Body Politics
body politics: normalizing the conversation
It seems that culture is finally catching up to reality. Up until recently it was cool to conform even if it wasn’t your reality. Our public figures were pressured to fit into a box of how society demanded they look and this pressure of course made its way to everyday people. Or maybe it was the other way around.
For a long time, only one body was desirable in mainstream media and for much of the population, it was not a healthy one to achieve. Because of brave people who speak up about the body discrimination they have faced or the measures they have taken to avoid it, culture is beginning to shift. More than ever, we celebrate a spectrum of bodies out loud. We even experience more wins more quickly than ever regarding body diversity in the mainstream. But, of course, representation is nowhere near equal.
As mainstream media becomes slowly but increasingly tolerant, public figures are afforded the room to be honest and vulnerable in a more supportive environment than those who came before. We are frequently reminded of the beauty in our individuality, an easy thing to forget.
I often find these messages proclaimed by artists who grace the AFROPUNK stage. I heard these blunt affirmations from Lizzo at the Paris edition of the Festival, where she celebrated the mutual love and respect in the room for Black people — specifically fat, Black people. I heard them from Willow Smith who opened up on Red Table Talk about her body insecurities:
“I, in my own life, struggled. Curvier women and curvier girls have always gotten more attention from the boys that I’ve liked and have ended up dating the boys that I’ve liked. (…) Then you start to wonder, ‘Dang am I just not desirable? Is my body just not what society likes?’ So it does just get really hard for a lot of girls.” This resonated with a lot of people who felt the same way but did not think they could express this.
I received them from Ms. Jill Scott who spoke to the Huffington Post about confidence as the sexiest quality of all:
“I’ve enjoyed the company that I’ve kept, and I think I’ve learned over the years that it’s more important to be comfortable with yourself than whatever anybody else has to say. (…) It can be a challenge when you don’t look like anybody on the magazine cover. It can feel alienating, but every woman in my opinion has their own power. (…) I’ve seen women — where someone else would describe as a ‘stick figure’ – carry more grace and be more sexy in her simple elegance than a full figured, curvy girl. I’ve seen curvy girls that cower in their skin. And it’s really about accepting of one’s self. I believe whole-heartedly, it’s about how you carry yourself.”
Brave people speaking out about formerly uncomfortable topics forces us to grow and rethink the status quo. It is vital and something that does not go unnoticed.
Let’s celebrate some of AFROPUNK’s friends whose vulnerable, confidence makes us feel celebrated.
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