Each year, women nearly everywhere put their lives on hold to huddle around the TV in their velour jumpsuits with cocktails in hand to watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
The colorful costumes, the live performances, the glitter, the makeup, the hair and the beautiful, thin models prancing around in their underwear are all part of what makes this particular fashion show one worth watching and obsessing over for weeks in advance.
But as each show comes to an end, the same thing happens. Twitter and Facebook blow up with posts such as, “VS Fashion Show is over, who wants to go to the gym? #fatgirlproblemz.”
While most of these Twitter users think it’s funny to post statuses like these, some girls actually struggle with the problem of obsessing over wanting to be thin and beautiful.
And this fashion show is not the solution to their problems.
How I look at it is, will I ever be that tall, thin and busty? Well, probably not. But am I still beautiful? Absolutely. And so is every other girl that either watches or is a part of the fashion show.
We’ve all heard the “You’re beautiful just the way you are” speeches, and I know most of us ignore them. In reality, those speeches are 100 percent true, and it’s time to pay attention.
Guys who watch the show will likely gawk at each model as she makes her way down the runway, and that’s OK. They probably have a one in a million shot to date a girl that looks like a Victoria’s Secret Angel, so ladies, don’t be bothered by their degrading commentary.
Plus, if there was a fashion show for men’s underwear, we would all gaze at Ryan Gosling look-alikes up there doing their thing. Let’s be real, how many ordinary guys look like that heartthrob? The answer is slim to none. If we don’t expect ordinary guys to look like that, then guys probably don’t expect ordinary girls to look perfect in every way.
The media will continue to portray the ideal female body as a slender, done-up human being, and there is no way to escape it. It’s up to us as individual, powerful females to look in the mirror and know we’re all beautiful.
I know I’ll probably be shoving ice cream and cookies in my face while I’m watching the fashion show because I have embraced the fact that I am not a supermodel and never will be. And although I shouldn’t be encouraging you to swallow 50 pounds of sugar while tuning in, I will encourage you not to starve yourself or go to the gym for six hours after the show.
You’re all Victoria’s Secret Angels to somebody out there, you’re all beautiful no matter what size or shape you are and you’re all perfect enough to be Ryan Gosling’s arm candy.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is scheduled to air 10 p.m. Tuesday on CBS.
