A Rant on Ripa and Huffington Post
Today Ariana Huffington’s Huffingnton Post had a story about Kelly Ripa’s abs titled, “Kelly Ripa’s Abs Put Pretty Much Everyone Else’s To Shame“…
Umm, do we really care about Ripa’s “ripped” abs or should we care more that the woman looks fucking anorexic?
Shouldn’t we be more concerned for…
A) Kelly Ripa’s health and status as a role model
B) The mental health and marriages of all women
C) Marriage and divorce statistics based on cheating
D) The physical and mental health of girl children
When will media — alternative or otherwise, stop the assault on women?
Not only does media coverage like this — along with myriad other examples, make many women feel their bodies are less-than desirable, the constant bombardment of unhealthy and or fake imagery we are faced with affects our lives in more ways than just a woman’s own self-image.
Men are convinced all women should look the way TV/Magazine/Porn women do and young girls strive to look like these women.
It is sickening to say the least!
I had serious body image issues myself many years ago and then…
I had Cancer and I hated everything about it. I lost a lot of weight rather quickly for the first time in my life and it sucked, not just because I was ill, but I hated the way my face looked and the way my body felt. I was cold all of the time and my ass bones and hip bones hurt when I would sit or lay in certain positions.
After that experience — and being Cancer free, I put most of the weight I had lost back on. Then came the day the ER thought I was having some sort of seizures and prescribed me anticonvulsants that made me gain 60-pounds in less than 4-months. Yes, 60-pounds!
Crazy huh?
Of course that spun me right back into the, “I’m so fat” phase again until it slowly started melting away little by little after I weaned myself off of the medication.
Now, I would be considered “obese” by current standards, but I don’t let that guide me.
Instead I am confident and know that I am a good-looking and desirable woman versus the “obese” and undesirable woman media would have me believe myself to be. If in today’s world, the picture of me below is considered a picture of an “obese” woman then I for one am happy to be “obese”.
How much does “Happy” weigh?
There is no “scale” that weighs happiness, especially happiness with one’s self.
Would I like to be more in shape? Sure, but apparently not enough to bust my ass to be so. Am I concerned about my health because of the number the scale reads? Nope, not at all, because I live a relatively healthy life including being mindful of what I eat. Besides there are other more dangerous things about myself I would rather “lose” than a few more pounds that would/could certainly extend my life.
A final note…
Ladies, hug yourself and know you are amazing and be a real role model to your daughters.
Men, hold your women tight — whether you can get your arms around them or not, they are yours.
Girls, trust your mama, you look just fine.
Ariana Huffington, rethink what you put out there. Why would you think glorifying Miss Ripa’s near-non-existent body is healthy for your paper or for women and girls of all shapes and sizes everywhere?
NOTE: It was pointed out on Twitter — by columnist and radio personality Pauline Campos, that my use of the word “obvious” in this original-to-the-piece sentence,
“Umm, do we really care about Ripa’s “ripped” abs or should we care more that the woman is an obvious anorexic?”
…is as offensive as the Ripa article in the Huffington Post.
I understand the sentiment and have made an edit however; let me be clear here….this is a “rant” it is not meant to be “politically correct” or even unoffensive.
I stand firm on the premise and point of my piece.
Related articles
- Kelly Rippa’s Faithful Fridge (genderandsociety2013.wordpress.com)
- 11 Body Image Heroes Of 2013 (wonderfultips.wordpress.com)
- Women’s News: Men Have Body Image Issues, Too (21stlunch.wordpress.com)
- NaNoWriMo Week Two at a Glance (rebekahfaubionbooks.wordpress.com)
- Dangerous Body Images (powerpolicyplatforms.wordpress.com)
- What is Reality Anymore? (newslavesproject.wordpress.com)
- Women’s News: How One Woman Is Ending Her Body Image War (ladyrompp.com)
- Dear fellow woman (lovelifefaith08.wordpress.com)
- K is for Kelly Rippa eating a bagel (jandawooldridge.wordpress.com)
- There’s Never Enough Chocolate Cake by Chloe Rayner (psybites.wordpress.com)
Cheri Speak 
Well said Cheri! Contrary to popular believe that are a HOST of men out here, dare I say a majority; whose contention is that Ms. Ripa is not attractive… Seeing someone’s bones… Is purely a substantial turnoff, this is concert with her obviously being very ill. Great pic lady, you’re killing em’!
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Thank you! I had not intended to blog at all today until i saw that stupid article. And thanks for the “other” compliment too, much appreciated. Baby’s got back!
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Yea! What you said. You are so right!
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Thank you Jackie! Please share.
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Reblogged this on Longfellow's 21st Century Lunch.
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Thank you very much for reblogging this Andy! 🙂
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You’re welcome Cheri. And thanks for the link to my post too.
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I appreciate your edit and respect your words and your space. I’m a curvy girl, too. I only aim to make it clear that body image issues are not exclusive to women built like us. Skinny girls have body image issues, too, and while Arianna Huffington and the rest of the media need to stop telling us all that we aren’t good enough because we don’t look like Ripa, we need to be aware that saying someone in the media “looks anorexic” can be just as harmful and possibly triggering to many women.
I do truly appreciate the conversation. and am glad to hear that you are at a place where happiness has nothing to do with the scale.
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Thank you Pauline. I do appreciate the interaction and your words. I also value your opinion.
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