OK, OK...this has been bugging me for a while now but it was THIS commercial that led me to write this post.
Anyone who watches TLC has seen this commercial. And here is what's bugging me: the word "curves." When exactly did "curves" become synonymous for "overweight" or "plus-sized"? I would really like to know because it irritates the hell out of me. You can have "curves" and not be overweight. In fact, I would argue most of the women on this show don't have curves at all. There's a difference between "curves" (think hourglass) and "rolls" (think beach ball).
Now, I'm not trying to be mean or a smart ass, but it irritates me when people who are obese call themselves "curvy." It's the word that bothers me, not necessarily the individual. To say that you have "curves" is to imply that your hip to waist ratio is pronounced enough to be seen as a "curve" or "concave."
For example, Beyonce has curves.
Salma Hayek has curves. 
Rosie O'Donnell does not. (Finding a flattering picture of her was hard!)
To go in the opposite direction, someone like Paris Hilton doesn't have "curves" either.
Curvy women have full breasts and full hips. When you look at them, you can see a definite hourglass shape. They aren't rulers. They aren't beach balls. They are hourglasses!
So with that said, can someone who doesn't have curves be beautiful? Absolutely! Can an overweight or plus-sized girl be beautiful? ABSOLUTELY! I'm not saying overweight women are NOT beautiful! I think women are beautiful in every size!
Some beautiful examples of that would be women like Queen Latifah
Or Crystal Renn
The point that I'm trying to make is that there is a difference between curvy, plus-sized, and obese. Stop using "curvy" and "plus-size" interchangeably with "fat!" They are not the same thing, TLC!
12 comments:
There is no such thing as flattering picture of Rosie O'Donnell. The same way it's near impossible to find a sound bite of her where she isn't annoying.
LOL! Hahaha!
Yes! i'm not the only one who thinks this! i realize i can lose a few pounds but i've never called myself curvy. it's almost like "Curvy" is the polite thing to call someone who is overweight.
I agree, Michan. Certainly a curvy woman can be overweight, but the two are not the same thing at all.
an overweight woman can classify herself as curvy, why not? I think this is a silly argument. There are curvy overweight women and then there are overweight women who are near shapeless. Why make such a huge deal over "curvy"?
lol another word i hear thrown around is "thick." i just have to shake my head sometimes.
@Mim I agree with you, and I think I said that to another commenter. Curvy women CAN be overweight but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about when the word "curvy" becomes a blanket synonym for "fat," "overweight," or "obese." As a curvy woman, I take offense because not ALL women who are curvy are necessarily fat. And as a writer, I take the literal meaning of words very seriously.
@Ash the word "thick" annoys me too, lol. Granted, there are some women who are actually "thick" but like the word "curvy" it is often misused to describe any woman who is generally overweight.
October 4, 2010 8:02 PM
I agree. I think there's a bit of self-delusion happening here.
http://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/
:D Thanks for stopping by FC!
This is an interesting post. I saw Beyonce in concert last year, and the first thing a friend of my asked was - 'was she big?' I thought - you mean big as in fat? Nope she isn't either. And I don't think she's curvy either. She's in proportion and extremely fit! Salma is tiny too btw way.
Curvy is what the media, fashion mags,hollywood use when someone isn't size zero or a stick figure like Paris Hilton.
Good post. "Curvy" is definitely used as a blanket euphemism that lumps the genuinely curvaceous figures in with the overweight. Because it's generally considered rude to openly call someone "fat" or "overweight" (no matter how true it might be) people seem to have latched onto "curvy" as a word they can use without offending. As far as a replacement term, though, I'm not sure what word people would turn to. Maybe if enough people revolt against the "curvy" overusage, the word "zaftig" will see a sudden resurgence and finally have its moment in the sun (smiles)
Instead of curvy, whatever happened to Rubenesque women? I like that term. It makes me feel like a work of art and sexy as hell.
Post a Comment