The Medias "Perfect" image

Okay so im pretty sure everyone here has an idea that the media and advertisements and lots of other things have this "perfect" image that they think all woman, and men for that matter, should look like. but as we all know not everyone looks the same, but everyone is beautiful.
Well there is a store in my town, that i keep driving past, and tonight i was looking in the window at a half mannequin (bottom half) and this mannequin literally had visible hip bones and was wearing shorts.
now im pretty used to seeing that mannequins in stores wear some of the smaller items of clothing sizes. smaller size pants, small tops but i have never seen one that actually had visible bones!

i was just thinking "really? thats what you want to show young (or ever older) girls? that you only look good in these shorts if you have hip bones that show" and so i had to stop and go inside. i was just looking at all the displays and mannequins and started to notice that the other full body mannequins had collar bones, and hip bones, and one sporting a bikini even had a bit of rib bone!
i was just so baffled i counldnt believe they were there, that someone actually made them, someone sold them and even worse a store actually bought them to display their clothing line!

as i was looking a lady came to talk to me, she wasnt terribly thin, to be honest i was expecting to see tiny girls working there (later found she was the owner) she was of average size, pretty. she asked if she could help me find something. i simply said no, and that i would be leaving.
she asked why, was the service bad, nothing i liked? she was very kind, i felt bad saying what i thought of her store. but i told her, that i wouldnt be buying anything from a store whos mannequins sport hip and collar bones. she asked kindly why i wouldnt do that, because surely i could fit in the same shorts her mannequin was sporting, i told her im sure that i can but why would i want to do that, to show girls that this is what you must look like. she asked whats wrong with hip and collar bones, surely i couldnt hate them because it was clear to her that mine show, and are quite prominent. i told her that was true but that doesnt mean i want every 11 year old girl to go through what i went through, or what i go through everyday, and that i would rather support a store that supports a healthy body image to young girls, and not support the look of sick run way models, or support the look of protruding bones.
thanked her for her kindness, and told her i would never be back.
«1

Replies

  • Thank you for this post. Unfortunately I feel the same way and refuse to shop in most stores lately because of it. Whatever happened to the normal mannequin with the hips?
    After year and years of bulimia, and having two babies and putting on weight that I needed to keep my children safe, it hurts me to walk into a store without my stroller because of the fear that they don't know I just had a baby three months ago, and that I'm not "usually this fat". It's sad to think most stores purchase these mannequins . To think my little cousins have to compete with not only media, but with the sizes on display scare me.
  • CaliforniaBarbie
    CaliforniaBarbie Posts: 346 Member
    It may be weird but i also feel like "plus size" mannequins, arent actually "plus size" like i feel like in some stores those are also getting smaller. why cant we just have normal mannequins like they had when i was younger? at this rate, next they are going to make the preteen mannequins look like skeletons!

    congratulations on your recovery though, big steps, ive been recovering for the last 10 months or so.
  • Toblave
    Toblave Posts: 244 Member
    They do it to both men and women :-( Try buying mens underwear that doesn't have a picture of some ripped guy on the label...no matter what size they are. Why are they putting shirtless ripped guys on mens clothing labels for men that are MANY sizes larger than the model?? I don't know what size every male mannequin seems to be but I only know a few guys that could comfortably fit in those jeans.
  • CaliforniaBarbie
    CaliforniaBarbie Posts: 346 Member
    @toblave i totally get where you're coming from. just the other day i was getting boxers for my husband and wondering why they needed a model that is all ripped and ahem well endowed down there. and its the same picture for every size.
  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
    I just wonder if you think that it really makes a difference that you are not going to shop there because if the mannequins? How would and 11 yo girl know that you disagree with how this store displays their clothes?

    Not trying to be sarcastic, I am really curious as to how you think this will make a difference.
  • jackilync
    jackilync Posts: 30 Member
    Using your voice does make a difference. You may have been the first person to ever bring that to the store owners attention. What you said will stay in her head and even if she doesn't get rid of those mannequins I guarantee you impacted her thinking somehow. The image that society and the media is sending to young men and women is incredibly dangerous. It breaks my heart that there are little girls who truly believe that they are "fat" because they have cheeks and a tummy. The other day when I was babysitting, my 8 year old cousin looked at me and asked if he could use the scale. I asked him why and he said he just wanted to see how much he weighed. I pulled out the scale and he got on. When he saw the number he got a big smile on his face and said, "YES! I lost 3 pounds since last week!" My heart just dropped. He is EIGHT, he plays basketball, baseball, and football. He's ALWAYS active. He is an average sized kid but not overweight by any stretch of the imagination. I just stared at him for a minute and then I hugged him and asked him why in the world he was trying to lose weight. He said that it hurts his feeling when adults call him chubby and he doesn't want to be chubby anymore. My first thought was that if I EVER heard an adult call him chubby I'd be giving them a piece of my mind. My second thought was that this world is SO messed up. Why are we teaching children that there is something wrong with their body? I grew up with no self-esteem and horrible body image. I was a size 10 in high school but people still called me "the fat cheerleader." In what universe is a size 10 fat? I'd do anything to have that body back but back then I hated myself because I thought I was too fat to be good enough for anyone. It's the subliminal messages we get from ads, commercials, store mannequins, CEOs of popular stores, and even our own families. I never heard my mom ask my sister if she should really eat a cookie, but I sure heard her ask me, even on days when I hadn't eaten anything else because I felt fat....The media can take their idea of "perfect" and shove it because I know some gorgeous men and women who don't have a single visible bone (I also know gorgeous people who do!)

