It's really annoying to me when I click on a news story, only to be bombarded on the right hand side of my screen with image after image of beach body this, teeny bikini that, and look who just tweeted a picture of herself in her underwear!
Quite frankly, I feel the digital age has done terrible, terrible things for people who, in another era, would have been able to pretend they were full of depth, substance, and dignity. It is also not so fun for those of us who like to be informed about current events and prefer not to know whether or not Celebrity X or Politician Y is full of depth, substance, and/or dignity.
I also wish someone they trusted would sit down with them and have that important conversation about how posting mostly naked pictures of themselves on the internet may get them the attention they so desperately crave, but it also tells anyone and everyone that they so desperately crave attention, which is very telling in itself. See: #notsoattractive
Quite frankly, I don't know how famous people even go to the beach. It seems like in order to make it into the WORST column, all that is required is for someone to have a grudge against you. With phonishoppe, camera angles, and simply what you're doing at the time (it's amazing what sneezing at the inopportune time during a photo-op can do for your perception of your physical appearance) it's all a matter of whether or not the person writing the article even likes you-- or thinks that posting an awful picture of you will sell magazines.
The question is-- why DOES it sell magazines?
Because the normal folks (and the non-Pretty People) like to know that even with a personal trainer, personal chef, stylists galore, and gobs of money and free time, even the shining stars can exhibit a frog throat now and again that humanizes them into something inferior-- something like us.
Frankly, that's silly.
I recently read a book that was a compilation of essays written by women who have battled and/or are currently battling anorexia. One of the essays was from a gal who was in Hollywood, and chose to remain anonymous. She stated that her career originated in front of the camera, but she has since transitioned to behind the camera doing editing work and production, which she said has been paramount in her recovery. She described how interesting she thought it was when it was tabloid news that some celebrity has an eating disorder-- "They all do," she said. "It isn't news out here." That's what is so interesting to me-- and sad to me, really. As someone who has battled the ED demons, and worked with individuals who are experiencing an eating disorder, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is ZERO happiness in the throes of that mental illness. So these people that we place on pedestals, wishing for the glamour and limos and premieres and parties and fancy clothes, fantasizing about what it would be like to be one of them-- chances are, they are in a place where they can't even enjoy it. They are in a place where nothing feels good enough, nothing fills the void, and they are so desperate for the validation that comes from their success to fill that void, and it doesn't come-- fortunately, they can just tweet a half (or 3/4) naked picture of themselves and get a quick fix. But it isn't lasting.
It's important to take care of our bodies. Feed them properly, exercise them, and make them the healthiest they can be. But that doesn't mean fitting into the same dress Rihanna wore at the Grammy's. It means being the best you there is. Let's shift to making that the goal rather than some arbitrary number that 90% of population only reaches through damaging themselves.
And for the love of Pete... Refrain from camera phone self portraits. You're sending a lot more than just an image.
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