The loveliest distance between two points.  ~Mae West

So, I was watching the good ol’ television with my lady the other night when a Lane Bryant commercial came on saying something about their last ad causing a controversy. I couldn’t immediately recall it, but my dearest got me up to speed and then I decided to look into a little more.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyCuITBD6dk&feature=BFa&list=FL3Jiq2fVSUfY&index=4

(I don’t know how to embed videos yet…)

The issue? “Plus-sized” women in sexy clothes. BLASPHEMY! Ban that commercial or shall never again watch the picture box! And so it was…

Now, we all know, some more than others, how much of a pig I can be, and I hope this doesn’t come across as that, but, come on. The woman in that commercial is gorgeous.

Our social norms of what a “beautiful” woman are so grossly skewed that it’s been transmogrified into some combination with “unhealthy”… Unhealtiful? I don’t know, throw in suggestions. I just don’t get how we can look at a woman’s rib cage and think that’s sexy. Mmmm, I love ribs! Specially with Stubbs Smokey Mesquite.

Comparison!

This woman is considered “plus-sized”, implying that there is more of than there ought to be.

This is a supermodel. The paragon of womanhood, right?

The woman in that first picture looks like a fairly “average” sized woman to me. rarely have I met one that’s as skinny as the second that actually looks appealing in person. Again, not saying it doesn’t happen.

If we look back into the histories, namely The Renaissance, art has always favored a woman with a fuller figure. Even now, if I see a drawing, painting, etc. of a woman that’s as accurately skinny as their supermodel counterparts, I most likely wouldn’t look at it twice. That’s why there’s Photoshop. Not even photos are accurate depictions of our species, anymore. Do comparison shots of Madonna’s D&G shoot from a few months back, before and after touch ups.

Let that sink in for a bit.