    Also, Congratulations to both of you who have overcome eating disorders. That's really great! <3
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    ...says the poster with a photo pushing out her collarbones in her profile?

    Hypocrisy much?
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    ^^ I was about to say the same thing.
  • Blesmols
    Blesmols Posts: 35 Member
    To the guy talking about "ripped models on men's undies": oh my God, I so know what you mean! My heart hurts for guys anymore and I mean that sincerely. I watch boxing quite a bit and because of course, women don't watch boxing, the media markets heavily to guys on those shows' commercials. Workout programs with oily doods, hair color for men, hair club for men, here's some risers for your shoes to make you look taller, muscle protein beverages, and the worst, Cialis and Viagra! Every one of these commercials is downright rude and implicitly imply that without these products, women will universally pan you as an evolutionary loser. I told my other half, "Looks like the advertisers smelled blood in the water...very sorry to hear it..." It makes me cringe!
  • Toblave
    Toblave Posts: 244 Member
    LOL true about Cialis and Viagra. Actually I just had a similar conversation with a friend and she mentioned that if most women were the size of the mannequins in stores, they probably wouldn't even have their menstrual cycles. What kind of message does that send?
  • Toblave
    Toblave Posts: 244 Member
    ...says the poster with a photo pushing out her collarbones in her profile?

    Hypocrisy much?

    I don't see any exaggerated collar bones or anything else unhealthy in her profile pic.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    If we lived in neolithic times they would have large pendulous breasts, pregnant tummies, and big butts. Times have changed and now we like bones or at least the media does. It's what photographs better.
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
    I didn't see the manequins, so it's hard for me to comment on these particular ones. But I can say in general I don't think of any manequins as being 'models' of real life figures. They are simply there to hang clothes on. And to some degree, as they are needed in stores for that purpose, I'm not sure your beef was really with the poor store owner, as opposed to the manufacturer of the manequins.

    Honestly, to me your rant at this woman seemed inappropriate and probably misplaced on her, resulting in you feeling bad AND her feeling bad too.
  • eryquem
    eryquem Posts: 66 Member
    ...says the poster with a photo pushing out her collarbones in her profile?

    Hypocrisy much?

    I don't see any exaggerated collar bones or anything else unhealthy in her profile pic.

    It's not her main profile pic, it's the second photo in her profile. And then there's this from her "Why I want to get in shape" section:

    "To be honest I want to get my hip bones back, ribs to show a bit more, thigh gap back, and a 22inch waist."

    I don't want to cast insults at the OP, but honestly, I'm a bit confused as to why someone would have any problems with a mannequin that falls in line with her ideal of what she wants to look like. There's a couple of little hints in what she's said that she's dealt with (or is perhaps still dealing with) an ED, so maybe where she's coming from is a bit more complicated.
  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
    I have to agree the rant seems over the top to me. I don't know of any young girls that really think they should look like the mannequin. The OPs rant at the store owner seemed more about her own insecurities then really caring what the mannequin looked like.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    ...says the poster with a photo pushing out her collarbones in her profile?

    Hypocrisy much?

    I don't see any exaggerated collar bones or anything else unhealthy in her profile pic.

    It's not her main profile pic, it's the second photo in her profile. And then there's this from her "Why I want to get in shape" section:

    "To be honest I want to get my hip bones back, ribs to show a bit more, thigh gap back, and a 22inch waist."

    I don't want to cast insults at the OP, but honestly, I'm a bit confused as to why someone would have any problems with a mannequin that falls in line with her ideal of what she wants to look like. There's a couple of little hints in what she's said that she's dealt with (or is perhaps still dealing with) an ED, so maybe where she's coming from is a bit more complicated.


    The 2nd pic in her profile is a profile pic of her talking on her phone. The 3rd one (which is probably the one you're talking about) is one where she seems to be holding the camera out in order to take a picture. I see no pictures there where she's "pushing out her collarbones."



    As far as the "why" section? I got nothing.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I didn't see the manequins, so it's hard for me to comment on these particular ones. But I can say in general I don't think of any manequins as being 'models' of real life figures. They are simply there to hang clothes on. And to some degree, as they are needed in stores for that purpose, I'm not sure your beef was really with the poor store owner, as opposed to the manufacturer of the manequins.

    Honestly, to me your rant at this woman seemed inappropriate and probably misplaced on her, resulting in you feeling bad AND her feeling bad too.

    I agree. It reminds me of when I was a kid and everyone told us playing with Barbie would give us a unrealistic body expectations because Barbie is so out of proportion.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    I didn't see the manequins, so it's hard for me to comment on these particular ones. But I can say in general I don't think of any manequins as being 'models' of real life figures. They are simply there to hang clothes on. And to some degree, as they are needed in stores for that purpose, I'm not sure your beef was really with the poor store owner, as opposed to the manufacturer of the manequins.

