. Each time you see a woman jogging on a beach, there are two consistent realities: She is always in slow motion, and she is invariably slim. The former is hilarious, while the latter is more harmful. Presenting any body as the
The "bikini body" in particular is an oppressive concept that seeks to squeeze women into a specific mold. And more people than ever are speaking out about it, both seriously and with humor:
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Of course, knowing your enemy — particularly when it's an idea — is important preparation before battle. Here's how the concept got started.
The concept of the bikini body is simple: In order to wear a bikini, and have it be deemed socially acceptable, you should have a specific type of figure. This includes but is not limited to: a thin waist, round butt, full-but-not-too-large breasts, and long legs. There should be no cellulite, no body hair, no stretch marks, no blemishes. You should be slender but not "too" muscular. In short, you should have the body of a heavily Photoshopped celebrity that fits the profoundly narrow definition of beauty in Western society.
According to The Cut, the term "bikini body" was initially popularized as a result of a weight loss chain's ad campaign in 1961. The name of the company was Slenderella. "Summer's wonderful fun is for those who look young, " one ad read. "High firm bust — hand span waist — trim, firm hips — slender graceful legs — a Bikini body!" The message was loud and clear: Want to look good in a bathing suit? You have to look like this. You cannot
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And you know those weird videos of women in the '50s and '60s lying on vibrating tables that supposedly "shook off" fat? That was what Slenderella specialized in. While it wasn't exactly an effective workout, it did usher in a phrase that would be used to aggressively shame women's bodies for years to come. (Revolutionary!)
This theme has continued throughout the last six decades, both in advertising and in entertainment. Most of the most iconic scenes in recent-ish films featuring women in swimsuits reflect this — just look at literally any Bond girl ever. Onscreen and off, the term "bikini body" has become synonymous with tall and lean. A quick Google search of the term shows exactly what it's associated with:
Again, the images almost exclusively depict thin, able-bodied white women in their twenties and thirties with medium-sized breasts, narrow waists, zero cellulite, hairless skin and toned stomachs. The framework for having your body considered bikini-worthy is clearly narrow.
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And no matter what your weight is, there's always a label somebody wants to slap on it: pear-shaped, skinny, hourglass, top-heavy, fat, whatever. You're "supposed" to dress according to your body shape, as though humans neatly, naturally fit into these categories. When I go to the beach, this is often (depressingly) in the forefront of my mind, as I myself do not possess a figure that lands within these guidelines: I stand 5 foot 7 inches, weigh about 170 pounds, identify as non-binary and don't shave. I often feel self-conscious in the clothes that I wear — and I'm nowhere
Twenty million women and 10 million men suffer from a "clinically significant eating disorder" during their lives. The median age of eating disorder onset is approximately 12 to 13 years old. Forty-two percent of girls in first, second and third grade say they want to be thinner. The fact that many folks, particularly young women and girls, have negative feelings toward their bodies is nothing new.
On a personal level, I understand how damaging being bombarded with images of specific body types can be. For more than half my life, I battled an eating disorder that primarily manifested itself in binging and purging cycles. It should go without saying that eating disorders are not always the direct result of poor body image — many folks cope with trauma by controlling their food intake, for example, while others develop eating issues in response to familial relationships, such as a parent who's constantly nagging their child to lose weight or to eat less. It is not so simple as seeing a tabloid making fun of, say, Kelly Clarkson for gaining weight — and poof! Suddenly you've got an eating disorder.
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Still, the messages telling you over and over and over that your body is inadequate, unsightly, disconcerting and unacceptable are grating — and borderline impossible to avoid. "As a psychologist, I'm concerned with kids growing up with imagery that is distorted, " says Vivian Diller, Ph.D., a New York-based psychologist who specializes in body image. "If there's only one standard, then of course it influences how people see themselves." And it's very difficult to not internalize those messages, particularly if you are already susceptible to body image issues.
In the past few years, people — particularly women — have been pushing back against this impossible-to-meet standard. Models, bloggers and prominent celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence and Mo'Nique have outspokenly rejected the traditional notion that their bodies need to match one specific appearance, lest they resign themselves to a life of floor-length dresses and knee-length swimsuits. Model Tess Holiday, for example, runs the popular Eff Your Beauty Standards page, posting photos of gorgeous folks of all sizes rocking crop tops, bikinis, short skirts and more. You name it, they've worn it, and worn it beautifully.
Another loud and proud promoter of body positivity is YouTube star Meghan Tonjes, whose #BootyRevolution campaign invites people to share their figures as she celebrates her own — and refuses to let anyone make her feel like her body is somehow not acceptable or worthy of being seen.
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"At the end of my life, I don't want to be thinking about all the things I didn't do out of fear, " Tonjes tells . "There's no weight or size where insecurities or fears magically go away. Be kind to your body and start working toward believing you have as much right as anyone else to feel good in whatever you want to wear."
Happy summer! Just a casual reminder that critiquing anyone for not looking the way you think bodies should look is still not okay. So dont!— Sam H. Escobar (@myhairisblue) May 26, 2016
On top of the outright rejection of the notion of a bikini body, there's been a reclamation of it too. Countless sites and social media users have posted versions of the
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Then there are those who instead opt to make hilarious jokes about the mere concept of the bikini body. After all, one of the most effective ways to point out the ludicrous nature of body standards is through humor. On top of the aforementioned tweets, here are a few of my favorites of 2016 thus far:
I'm gonna be in LA in under two weeks. I've got my beach body** ready. **in n out body— K Alexander (@realisticsay) June 10, 2016
Wife back online? Kids asleep? Time to relax with a glossy magazine to find out why your body will NEVER be beach-ready. 'Me time'.— manwhohasitall (@manwhohasitall) June 10, 2016
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Still, as much as we may poke fun at the bikini body, it doesn't change the fact that it is still extremely prominent in our culture. The idea that one type of body is inherently superior to another, particularly pertaining to swimwear, seems to be as big as ever.
For all the success users on Instagram and other social media platforms have had in battling the narrow negativity of the bikini body myth, it's also produced an entirely new kind of idealization. Instead of simply seeing celebrities on television, people are flooded with images of seemingly everyday women documenting weight loss and fitness routines on social media. Instagram accounts and programs like the Bikini Body Challenge, Kayla Itsines's Bikini Body Guide and Jen Selter's #JenSelterChallenge all have thousands, if not millions of followers who see these women's results and buy into them, expecting to achieve the same outcome through marketed diets and exercises.
Gwyneth Paltrow respectively. Then there's Jen Selter, who has 9.3 million followers, giving her more Instagram fans than Sarah Jessica Parker, Kerry Washington and Kristen Bell
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There is nothing wrong with snapping a progress photo if you are trying to hold yourself accountable for eating healthier and exercising more. But there's a special kind of pressure that comes from partaking in these "challenges, " where the "before-and-after" collages seem to equate fitness with weight loss rather than health, despite the two being very different things.
I quickly learned that her brand seemed less focused on the physical challenge the hashtag #deathbykayla had suggested, and more on aesthetic results. Her marketing strategy relies on snapshots of her own sculpted abs along with transformation photos of the young women who've used her program. Before and after pictures that make you think: If strangers on the internet can achieve this ideal, so
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