musings : body positivity on social media & body acceptance

18 October 2020

In the media, there are accounts dedicated to positivity where attention is always drawn to the hosts imperfections, or accounts with a big following will intermittently do posts that highlights a part of their body which society has regarded as 'not beautiful'. There are women in crop tops who grab there rolls, who write lengthy captions about how they don’t care about their cellulite. There seems to be a long way to go until people can simply ~be~, where photographs that aren’t completely posed will be posted without a caption that gives reason as to why you can see a stomach roll. I also fall victim to it, but it also feels a bit damaging, or slightly, I dont know, less positive? I am sure there are big accounts that post photos of a chubby body/ body with scars etc without a lengthy caption to accompany it, or without reasoning behind such acceptance, but at the moment it feels like publicsed bodily ‘imperfections’ has to be in conjunction with a reason- a reason of showing that such imperfections are okay/ about the history of a battle with food/ a letting go of caring about social stigmas - but why is there rarely a case of women just being that way. It seems intristincally linked to everyday life as well- to tell others of our bloating not in a way to complain of the discomfort but to alert people that this isnt the ‘real size’ of our stomachs. It just all feels a bit out of wack that we are a society so insistent upon changing the perception of women, abolishing the narrative of 'this is how a womans body should be' yet still feel the need to justify our natural bodies.

I know that to achieve body positivity you do have to celebrate things that were once deemed an imperfection, but body positivity just doesn’t always feel entirely connected to real life. Do I have to let people know that I am aware of my cellulite and that I love it? Should I let people know that I am aware of my hairy armpits but just don't care? Does this make sense? Why can't we simply just exist?

(from left-right) image 1  |  image 2  |  image 3 image 4  |  image 5 backgrounds

On a similar wave length of frustration; there are all these posts about the ‘before and after’ of posing and editting, especially from influencers, which are wonderful to see. But then why do such accounts continually post photographs of themselves in an 'after' pose, angling themselves in such a way so that their body does reflect what is idiolised? 
I do love everyone celebrating their bodies, and I like posts that are about ones journey to self love. I just think it isn't right that popular accounts will post a photo one day of their body looking how it normally does and then always posting extremely posed and edited photos on other days. I know self love is tough, and people can be horrible, but I do think people with large platforms and big followings have a responsibility to normalise the way their bodies usually look and to not make self love such an intermittent thing. 

In saying all this, I know body positivity in the media has come a long way, and that lengthy captions justifying a post may be a defence against trolls or simply a celebration of journeys to body positivity. Yet such justifcations and captions don't coincide with body acceptance all the time, as there shouldn't always be the need to give explanation to our bodies. It is just an exciting thing to think about, when bodies will be posted without always being accompanied by an explanation, to simply admire a photograph that doesn’t come with a paragraph about how it is okay to look that way, because soon hopefully all girls will know that it is okay to look any way.

I have found it my mission to find instagram accounts that celebrate healthy and attainable bodies without always being accompanied by lengthy captions. Here are a few accounts I have been following and have inspired a new body positivity within myself, and I hope you experience the same:

@_nelly_london - she also has a youtube channel, but this is just her insta
@ariellanyssa
@thefatzine 
@thenutritiontea -  less so an example of normalisation but simply reminders of how to live a happy and healthy life 

to be honest, I am sure there are a lot more but @_nelly_london is one of my favourite accounts. Just a beautiful woman loving her body and spreading positivity and acceptance. 

18 comments

  1. Yes yes yes! I love this post so much. It's such an interesting discussion. I feel like there's definitely two sides to the coin. I recently read a lengthy post about a girl saying how she really wants to stop hating her body (with loads of body positive images where she looked gorgeous). I think for a lot of people its an internal battle. But I think you're making such a valid point. I think it's just how social media warps us to try and show this version of ourselves that we like online. I really think one day we will seize control over who we are and embrace everything about ourselves and not have to think twice about posting stomach rolls or stretch marks etc. Maybe also its a way of people trying to teach those who would look at their posts and think 'err' maybe at least then by them reading the post as well they may develop a different view.
    Sorry I've gone off on one haha!

    Louise x

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    Replies
    1. noo don't apologise! It is so true that its an internal battle, and appreicating our bodies is so important, I never thought of at as educating other people who saw. I guess I knew it was to encourage positivity, but never thought that would help for prejudicial people as well. x

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  2. I love this, it's so true – and so often the 'before' and 'afters' are so similar?? It's also sad that we are in a place where we have to draw attention to imperfections, rather than them just being there. Lots of love queen x x

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  3. I totally get what you're saying here gal and I feel the same. I actually wrote my dissertation about this (well, mostly about this). Its great that we can celebrate all body types don't get me wrong, but it does often leave a bitter taste in my mouth when I see them. I think we need to get to a point where its actually normal without having to obviously point it out on social media...but hopefully one day!

    Lucy | Forever September

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    Replies
    1. That sounds so interesting!! I'd love to read your diss on this. Hopefully one day, at least there's constantly porgress happening I guess!

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  4. Agree with so much of this! I think we need to move past posting everything on social media and normalise accepting ourselves without the need for it to be online to prove we feel that way - if that makes sense!

    Tash

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  15. I LOVE your musings with respect to body positivity on social media and on body acceptance!!!!!!
    Absolutely everything you said above is very true! You have addressed almost every aspect of the body insecurity I have been feeling now that I have gotten older.

    I have to confess that recently, despite my having professed on Twitter, on my blog, and on YouTube how much I would like to become the world's most famous panty model - I have, due to my own body image insecurity, failed to upload any new panty-modelling photos or videos for quite a few years.
    Despite all the excuses (camera, tripod, and having some videos wrongfully restricted), it is quite probably true that my own insecurity and lack of body acceptance has impeded my blogging, vlogging and Tweeting.
    Here are some examples of the disconnect between the body positivity and body acceptance I would love to have on social media, versus reality:
    What I proclaimed on Twitter (goals):
    "I wish for all photos+videos of me modelling ladies full brief nylon panties to be Tweeted emailed+shared, published posted+displayed everywhere including blogs, online+print news+gossip articles, magazines, posters fliers+billboards, movies, TV+streaming media".

    Yet because of my failure to accept my own aging face and my own ever more out-of-shape body:
    I have failed to actually take and upload any new panty-modelling photographs and videos;
    I have failed to upload my panty-modelling photos to tabloid news outlets that might publish them;
    I have not made myself available for recent television interviews, and;
    I have not participated in any public underwear events, i.e.:
    I have not yet participated in any No Pants Subway Rides or in any Undie Runs or in 'No Pants Day' or in National Underwear Day.

    As far as my older photos and videos when I was younger and in better shape go however, those I have no hesitation about them being sharing anywhere and everywhere:

    RELEASED:
    All photos+videos of me modelling full brief panties on
    my blog: Full Brief Panties
    on my YouTube: misterpantybuns's Channel panty modelling and review videos
    and on my Twitter @Panty_Buns
    WERE RELEASED BY ME INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN as I was making them (Labeled FREE for RE-USE)!

    ReplyDelete

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