I have never seen the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. There, I said it. Whew, feels good to get that off my chest!! I mean, I was aware of it. I knew that in some circles it was a really big deal. I just never watched it. I think my main reason was "Why do I want to watch a bunch of beautiful models parade around in skimpy lingerie?" Or I was working or there was something else on opposite or really, who knows. But mainly, the low-self-esteem side of me had no desire to watch and potentially feel worse about herself.
So, Summer, what changed?
Well, dear reader, let me tell you. I have no idea. Part of it may be that I started following Gigi Hadid on Instagram and Snapchat this past year, and she is one of the models. Part of it may be that one of the beauty influencers I follow was invited backstage of this year's show and all of her snaps on Snapchat got me intrigued. Maybe part of it was that I like Lady Gaga. I really don't know. I just know that this year I decided to see what all the hoopla was about.
I will admit, before I get in to my thoughts, that as someone exploring their feminist side I don't know how I'm "supposed" to feel about this show. Should I be outraged at this sexualization of women, at these unattainable figures and standards of beauty? Or should I embrace women embracing their sexuality and saying if they've got it why not flaunt it? I would. I just don't know. It's one of the most confusing parts of feminism: cover up the female figure and take off the makeup or embrace our sexuality and don't be afraid to show off your body? Way too much for me to go in to here, especially since my mental energy is almost zilch with it being the last week of the semester. So let me get to my thoughts on the show....
I wasn't overwhelmed by it. I don't know what I was expecting, perhaps to be dazzled and blown away, but I wasn't. That being said, I wasn't bored. I was afraid I would be. It was fast moving though and, surprise surprise, I actually had heard of the musicians performing! I realized quickly that it's not so much about showing off lingerie, it's about drama. A lot of times you couldn't even see the lingerie under all the other stuff they were wearing: coats and feathers and wings and headdresses and jewelry and socks and shoes. They weren't being provocative, they were wearing costumes. And I thought for sure they would make a much bigger deal about the fantasy bra. Actually, what I liked most was the model interviews. I never knew that becoming an Angel or being picked to walk the show was such a big deal. They showed one model (whose name escapes me) wearing her wings for the first time for what I assume was a commercial or photo shoot and crying. She was so overwhelmed about actually going through something she had dreamed about that she couldn't control her emotions. My favorite though had to be Gigi Hadid. From my understanding she has walked the show before and this year she was able to walk it with her younger sister Bella. During her interview as she talked about getting to do this with her sister, something they had both dreamed about as little girls, she also couldn't control her emotions and was tearing up. While my sisters and I can't relate to this specific life goal, I do know what it is like to share something that is important to you with those you love. Okay, sure, maybe it was being at a Christmas Eve service for the first time since we were kids, but I still get it.
It's very easy to look down on those who model. We make assumptions about who they are or what their life is like. It's even easier to do when that woman is a lingerie model. I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt. I would never have the self-confidence to walk down a runway in underwear and heels, no matter what my body looked like. I don't have the discipline to work out like these girls do. And I don't have the discipline to eat the healthy foods they must need to eat to stay that slim. But I'm also not getting paid to be a Victoria's Secret model. Are there unrealistic standards in the runway model world? Definitely. Are there unhealthy practices going on? Definitely. I saw a couple women who looked on the verge of scary skinny. But I also saw women doing what they love. I saw nerves before they went on stage and the excitement they felt coming off stage. I did see racial diversity, although not enough. I would love to some day see more diversity in body types. Ashley Graham would KILL it on that runway!! But I choose, as a woman, to celebrate other women. I try not to put down my fellow gender, we get enough of that already in our culture.
So, in a nutshell, it was interesting. I still feel just as good about myself after as I did before. I would hope that if I had a daughter we could use the show as a starting topic for body confidence and body types. I couldn't tell you a thing about the lingerie but there were some very pretty wings and one awesome pair of boots. And let's be kind to each other ladies, yeah?
No comments:
Post a Comment