"The Perfect Girl" -- in 1912

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  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    The weight gain stuff is still marketing to men as muscle building powders, etc. I guess to some extent to women athletes, too. I remember seeing the "98 pound weakling" ads in the back of comic books, I'm pretty sure into the 80s, advertising the Charles Atlas method of gaining weight for boys. http://www.flickr.com/photos/paxtonholley/4531752344/

    Regarding the first article, when I weighed about 171, I looked pretty good and felt great. Now I would love to get there again!

    Some of the earlier discussion about "toothpicks" AND saying the subject of the article is undesirable seemed meanspirited: Some women have a straight figure, some women have hips. I have big 'ol hips, but I cringe when I hear other body types put down. Some women are naturally thin, and maybe don't feel great about how they look, either. Some of us see them and think they have it easier than those of us who struggle to get down to a healthy weight, but there are negative messages about small breasts, just as there are about big hips. We all get bombarded with "you're not good enough" messages, no matter how we look. We are all in this together, let's try to be accepting of each other's individual unique beauty.

    Mmmhhhmmm, agree. We can love our body, without needing to put others down. If a person needs to insult others in order to "love" their body, that is not real self-love. Real self love would mean the ability to love ourselves without needing to insult others. It worries me about young girls getting into abusive relationships because they think they are just lucky to have a man, since no other man would ever want them and they are a worthless object (toothpick to pick chicken out of someone's teeth).

    I think women are beautiful and admire many body types as well as confidence and brains.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Same as Taunto, and I hadn't even seen his post.
    Why oh why the need to determine if someone is desirable with three numbers? Makes no sense.

    Yes, it is very odd the way women are constantly defining themselves by as many different number sets as possible and comparing our shapes to fruits and objects. It's bizarre.
  • kritterxx
    kritterxx Posts: 100 Member
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    haha how interesting, and refreshing to read!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I wish they had a picture of her. With those measurements (35-30-40) it doesn't sound all too desirable.

    Thanks so much for that.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I wish they had a picture of her. With those measurements (35-30-40) it doesn't sound all too desirable.


    Those measurements sound pretty good. I'm 34-29-40 and I think I look damn good!

    Same here at 5'8....Not sure what your idea of desirable would be.... a stick with 25/25/25? That's called a toothpick, not a woman....

    Exactly! I'm 5'8 as well and those measurements are pretty proportionate! ^^^toothpicks are not desirable unless you are looking to be a high fashion runway model.

    Why are you defending one body type by insulting another? Body shaming is body shaming.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    *sigh*. So we have already had someone with very 'normal' measurements insulted and more slender 'less curvy' women insulted - and that's on the first page.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    *sigh*. So we have already had someone with very 'normal' measurements insulted and more slender 'less curvy' women insulted - and that's on the first page.

    Right! That took a turn for the worst very quickly. I didn't expect that. Guess my expectations are too high.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
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    *sigh*. So we have already had someone with very 'normal' measurements insulted and more slender 'less curvy' women insulted - and that's on the first page.

    Sad. I guess it's bound to happen when someone's idea of 'perfect' is challenged.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    It's a lovely article. She was chosen as the perfect woman because she was the best athlete on campus. Her measurements were not what determined that status. I'm impressed that she maintained those measurements, and her sporting prowess, eating only 3 meals every 2 days and skipping breakfast. If I did that I'd be shrinking at an alarming rate!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Getting back to the article, rather than focusing on her measurements, I find it refreshing that a very strong and independent woman was being admired but also would love to know what her diet consisted of. She seems to have been following some version of IF, although the concept was not formalized or named then. The following quote is rather amusing "taller than Venus de Milo," standing five feet seven inches tall". I think the average height of a woman back then was a little over 5 foot but now it is 5' 5".
  • sweetchildomine
    sweetchildomine Posts: 872 Member
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    Oh god. I was actually interested in this article but now I'm irritated because of some of the comments people have made. Seriously, I'm getting so tired of constantly seeing this fat girl vs. skinny girl argument on here. No one is better or more woman than anyone else because of their body type. End of story!
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    enjoy the article - rejoice that such an article could exist in 1912 - and ignore the party poopers.
  • JKS76
    JKS76 Posts: 54 Member
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    bleeeeeee. Nice article.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I don't have problems like this because:


    a. I have nothing to be vain about
    b. I don't live in a world obsessed with media

    I am happy in my own little world and the environs on which I bring any influence to bear and have influence born on me. I just like mending things and just get on with it.


    and I happily ignore those who tell me it is wrong to ignore their prejudices and judgements.
  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
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    Got to say I'm a little disappointed with some of the comments on here. It's downright rude to call thin women toothpicks. Just as it would be to call a more curvaceous woman a balloon or something.

    I usually find MFP to be a really accepting, body positive place. Please let's not let that change
  • JKS76
    JKS76 Posts: 54 Member
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    I don't have problems like this because:


    a. I have nothing to be vain about
    b. I don't live in a world obsessed with media

    I am happy in my own little world and the environs on which I bring any influence to bear and have influence born on me. I just like mending things and just get on with it.


    and I happily ignore those who tell me it is wrong to ignore their prejudices and judgements.

    Good for you. My husband has similar qualities and is both inspiring and a restful person to be around because of it. From the sound of it, I bet you are too. PS. I realised I was generalising but I was trying (not very successfully!) to keep my word count down. My intention was a positive one on those previous posters that feel fed up with this kind of thing.
    xx
  • chm2616
    chm2616 Posts: 434 Member
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    This is great! Thank you so much for sharing! :smile:
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    I don't know what her BF% was, but 5'7" and 171lb would put her at a BMI of 26.8 which is overweight. I don't know why everyone is jumping on me about this. 26.8 is overweight.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    OP, you see what you started.
    Go to your room!!!

    LMAO!

    I don't think the OP should be blamed. OP started a nice thread. Its the other women who started bashing on ... other women?

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