Wow.  The amount of time, tears, sweat, angst, money, and words wasted by women over their own bodies is mind-boggling… (You never know where Stumbleupon will take you.)

http://www.curvygirlguide.com/self-body/victorias-secret-does-not-love-my-body/

At least the purveyors of fantasies are doing it just to make money.  Why are some of the commenters slamming each other?  “Kiss my well-toned ass?”  Bullied for being too fat?  Bullied for being too thin?  Who are these damned nameless bullies and why aren’t they residing in hospital with broken noses and split lips? 

I suppose we have to face the fact that bullies aren’t nameless and faceless evil drones hatched from some evil master’s lair.  They are just people.  People doing the wrong thing.  I am sure none of the commenters on web articles like this thinks of herself (or himself) as a bully.  And yet, there they publish their snide comments and overreactions and miscommunications and even hateful blanket statements with the same effect. 

It would behoove us all to take a moment when we can to think before we utter or publish words that could be hurtful.  Just consider the other “side.”  Most of the people in the link slam the Victoria’s Secret models for “starving” themselves, though they it is just part of the job.  I like to switch the subject an object to see if a phrase still holds water:  Would you slam the company for requiring a curvy model to eat double calories for the weeks before a show to make sure she’s “fat enough?”  Maybe you would.  If so, the problem for you is not really thin versus heavy, but the peddling of a particular body image, no matter what the peddled image be. 

As for that image, many in the industry want to say it is “what sells.”  And that’s probably valid.  If you are selling a fantasy, you need a fantasy image.  VS is not really selling practicality here.  But I might add one thing:  Manufacturers and marketers know that they need to hook consumers at the youngest age possible.  Soft drink makers have gone to tremendous pains to get young kids drinking large amounts of their product as soon as said kids have any disposable income.  They know that the kid will more likely than not develop a brand loyalty that may last a lifetime.  Money in the bank for the company.  VS is most likely no different.  If so, then who would their target be?  Young teen age girls?  Many of whom have gawky tall and thin bodies as a result of normal human growth patterns?  Before they start to “fill out?”  I’m just guessing, but I would not be surprised at all. 

And, as sexist as it sounds, you won’t often find men denigrating each other over their body image.  At least, not straight ones.  ;-) 

I usually avoid the comments section like the plague, since it is often so full of crap.  But this one has the best comment I’ve read in a while; Kiki says, “I am very tired of women hating on women. Maybe you are really just hating on yourself or maybe it makes you feel better. Either way we all need to stop this. We should just love and accept one another.”