August
20
Tags
Designing the Doll: bikini, figure and body-building
The real living dolls.
Not so long ago, female bodybuilding and competing was the preserve of a minority. Then the Bikini category was added, and aided by the explosion of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, blogs.. previous elitist language such as ‘eating clean’, ‘carb depletion’ have become social media favourites. It seems every other bikini-clad twenty-something on Facebook and Twitter will speak of protein shakes, clean-eating, getting ripped and its spiritually uplifting effects. Partnered with pseudo-psychology (you know I love it) and motivational quotes, women are told they must push harder, the non-believers are jealous haters, and you must never be happy with the body you are given.
A size 8 body is not good enough. The body must show signs of work, of being trained. There are no excuses! The natural size 8 body is guilty of having ‘skinny fat’. The female body in its natural state is not good enough. It is ‘soft’, it lacks ‘definition’. The process must be never-ending, and the gruelling schedule must be on display. Tweets of every meal; Instagrams of the obligatory six pack (limited body fat read as synonomous for ‘healthy’). Facebook snaps of your daily hoard of supplements. To quote Iggy Azalea : This is work.
A size 14 woman who runs 10 miles a day is not wanted here. The size 16 power-lifting woman is ignored. The woman must look like a creation. A beauty parade of hair extensions, fake tans, eyelash extensions, mandatory breast augmentation (the ‘stuck on’ look is celebrated) botox, fillers. Man-made women are in. But this is healthy. They are role models.
There is no mention of how view of these models/ competitors have regular periods. About how many have eating disorders or mental health problems exacerbated by the ‘discipline’. About how many use drugs. About the insomnia from taking extreme caffeine boosts and supplements to curb hunger and fuel training. It is skimmed over when a top pro admits that of course the industry isn’t healthy.
The surveillance gaze is positioned everywhere. The Dollopticon. Monitoring themselves, their peers, and those lazy peasants who dare to be seen in a less than perfect light, or shock horror, in a fast food shop. ‘Fat’ women, (Kelly Brook is far too ‘soft’ apparently) are a particular source of disgust and mockery. Pictures posted of unsuspecting passers-by, so their bodies can be dissected and used for fuel for the cause. Look how revolting this body is! This is why we must embrace the dollopticon. Fat bodies that dare to spill out onto the streets. Spill out of their clothes, uncontainable, out-of-control. Daring to flash their cellulite, having the audacity to wear a bikini without eating their egg whites.
“Through public statements, we want to distance ourselves from this uncomfortable proximity. In uttering the phrase, we call upon others to witness our pulling away” (Probyn, 2000, p.131 cited in Ahmed, 2004, p. 95).
The discipline creates the doll. There should be not an ounce of fat, not a wrinkle, not a sign of ageing. This is health. To fail in prescribing to the doctrine is laziness and letting yourself ‘go’. Daily photos will ensure the dolls do not wane. Worth is bound up in the creation. Heaven forbid the doll who has a few days off diet post competition, and squeals how soft she is. The doll must be hard. This body is constantly is motion, the doll status is fluid, and that fuels the anxiety of maintaining it.
For those who support the ‘Lose the Lads’ Mags’ campaign, check out the bodybuilding magazines. I think these images are far more misogynistic and dangerous. The women are total creations. The language used in various columns of the well-known mags, and on social networking sites, portray the deep hatred of women. Anyone who resembles a natural woman is vilified. Soft flesh, regardless of the petite statue, is disgusting. A woman should have her body and diet under constant surveillance. Meals every 2-3 hours, 6 litres of water a day, endless supplements and daily photo updates act as the new iron maiden. Naomi Wolf’s Beauty Myth couldn’t have imagined the saturating effect that this doll ideal would have in 2013 via social media.
The woman who doesn’t wish to adhere to these norms is misguided, lacking determination, jealous. The woman who flaunts her natural flesh is revolting and dangerous. All hail the Dollopticon.
This post here writes eloquently and thoughtfully on the issue and has had 160,000 views so far! Please do check it out.
And ‘Wag sparks outrage with post baby body’.
plasticdollheads 
Great post, glad I found your blog from Reembody comments.
Thank you, am glad you enjoyed it. Only a short post, Reembody’s is a lot more in depth.
Reblogged this on Sly Fawkes and commented:
As a fat, middle-aged woman who struggled with bulimia for many years and the never ending cycle of yo-yo dieting for many more, I am grateful for this post. I have chronic pain issues and I cannot train obsessively the way I did when I was in my twenties. I would often be at the gym for five hours at a time, neglecting my family, all in pursuit of the “perfect body.” I never achieved it.
Now I don’t get on scales. I work out in the pool because it works with my body as it is rather than causing worse damage to an already compromised spine.
When people say that they want others to lose weight “for their health,” it’s bullshit. Rather, they want everyone to look like a glossy magazine image.
Hi, thank you so much for your comment and for reading my blog. I agree with you. It’s about a billion dollar industry in the US, and a multi-million industry in the UK.
I too have chronic pain and suffer from M.E amongst other problems, so light walking is all I can do at present. I love swimming, but it sets my vertigo off and makes my pains worse. I have been advised by a specialist to try yoga also. I find the industry incredibly abelist. I was told by one self-proclaimed ‘expert’ (i.e. someone who has done a 3 days personal training certificate) that if I did more cardio and ate clean I’d be ‘cured’. Dangerous and stupid advice.
This industry isn’t about health, the top pros admit it isn’t healthy what they are doing, it’s about a certain look. You don’t get the size 14 runner or the size 16 power lifting woman in the magazines or advertising products. The super-low body fat being heralded as ‘healthy’ is dangerous, and fitspo has taken the place of thinspo.
I personally know women who compete who has merely replaced one eating disorder (bulimia in one case, anorexia/bulimia in another) with compulsive exercise and orthorexia. Women who stand on stage with several weaves because their hair is falling out in patches, who rarely have periods. Who hate themselves if they have a day off, who won’t eat Christmas dinner with their family. They literally believe food that isn’t ‘clean’ is terrible.
I hope you stay as well as can be, and definitely stay off the scales, me too 🙂 x
My point is that this is simply the new way of governing women’s bodies, it is unattainable ideal for most. Fitspo is the new thinspo. The disgust aimed at even slim women who don’t train and ‘look’ the eight way is evident is you look at twitter/ facebook/ blogs/ forums. It is not about healthy, it is about looking a certain way (which is actually more than not, quite unhealthy). It’s about talking daily selfies and documenting your food intake for the world to see. It’s about the ‘natural’ body, no matter how fit or healthy you are, not being enough. It’s about people feeling bad about themselves so they spend $$$£££. My fitness ‘idol’ doesn’t look super fit, but she is.
Pingback: Pretty Hurts | plasticdollheads
This design is spectacular! You most certainly know how to
keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos,
I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Wonderful job.
I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that,
how you presented it. Too cool!
First of all I would like to say fantastic blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to
ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how
you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing.
I’ve had difficulty clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out there.
I truly do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost just trying to
figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints?
Many thanks!
Hi, thanks for reading and commenting. I just rant! I find something that makes me angry/passionate and just let loose really. This clears my mind for my actual work. Hope this helps? Don’t force it, just write when you feel in the mood/zone.
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that
it is really informative. I am going to watch out for brussels.
I’ll appreciate if you continue this in future. Many people will
be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Pingback: The unbearable weight | plasticdollheads
Pingback: Female Sexuality | plasticdollheads
Pingback: New Year Resolution | littlestargemdotnet