooked tail and a cowlick that sticks straight up from the very middle of his head. He'll sit and look at you in all his bowlegged, cross-eyed glory and just dare you to think he's anything other than "all that." And when I look at him, I just see the most wonderful little guy in the world. Confidence is a wonderful beauty enhancer.

Sooo true... and because we are always bombarded with these "ideal" images, it's easy to forget their real purpose... to sell products. To sell someone something, create a sense of lack... and the product is the solution. Why would we want something we already have? They're designed to target our/female insecurities. And it works. Too bad we all end up taking it sooo seriously...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Sooo true... and because we are always bombarded with these "ideal" images, it's easy to forget their real purpose... to sell products. To sell someone something, create a sense of lack... and the product is the solution. Why would we want something we already have? They're designed to target our/female insecurities. And it works. Too bad we all end up taking it sooo seriously...

Hear, hear. And never forget -- the only thing standing between us and those idealized images is a full-time staff of hairdressers, cosmetologists, costume designers, lighting technicians, and photo-retouching artists.

 

[Rachael]

I admired Jamie Lee Curtis when she did this unretouched photo shot a few years ago, just to proove Lizzie's point.

http://www.wordspy.com/graphics/jamie_lee_curtis_after.jpg

 

[Tallulah]

I had quite a lengthy conversation with my best friend a couple of weeks ago on this subject exactly. I had been invited to a cookie swap/Holiday party held some distance from the little town where I live. I was right smack in the hotbed of materialistic, McMansioned Atlanta. With two exceptions, all of the women there had been surgically altered in multiple ways. Although they were women in their forties, with children, they were all built like strippers: tummy tucks, liposucked, lifted, implanted, augmented, botoxed... amazing, amazing, amazing. They were all dressed alike: skin tight boot-cut jeans, high heels, form fitted top, long straight hair in soft layers, purse the size of a stop sign. I mean no disrespect to these women but I felt like I was in Desperate Housewives/Stepford stripperland. I agree with the OP. In the past few weeks I have been more sensitive to a growing trend; all of these women seem to be in the uniform I described above. After awhile, eye-lifted eyes all start looking startling similar. As do cheek implants. Cookie cutter faces and bodies. Some brave new world....

Sooo true... and because we are always bombarded with these "ideal" images, it's easy to forget their real purpose... to sell products. To sell someone something, create a sense of lack... and the product is the solution. Why would we want something we already have? They're designed to target our/female insecurities. And it works. Too bad we all end up taking it sooo seriously...

And that is it exactly. Along with so many other things. I think in our country and culture especially, there is no worse sentence than growing older (hence the Benjamin Button phenom). What good is a woman who does not fit the stereotype of a sexually responsive female? In addition, our culture discourages genuine and meaningful social connection. Material things are so deeply important to us here that we are even buying designer bodies.

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

I agree with you all. But I think it's silly that women get snookered into falling for this. And for what purpose? The fact is, you are never going to be everyone's ideal.. so, like yourself and be your own ideal. You can be tiny and gorgeous, curvy and gorgeous, dark and exotic, pale and ethereal. Work with what you have. How boring for everyone to be exactly alike. And once you like yourself and are confident, it all pours forward. Remember what Sophia Loren said "sex appeal is 50% what you've got and 50% what people THINK you've got"

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

The average American woman is 5'4", weighs 140 lbs, and wears a size 14 dress.
The "ideal" woman--portrayed by models, Miss America, Barbie dolls, and screen actresses--is 5'7", weighs 100 lbs, and wears a size 8.
One-third of all American women wear a size 16 or larger
I do believe that the modern idea of the perfect woman is flawed. You open a magazine, you turn on the telly and you see protrayed constantly women who are not a realistic body size. I have noticed an attempt lately to remedy this but it is slow going. The appeal of the glamorous female icons of the past is obvious, they seemed to have a body type that is more approachable. I mean, Greta Garbo had a 27' waist, she would probably be considered "healthy" by today's standards, but in the 30's, she was considered the height of beauty and sophistication. I have rarely met a woman that did not have some body issue, I am a 36-26-36 and I am constantly trying to figure out how to get smaller, and I am not even quite certain why! ;p

I agree about the model crap. I'm pretty sure most models lie about their weight...

Some of their stats are the same as my own, but have 4 or 5 inches on me, but miraculously they only weigh 105 lbs...lol right (I'm in my 120s). My mother is about 5'3 100-105 and cliniclally diagnosed with anorexia and now has heart failure... She looks frail...I don't understand the misconception that being thin means less then 115 lbs. It's a number...

