The "Today Show" featured a story today on Big Busted mannequins that are being put into the store windows of many department stores.

The Mannequins' measurements are 5'10", 40"-23"-32.5", which is not very realistic and will lead to more children demanding breast augmentation, more women feeling inferior until they get breast surgery and another round of medical problems for US women.

Only the doctors who perform breast enlargement surgery, the clothes manufacturers and men who see women only as sexual toys will benefit from this assault on the female body.

These mannequins are just large Barbie dolls. I wonder how they get them to stand up what with being so top heavy.

The thing is, everbody always goes nuts over this issue - and over fashion magazines and models and the like, but with society as a whole, people dont respond to "real woman" advertising. People respond better to beautiful models.

So its not totally the responsibility of advertisers to just stop using unrealistic role models and hey presto! the entire problem is solved. Its not that simple. People throughout society as a whole have to be deprogrammed to stop responding to physical beauty the way they do. If they used someone ugly or morbidly obese to advertise clothing for 15 year old girls, it doesnt take a genius to see that that wouldnt work.

Its trying to fight a culture that's always existed - physical perfection has always been prized and it doesnt make a difference if it involves being thin or not, the situation is always going to exist that most people dont measure up to whatever physical ideal is the fashion of the times.

Ah but remember that once upon a time a buxom full figured woman was considered the ideal beauty. Rubinesck(spelling?) was the in thing. So the ideal unfortunately changes over time. And I think the advertising agencies do feed into that.

Yeah, but back then all the skinny women (there wasnt a severe obesity epidemic!) would have not fit the beauty ideal, translate that to modern times and if rubinesque were the ideal now, then you'd still have a whole stack of people who had issues becuase they werent beautiful.

And once upon a time beautiful white skin was prized, now who wants it? We want a tan despite the dangers. There's always something.

Its just that women themselves are their own worst enemies, you cant blame it all on advertising. Its a chicken and egg thing of course, but to a large degree, advertisers are only responding to what people want to see. That's what fashion is in a nutshell - striving to fit an image or an idea, and not everybody will be able to achieve that.

The thing is, everbody always goes nuts over this issue - and over fashion magazines and models and the like, but with society as a whole, people dont respond to "real woman" advertising. People respond better to beautiful models.

So its not totally the responsibility of advertisers to just stop using unrealistic role models and hey presto! the entire problem is solved. Its not that simple. People throughout society as a whole have to be deprogrammed to stop responding to physical beauty the way they do. If they used someone ugly or morbidly obese to advertise clothing for 15 year old girls, it doesnt take a genius to see that that wouldnt work.

Its trying to fight a culture that's always existed - physical perfection has always been prized and it doesnt make a difference if it involves being thin or not, the situation is always going to exist that most people dont measure up to whatever physical ideal is the fashion of the times.

To me, the issue is what defines those "beautiful models." As long as they are in the store windows and the public thinks it's okay, the STORES are definfing beauty.

And while our women might stop dieting, they will be requesting major surgeries.

Then again to have a 23 inch waste might cause even more eating disorders.

They need to come out with a breast implant filled with helium or else these bean-pole women will keep falling forward.:faint:

HEY!!! I have a 23" waist! Its in here somewhere I just know it, and someday when I get to goal, I just might find it again. Its probably under my port by now!!

People throughout society as a whole have to be deprogrammed to stop responding to physical beauty the way they do.

There's an old saying: "You can't change a tiger's stripes." Women will always be beautiful to men. No one taught me that, it just came naturally when I was...oh, four years old.

There's an old saying: "You can't change a tiger's stripes." Women will always be beautiful to men. No one taught me that, it just came naturally when I was...oh, four years old.

The most beautiful part of a women is her mind and that is what I will say to my wife in 6 months on our 40th wedding anniversary.:clap2:

I agree and that's a good idea. I'll tell my wife that in 2 months on our 35 anniversary.

The thing is, everbody always goes nuts over this issue - and over fashion magazines and models and the like, but with society as a whole, people dont respond to "real woman" advertising. People respond better to beautiful models.

So its not totally the responsibility of advertisers to just stop using unrealistic role models and hey presto! the entire problem is solved. Its not that simple. People throughout society as a whole have to be deprogrammed to stop responding to physical beauty the way they do. If they used someone ugly or morbidly obese to advertise clothing for 15 year old girls, it doesnt take a genius to see that that wouldnt work.

Its trying to fight a culture that's always existed - physical perfection has always been prized and it doesnt make a difference if it involves being thin or not, the situation is always going to exist that most people dont measure up to whatever physical ideal is the fashion of the times.

If change of image doesn't start with the front line people such as advertisers, then how will the perception of beauty ever change? If the advertisers persist and show the rest of the world that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, methods, areas, whatever.....then maybe we would have a chance to change this perception for the youngsters.

Carol

Before I was married, I was dating a women who had a college degree, a good job, was attractive enough to make people assume that I must be rich (or well endowed in a different way) and had a great sense of humor and a great personality.

When I would compliment her on any topic but one, she would say, "thank you", but when I would compliment her on her looks, she would light up like a sunrise and say, "Gee, thanks. Do you really think so?"

Way before I met her, she had been brainwashed to think that physical beauty is the most important female trait, maybe the only female trait that really matters.