Recently, the kid and I watched a great documentary on Epix called, “Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image” by Jenny McQuaile. We highly recommend that you give it a watch.
Watch the trailer below:
The documentary deals with the complicated issues of body image in today’s society and the pressure put on all women to conform to a certain body type. There are interviews with teen girls that are honest about their struggles with body image. The documentary also addresses that these body image issues continue long into adulthood.
What I liked about the documentary is that it wasn’t an exercise in finger pointing at the fashion industry and media. The film does address these industries as contributing to the problem, but it moves on from that quickly, since we already know this, and gets to the growing number of designers and content creators that are taking this on and putting out a variety of races, ages and body types in their clothes and photos of their clothes.
The film then focuses on an photography art exhibit by Anastasia Garcia featuring 12 models from different ethinicities, ages and body types to create a one-of-a-kind exhibit to be shown during NYC Fashion Week. The film follows the models on shoot day.
Some highlights of the film:
- The kiddo really loved seeing the models show up without make-up. She exclaimed, “Wait, their skin isn’t perfect! They look like us!”
- The models talk about how much they hate the photoshopping of their bodies. They know that the pictures don’t look like them and that it is impossible to look like the photos. It is truly unachievable. Even for them.
- The models talk about how their bodies are scutinized at work. These were models that were a size 2, and were referred to as “fat” by photographers and agents.
- The models also talk about how unhealthy they were when they were super thin, and now that they are not worried about fitting into a size 00, they are happier and much healthier.
- In addition to body size and image, skin color is addressed as well. One of my favorite models, Philomena Kwao, is a plus size model and a very dark skinned woman. She talks about getting excluded from covers, not because of her size, but because of her color. Because she looks differently from what we are used to.
- “I’m not a plus size woman. I’m a plus size model.”
- Seeing that all these amazing beautiful women also struggle with body positivity, whether they are a size 0 or a size 20. That resonated with the kiddo and with me.
- “The top of my modeling career, I was the bottom of my self-esteem.”
- “My worth was in not eating.”
- “We cannot allow girls to live like that anymore.” Amen.
If you have the time, I highly recommend this documentary. It is streaming on Epix now.
The film’s website is here to get more information.
Let’s hear it for body positivity!
Love, Kim and Scout
