The Wake

All has not been well this month in the shimmery, sequined world of high fashion. According to the Associated Press, five models were banned from participating in Madrid’s fashion show “Pasarela Cibeles,” held Sept. 18–22, due to an unsatisfactory body mass index (BMI). This is undoubtedly not the first time in modern fashion history that models have been disqualified due to a weight problem. This time, however, these models were not banned for being overweight, but for being underweight, with a BMI under 18. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared, multiplying the total by 703.

At first instinct, it is tempting to blow off such news as a rehashing of old topics in an attempt to get a rise out of the public. After all, keywords such as “bulimia” and “eating disorder” have been kicked around so much by the media and public officials they now receive blank states from the average individual. There is a slim chance, however, these issues have been receiving attention because they actually deserve attention and, cynicism aside, I do believe that this one deserves a second look.

In view of resource depletion, global warming and, of course, the ever-present monster of terrorism lurking over our shoulders, the emaciated nature of supermodels does not seem to be a pressing issue. Maybe, though, the fact that we are not disturbed by images of walking skeletons on stiletto heels should perhaps be taken as a warning sign. The ideal body of today, as it is projected by the media, is in reality neither beautiful nor healthy. We have been conditioned as a society to yearn towards twiggy legs and protruding collar bones.

A brief review of art before the late-19th century will expose one to the ideal “Rubenesque” female form of the past. Named after the painting style of Peter Paul Rubens, the Rubenesque woman had a little bit of extra meat on her bones, she would be considered fat by today’s standards. As western society progressed, the ideal woman began rapidly losing weight, and up until the 1950s, still glorified the curves of women like Marlin Monroe. The 1960s saw a dramatic change in the fashion industry as the “rail-thin” look was packaged, shipped and fed to the public. Today, we spend the evening watching America’s Next Top Model, while lamenting over the piece of cake we had with dinner. The obsession with weight in today’s society is propagated by pop culture and the fashion industry, and this obsession should be alarming to us.

There has been much disagreement between the gods of the fashion world about Madrid’s ban and its possible effects on the future of the industry. At the end of the day however, this is an issue of fact, not opinion, and the fact is that the fashion industry is having a serious effect on young women. The truth of the matter is that eating disorders were largely unheard of before pop culture began to propagate anorexia. According to a recent study done by the Harvard Eating Disorders Center, 40 percent of forth graders report that they diet either “very often” or “sometimes.” This rings of the “hook em’ young” philosophy of the cigarette industry. Regardless of whether it is a conspiracy or not, the world of fashion succeeds in reaching young girls and blurring their perceptions of weight at an early age. Twelve-year-olds reading Seventeen magazine’s “40 ways to lose weight—fast!” earnestly believe that their ideas about beauty are healthy and validly formed, when in fact they came about as a result of bullshit brainwashing by so-called “trendsetters.” The Harvard Eating Disorders Center also reports that 15 percent of young women have substantially disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. I beg to differ. Nearly all of us in the western world have a disordered view of food and body image. Just flip through the channels and count how many miracle weight-loss pills you can buy at any given moment and then ask yourself, “How can I live in this world and not be affected?”

An argument against the ban in Madrid is that some people naturally have a BMI lower that 18 and these “naturally skinny” models should not be discriminated against in their fashion industry jobs. Newsflash: modeling is a competitive business—ugly people cannot be models and severely overweight people cannot be models. People who are abnormally skinny should not be models either; at the very least, they should not be the norm. I would advise these underprivileged, underweight models look into the newspaper for some day jobs and maybe grab some sandwiches while they’re at it. As for the ban: way to go Spain, we owe you one.