The New Ideal Body: The Good, The Bad, The Booty

We have all seen the standard, slim figure endorsed by the fashion industry for the last several decades. Likewise, music idealizing this certain female body type has always been common, but recent months have marked a growing tendency in popular culture to portray women with more realistic bodies.

Unlikely heroes like Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Iggy Azalea, and Meghan Trainor have used their songs “Anaconda,” “Booty,” and “All About That Bass,” to change our perceptions of female bodies. Their musical approach breaks with the more conventional feminist methods, but they definitely influence Americans’ perception of beauty.

While these songs empower women and encourage self-confidence, they mock and criticize women who don’t fit into the new ideal body category. Both Nicki Minaj and Meghan Trainor show hostility towards skinny women with lyrics that describe “skinny bitches.” Powerful images in the corresponding music videos reflect the lyrics’ categorization of what is “beautiful.” Behind the hyper-sexuality of “Anaconda” and the cute pastel set of Meghan Trainor’s music video lurks a subtle aggressiveness presented towards those who are different. And though the music video for “Booty” does not show any resentment towards thin women, it does display a preference for a big booty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This aggression hardly differs from a legacy of shaming those who are overweight and do not embody the standard American body “type.” These female celebrities have made it possible for women to embrace their appearance, but this new confidence results in the exclusion of other body types. It is the same type of exclusion that occurs with bullying, and it should not be promoted or tolerated at any level.

These artists are perpetuating a certain body type that obviously does not fit all, just as many artists before them have done. I personally enjoy the catchy melodies of these songs but putting down those who are naturally skinny or choose to be thin is not acceptable. I believe that having an “ideal body” of any kind creates division. We must learn to forget about what is ideal and accept all body types.

If you are a fan of these songs, watch the music videos again with these ideas in mind and see for yourself if the lyrics and images are simply empowering or also exclusionary.