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

I have always been the girl who can eat anything and never gain an ounce. I'm the same weight as when I was 18 (105 tops), and I'm in great physical shape.. just small boned with very fast metabolism. But, I do agree.. the magic number of what is or isn't healthy is a numbers game and nothing more - you cannot expect a small boned person to weigh the same as a large boned person and vice versa. Plus, there are different body "types" too, right?

 

[MissAmelina]

I believe in eating lots of cookies. They make me radiant.

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

I believe in eating lots of cookies. They make me radiant.

it's true.. think about it. little kids love cookies and they have glowing, rosy skin - More cookies

 

[LizzieMaine]

When I was in high school, I weighed 120 -- and all during my teens my mother kept clucking and tut-tutting about how SKINNY and UNHEALTHY I looked, and how I'd look SO MUCH BETTER if I'd just gain some weight.

Now I'm 30 years older, my weight is floating around 150, and my mother is clucking and tut-tutting about how OVERWEIGHT I am and how I'd look SO MUCH BETTER if I'd just lose some weight.

And I say, "Ma, do me a favor, will you? Shut up."

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

Beauty is subjective.. no such thing as one look being everyone's idea of perfect.

One of my best friends and I debate Gerard Butler versus Brad Pitt every week. She thinks Brad Pitt is "scrawny" and I think Gerard is just blah.. And who says women grow up at 35?

 

[MissAmelina]

When I was in high school, I weighed 120 -- and all during my teens my mother kept clucking and tut-tutting about how SKINNY and UNHEALTHY I looked, and how I'd look SO MUCH BETTER if I'd just gain some weight.

Now I'm 30 years older, my weight is floating around 150, and my mother is clucking and tut-tutting about how OVERWEIGHT I am and how I'd look SO MUCH BETTER if I'd just lose some weight.

And I say, "Ma, do me a favor, will you? Shut up."

Yep...this is my story to a T....when I told my 90 year old Grandma that I was 30 pounds heavier than I was in high school she FREAKED out and said, "AMY! (gasp!) How LONG has this been going ON??" and I just started laughing. I already wait tables for a living (ie, very active), I could probably stand to do some more strength training to keep my bones healthy and rev the old metabolism, but I am done watching that stupid number on the scale. It does not mean *anything*......as long as I can fit in my clothes, I am good.

Oh, shoot, am I supposed to grow up now that I am 35?? oops. I missed that memo. haha!

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

Women must stop this.. stop criticizing themselves, their friends, sisters, children, grandchildren. Good grief. Mr. Rogers had the right attitude.. "you are perfect just the way you are"

 

[VintageRed]

When I was in high school, I weighed 120 -- and all during my teens my mother kept clucking and tut-tutting about how SKINNY and UNHEALTHY I looked, and how I'd look SO MUCH BETTER if I'd just gain some weight.

Now I'm 30 years older, my weight is floating around 150, and my mother is clucking and tut-tutting about how OVERWEIGHT I am and how I'd look SO MUCH BETTER if I'd just lose some weight.

And I say, "Ma, do me a favor, will you? Shut up."

LOL. I love that. If only I could say I have the same problem.

I seem to have always had body image issues. I was a ballet dancer for years and years as a child and into my teens, but I always felt much larger and bigger than all my other friends. I look at those pics now and long for that body, lemme' tell ya.

I've had two babies via c-section, and as much as I love my children, I wish every day that I could love the body and the scars that produced them, no matter how soft in the middle it's gotten.

I was watching Oprah today, kicking off her Best Life week, and she was addressing the issues surrounding her recent weight gain. She had Carnie Wilson on via satellite who is looking quite fabulous I might add, and she said that the only thing she really and truly wanted was to be -healthy-. Forget the jean size or the number on the scale. She just wanted to know that her body was healthy and well.

I think I'm going to adopt that mantra this year as well. I know I could stand to lose the baby weight (Willow is 2 now, I have no reason to keep carrying it around...!) and as much as I'd love to have that 26" vintage waist, it'll probably never happen. I just want to be healthy too and know that I'm doing my body as good as it's doing me, even after all the abuse it's taken.

No time like the present! Love yourself and your body girls, and all the scars it's endured. It's a link to your past and should make for good conversation over coffee cake with your girlfriends one day.

Best to you all....

~Danielle