The typical media portrayal of skinny white girls: vain, popular, slutty, superficial, stuck up, and b.i.t.c.h.y.
In current American culture, skinny is best. Skinny is couture. Skinny is attractive. Skinny is desirable. Skinny is an adjective that most women strive to embody. Because about 2/3 of the United States is overweight, beautiful, skinny girls are a minority. According to our culture, skinny is the height of physical attractiveness; however, the media paints the personalities of such women in a negative way.
The term "skinny bitch" is everywhere. I have found books, blogs, and even mugs with this blaring message. In the movie Mean Girls, Ragina George is weight obsessed. She is not beautiful until she is a perfect size 1. She is depicted as self-centered and stuck up. The fashion industry, too, glorifies emaciated women. This entire culture is viewed as shallow and worldly; as if the models and designers only care about outward beauty. Fashion labels love the emaciated look because they want their image to seem unobtainable.
If an overweight girl is quiet in a group setting, it is assumed that she is self-conscious or shy by nature. If a beautiful, skinny girl acts the same way, she clearly thinks she is above her company. In Mean Girls, "The Plastics"do not associate with anyone outside of their group. They only welcome Cady because she too is attractive and slim.
The media seems to say that we cannot have it all. Both internal and external beauty does not exist. If you are beautiful, you must be completely self-absorbed and rude.
The term "skinny bitch" is everywhere. I have found books, blogs, and even mugs with this blaring message. In the movie Mean Girls, Ragina George is weight obsessed. She is not beautiful until she is a perfect size 1. She is depicted as self-centered and stuck up. The fashion industry, too, glorifies emaciated women. This entire culture is viewed as shallow and worldly; as if the models and designers only care about outward beauty. Fashion labels love the emaciated look because they want their image to seem unobtainable.
If an overweight girl is quiet in a group setting, it is assumed that she is self-conscious or shy by nature. If a beautiful, skinny girl acts the same way, she clearly thinks she is above her company. In Mean Girls, "The Plastics"do not associate with anyone outside of their group. They only welcome Cady because she too is attractive and slim.
The media seems to say that we cannot have it all. Both internal and external beauty does not exist. If you are beautiful, you must be completely self-absorbed and rude.
This is very interesting. I think all of what your are saying is correct. It is also interesting to think about how it is very common and accepted to talk about this in the media, but almost taboo to talk about in smaller social situations. It is almost deemed as "gossip".
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