This Ain't Hollywood

The media is a powerful tool. Which is partly what I loved about being a Drama major. Unfortunately, it's also a very competitive field. Which means that celebrities are growing increasingly glamorous - and increasingly thin. And we girls (and sometimes boys) are training ourselves to accept that what we see on the screen is what "normal" should be. In my 12th grade Humanities class 90% of the girls said they thought the Venus De Milo was overweight. And yet she was supposed to be the epitome of beauty in the Roman world. Not to mention that the average clothing sample size is 4, when sources state that the real 'average' for American women is closer to a size 14. And anyone who's tried on women's fashion in the last few years will tell you that clothing sizes vary so much from brand to brand that they're practically meaningless anyway. So how do we navigate this deceptive world of media influence?

There was a time in my life when I was so sensitive to these Hollywood ideals that I based my entire opinion of myself on them. I even once found myself sitting on my living room floor crying because I could never be as thin or pretty as Courtney Cox on Friends. Well of course - I don't have her body type. Or her personal trainer. Or a contract that requires me to look 'ideal.' As I've watched my body changing through pregnancy and childbirth I've come to appreciate its own unique shape. I try to remind myself that curves are attractive and that more than appearance, personality is what people notice first. And how do I cultivate an attractive personality? By taking care of myself and being healthy, happy and content. Which means appreciating Courtney Cox for who she is without feeling the necessity to replicate her look.

The reality of it is - I'm not in Hollywood. In fact, I rarely even act anymore (and if I did, the stage is much more forgiving than the camera). My kids barely even noticed the 40 lbs I put on during pregnancy. What they did notice was that Mommy was tired and cranky and slow all the time. And the best way to recover from that is to get fit and get healthy. When I feel good about myself I'll better be able to appreciate and not envy the 'beautiful people' I see on tv. And I can focus on adapting the things I can change - like a new hair cut or makeup technique - instead of trying to fit into the size 0 just because 'everyone else' does. Yup, it's definitely time to get real.