In recent posts, I have focused on our culture’s emphasis on
what women look like. Women are judged
and valued based on how attractive they are.
Women who are considered to be physically beautiful are considered to be
more important, more acceptable, more worthy than women who are not. We aren’t necessarily always conscious of
such judgments, but if we reflect on this for even a short period, it is
obvious these attitudes are pervasive.
Such attitudes are extremely disturbing for a person of
faith. As Jesus taught us, such
attitudes are completely at odds with those in the Kingdom of God. A human being’s value is not based on what
they look like. It is based on the fact
that they are a precious child of God.
In this vein, I was very saddened by an article I read
recently. The person who gave me a copy
of Allure also gave me a copy of Good Housekeeping, which is another
magazine targeted to women. Whereas Allure seems to target a younger
demographic with few responsibilities beyond looking good, Good Housekeeping is appealing to women with families. The magazine does focus on fashion and
make-up sometimes, but it goes beyond to focus on raising kids, health issues,
meal planning, sustaining marriages and personal finance topics. I actually enjoy flipping through Good Housekeeping from time to
time. And sometimes I pick up practical
tips that are helpful.
The copy of Good
Housekeeping that I was recently given had acclaimed singer and actress,
Jennifer Hudson, on the cover. The
article inside included an interview with Ms. Hudson. That article is available at the link below.
The focus of the article
was Ms. Hudson’s recent weight loss. She
lost 80 pounds and has kept it off for over a year. That is an amazing accomplishment and I
certainly admire her for it. I have
always struggled with my weight, but the struggle got particularly challenging after
going to law school and entering a sedentary profession with long hours. As a result, I know how difficult it must
have been to lose so much weight and not gain it back. With that perspective, I was interested in reading
the article.
There are a number of
reasons that being overweight is not a good thing. There are a number of serious health
repercussions including diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, etc. As a result, I guess I naively assumed that
the motivation for Ms. Hudson’s weight loss was her health. I was stunned in reading the article that my
assumption was very wrong.
The article describes how
comfort foods were a staple in Ms. Hudson’s family and those around her were
also overweight. When she traveled, she
was shocked that people in other parts of the country thought she was
heavy. Apparently what initially motivated
her to lose weight was that she was not getting work in the entertainment
industry despite lots of enthusiasm for her voice. She was told she was “too big.” This feedback inspired all kinds of dieting
attempts, but each failed. She remained
heavy for years.
This continued until she
became a mom. In the article, Ms. Hudson
said her son “deserved to have a mama who could run after him without getting
winded or getting tired, to have a role model who could teach him to make
healthy food choices. I needed him to
grow up with a mama who always would be there for him by caring enough about
herself to take control of her health and her eating.”
I respect and admire that
epiphany. I had a similar one when we
adopted our first child. It prompted me
to join the YMCA and work out regularly.
It also inspired me to incorporate a lot more veggies, fruits and
legumes in our family’s meals. I ended
up losing 30 pounds and have kept it off for a number of years.
So, I am second to none
in admiring people who resolve to improve their health by losing weight. That is a laudable goal. And I can particularly related to and respect
those who are inspired to improve their health due to caregiving
responsibilities.
What does trouble me,
however, is the impression in the article that Ms. Hudson’s initial motivation
to lose weight was her career. To be
clear, I don’t judge or fault her desire to have a career. It is natural for one to want to be a good
steward of one’s God given gifts. I also
do not judge or fault her desire to have a career in the entertainment industry
even though that industry can be highly superficial and seems to be populated
largely by people with questionable values.
Ms. Hudson’s God-given gifts include a tremendous talent for singing, so
it is natural that the talent would be used in the entertainment industry.
My concern with Ms.
Hudson’s initial motivation to lose weight is more a concern about our culture,
not her. The entertainment industry is
well-known for its imposition of and demand for unrealistic standards of
beauty, particularly on women. Women are
expected to be stick thin, even right after pregnancy. Women are also expected to have “perfect”
facial features. Plastic surgery, Botox
and other expensive, risky treatments are apparently quite common. This is so sad to me. Breast implants and artificially full lips
are pervasive. Botched attempts to
prevent visible signs of aging on one’s face are frequently seen as well. Sadly, such Hollywood actresses are
caricatures with their distorted facial and bodily features.
Again, I don’t judge or
condemn such Hollywood actresses. But I
am deeply saddened by the culture that would drive women to such lengths. I cannot understand the values of a culture
that would make women feel that such drastic measures are necessary to be
successful.
Nonetheless, I don’t doubt
that such pressures do exist. I’ve never
been in the entertainment industry, but even where I have worked women are
judged by their appearance and they know that.
On a more uplifting note,
the end of the article on Ms. Hudson emphasizes her Christian faith. She was raised in the church and her family
spent lots of time doing work for the church.
Bible studies and choir were important parts of her upbringing. She reads the Bible regularly and cited
prayer in helping her get through trials in her life. Ms. Hudson indicated in the interview that
she tries to attend services regularly now.
Luke 12:27-31
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I
tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into
the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set
your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things,
and your Father knows that you need them. But seek
his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."
No comments:
Post a Comment