    Honestly, to me your rant at this woman seemed inappropriate and probably misplaced on her, resulting in you feeling bad AND her feeling bad too.

    I agree. It reminds me of when I was a kid and everyone told us playing with Barbie would give us a unrealistic body expectations because Barbie is so out of proportion.
    lol. Finally.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Huh? Protruding collarbones is evil? Funny, when I was 70 pounds overweight my collarbones were still visible. The only unrealistic expectation here is the OP thinking her ridiculous rant was justified.
  • niknokd
    niknokd Posts: 127 Member
    But your profile says you want your hip bones and ribs back...?
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    I'm far from skin and bones and bones right now and I have visible collarbones and I could see some ribs when I stand up really straight. I'd think this is the case for most normal weight people.
  • It may be weird but i also feel like "plus size" mannequins, arent actually "plus size" like i feel like in some stores those are also getting smaller. why cant we just have normal mannequins like they had when i was younger? at this rate, next they are going to make the preteen mannequins look like skeletons!

    congratulations on your recovery though, big steps, ive been recovering for the last 10 months or so.

    I used to work in a plus size store - size 18 - 32. The mannequins? Size 14.

    And I think it's good the OP spoke out. The woman she spoke to represented that store, why not speak to her? Why blame "the media" or "fashion" or some other abstract entity for portraying beautiful, stylish, or fashionable women as being very thin? If it remains abstract, there's no real human being to voice our concerns to.

    And for the record: I think thin women are beautiful, so are plus size, so are average size. Beauty is more about one's height, weight, and waist measurements.
  • Jackson4590
    Jackson4590 Posts: 145 Member
    Maybe I think more positive but when I see ripped guys in underwear commercials I want to work harder to be like them.

    Also, When I was 30 lbs overweight my collarbones stuck out. Collarbones =/= underweight.
  • CantStopWontStop92
    CantStopWontStop92 Posts: 165 Member
    Maybe I think more positive but when I see ripped guys in underwear commercials I want to work harder to be like them.

    Also, When I was 30 lbs overweight my collarbones stuck out. Collarbones =/= underweight.

    Thank you sir. I understand the point, but why villify hip bones and collarbones? I've been trying to gain weight for forever but still have very noticeable ribs, hips, and collarbone. If anything, it's a pain. When I do photoshoots, I find myself asking photographers to soften those bones in post-work, not to amplify them. Live and let live gol darn it.
  • CoffeeNBooze
    CoffeeNBooze Posts: 966 Member
    I didn't see the manequins, so it's hard for me to comment on these particular ones. But I can say in general I don't think of any manequins as being 'models' of real life figures. They are simply there to hang clothes on. And to some degree, as they are needed in stores for that purpose, I'm not sure your beef was really with the poor store owner, as opposed to the manufacturer of the manequins.

    Honestly, to me your rant at this woman seemed inappropriate and probably misplaced on her, resulting in you feeling bad AND her feeling bad too.

    I agree. It reminds me of when I was a kid and everyone told us playing with Barbie would give us a unrealistic body expectations because Barbie is so out of proportion.
    lol. Finally.


    agree with all of this. I treated barbie like what she is .... a doll... not an aspiration.
    Also genetics just happened to give me protruding hip bones and collar bones so...am I just a walking bad image for 11 year old girls? I think you'd better deal with your own insecurities than worry about a mannequin
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    I have very visible hip bones, collar bones and ribs. I am not underweight or anorexic. I don't look one bit sickly or starving, thank you very much. Even when I was 17-18lbs heavier, you could still see them. Good thing, because I like them and think it's sexy as hell.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    YAWN....beating a dead horse with this but here it goes.............


    WHO CARES ABOUT THE MEDIA????? IF you do, then you need to stop. Your mind is your greatest challenge. Stop trying to be someone else. You are who YOU ARE. And you are either healthy or not. If not, and you want to be, then get your butt moving...


    Please resume your regularly scheduled day. minus what the world thinks about your looks. 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the population couldn't care. And RARE is it that you are remembered for your looks.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    Whoa, people, I wasn't saying that I think there's anything wrong with visible bones. I'm 5'4" and 117 lbs, I have them too and I like them. I was just saying that it seems a little hypocritical for the OP to complain about them on a mannequin considering the picture of her collarbones (and the line about the hip bones, etc.)
  • eryquem
    eryquem Posts: 66 Member

    The 2nd pic in her profile is a profile pic of her talking on her phone. The 3rd one (which is probably the one you're talking about) is one where she seems to be holding the camera out in order to take a picture. I see no pictures there where she's "pushing out her collarbones."



    As far as the "why" section? I got nothing.

    The OP has removed the picture in question.
  • Blesmols
    Blesmols Posts: 35 Member
    @toblave: I didn't either, really. However, I have a lot more to do than go through people's posts and profile pics to dig out any kind of issue they may or may not have. No offense intended to others who enjoy that kind of thing. ;) My right collarbone protrudes because it was broken about two lifetimes ago. Big knobby thing. LOL