Hooray for Spain!

[trisha]

www.comcast.net/news/health/index.jsp?cat=HEALTHWELLNESS&fn=/2006/09/08/472289.html&cvqh=itn_modelsfired

[janetcatbird]

Hoorah! I'm not sure this quite counts as triumph of the Ugly Ducklings, but health is a good thing. Me and my child-bearin' hips say "right on!"

Hey Spaniard, is this getting much coverage in Spain itself? I've seen the article online, but I don't know if this is getting widespread attention on TV.

--Catbird

[spaniard]

If you are talking about the fashion week and its models, we don´t have too much coverage because it has been said before but never done. Last year they talked about the minimum size required and later they had models one or two sizes less than what they promised. They use the old excuse of the foreign models, they say that the models are from other countries and they can´t control how thin they are before they arrive and once they are in the city it´s too late to kick them out.

I think that if you want to show spanish fashion you have to use spanish models, with spanish curves (big ones). I really hope they change this skeleton parade, you don't have to be that thin to be sexy.

[madger]

Bwaa, I missed it
But I gather by the comments that my adoptive country did something about skinny models? I grew up skinny in Spain and was considered pathetic, the advantage being that all my friend's mothers tried to fatten me up, I ate mighty well.....Unfortunately, now that I live in the States I filled out, but in all the wrong places.

[janetcatbird]

I remember when Stephen Colbert did his special about "Our Kids: What the Hell is the Matter With Them?" he did get in a few digs at the images media presents to girls. A few highlights were:

• Teen People magazine issue featuring ways to get your best body ever. "Folks, there is no easy way to get your best body ever. It takes hours and hours of cosmetic surgery and vomiting. Girls, if we can't see your ribs, you're ugly!"
  
  
• A Lil' Bratz Shopping Adventure activity book. "At last our young women have positive role models to inspire them. ...There are no page numbers, that's interesting--that's good! We don't want our young girls counting! After that it's a slippery slope to multiplying." The writing activity encouraged the passion of shopping--and mentioned a miniskirt--but was lacking in proper grammer. "Like Shakespeare said, 'There is nothin' cooler than droppin' the gs off thine gerunds'. And as writers go, he was the coolin'est."
  

I think Colbert's own daughter is around 11 or 12, so beneath the character you definitely get that loving father worried about his baby in the danger zone that is puberty. Why can't we get more callings-out like this?

--Catbird

[noc]

I agree. Kathy Nagimy (I always spell her name wrong) wrote a really great e-mail to Project Runway about referring to one of the models as "plus-size' and the effect on young girls (I didn't realize so many are dieting at 11 or 12). It was very eloquent. I don't watch reality shows other than the Amazing Race, but it was a good e-mail. I think humor is better than the most eloquent letter or e-mail.

[sarahlee]

I opened my paper today and saw a Macy's advert with a Real Sized Woman featured!! Lookin' gorgeous and curvy, and with no notation of "Ladies" or "plus-sized" on the ad. There's hope for us yet girls. By the way, this "plus-sized" model looked like she was about a 12.