Over the past decade or so, we as a society have collectively gotten used to the archetypal New Age magazine cover — highly edited (thanks to technological advances like Photoshop), scarcely any clothes, glamorous makeup (that would most definitely take longer than 10 “quick and easy” minutes, contrary to the claims of the beauty tips), overly toned bodies, brightened white teeth, etc. Usually, these physical characteristics catch the reader’s eye because they have are subconsciously linked to beauty, sexuality and all of the shallow physical attributes our society places value on.
But what happens when a magazine uses these attributes not as a selling point, but rather, as a tool: a tool to fight the idea that “everyone” is eating less and doing more cardio than the reader, and that they should hop on the bandwagon? Or perhaps deconstructing the idea that a “perfect body” is the same, or even a possibility, for every single human’s standards, and that you are somehow less attractive, intelligent or worthy if you’re not constantly in pursuit of this? Earlier this week, Vanity Fair used untouched, raw nudity in a photo shoot not, as most magazines do, to exploit their subject and send their readers into a downward spiral of negative thoughts about body image, but rather to demonstrate the determination and acceptance involved in overcoming an eating disorder and throwing the middle finger back at the ever-elusive media hierarchy that helped develop this illness in the first place.
Demi Lovato has been in the eye of the public from a young age, starring in Disney Channel films and shows, advertising for multiple products and making her way to the spotlight as a talented singer. With all of her comical antics and focus on her music, it came as quite a surprise, at least to me, when she revealed she had checked in to a rehabilitation center in Illinois for an eating disorder.
Growing up in the dance world, and being surrounded by ballet dancers for most of my teenage life, I’ve seen my fair share of eating disorders. I’ve seen my friends become closed off, anxious and obsessive. I’ve seen other friends worried about those who refused to eat, knowing that not only does it affect their dancing career but the rest of their lives. No matter how far they’ve come, whether they’ve beaten it or not, every day remains an internal battle of acceptance of themselves. Therefore, I can only imagine how difficult this shoot was for Demi — not only being comfortable enough with herself to have accepted her body for the strong, biological machine that it is, but to spread the “unrevised” message that nobody has to change themselves for what they think is a physical paradigm for today’s society.
What we are fed as consumers is the idea that these 5-foot-11, 115-pound models run the world, and that if you weren’t born with legs that account for half of your height and the musculoskeletal ability to potentially achieve a thigh gap, you are somehow less qualified to succeed at life, romantically or professionally. Or that if as a male, you don’t have sculpted abs, a muscular upper body or a man bun, you have no chance at obtaining a significant other or high paying position. As we have seen through the years, this concept is false. Your accomplishments come from merit, confidence and security in yourself, not in society’s idea of what you “should” be. Not all nudity is sexual, and Demi Lovato took a brave leap for herself and for the general public by posing for these photos, focusing on raw beauty — both within and without.