The blogs are a-buzzin' about the January cover of Marie Claire, featuring a very pregnant (and very orange, we might add) Christina Aguilera baring her belly and some boobage.Kelly Mills at Strollerderby writes, "Lord knows I have no problems with nudity (in fact I'm on the pro side of it) and sure, pregnant women can be sex symbols. Be my guest. But I'm starting to get irritated with the phenomenon because of course the burgeoning stars are given the same treatment as everyone in magazines, meaning they are airbrushed and shrunk down and reshaped into this bizarre aesthetic."
The Jezebel gals think Christina looks "vaguely demented in the face." They also point to Maxim's latest "9 Hottest Pregnant Women, Ever" slideshow. Can you guess which models and actresses are on that list? Hmmm, Angelina? Check. Halle Berry? Check. Brooke Burke? Hell to the yeah. You get the idea.
Back in Skinny Jeans is on the fence: "I'm a Christina fan. I love her talent, flair, and panache but honestly, I don't know what to think about this cover and layout... I'm all for the idea of promoting the image that during pregnancy women can still be sexy and fashionable. But, do you have to pose half naked in leather on a magazine cover to communicate that message? I don't think so."
And Meredith at the Baby Bump Project puts it simply, "I will say that the public (and sexy) pregnancy has been well and truly cemented in popular culture and I definitely think the exposure of pregnant bodies is here to stay."
In the world of women's magazines, what you see is not what you get. Real-life blemishes and wrinkles are nowhere to be found, so you can certainly forget about spotting stretch marks. Mainstream media now seem particularly obsessed with serving up these fantasies of flawless, glowing pregnancies and miraculous baby weight loss success stories. Meanwhile, pregnant women and new moms are feeling more and more pressure to look perfect, and younger women are already wondering how they'll be able to endure the body pressures that go hand-in-hand with becoming a mom. Coincidence? We think not. What do you think?
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1 comment:
Reading the Strollerderby article I came across a link to www.theshapeofamother.com
I don't know if people have already heard about this, but its a wonderful place to see what real postpartum women look like. There is a feeling that bodies of mothers should be celebrated, and the site is really worth checking out!
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