If you haven’t been reminded enough, ladies, swimsuit season is quickly approaching. The magazine covers in the grocery store have been reminding us to diet since January, so I’m sure this isn’t news to you. The other day while waiting at the doctor’s office I was browsing through a magazine and came upon a section that offered me help in dressing my body in the most flattering swimsuit. There was a page for each body “type” with pictures of beautiful, healthy women; in other words, women with normal body image. The article seemed to be trying to promote a healthy body image, but the body “types” were really unnecessary and basically offensive. The categories of body types were “apple,” “pear,” and “ruler.” The last time I checked, a pear is not going to wear a bikini or even go swimming. An active human being is the most likely consumer of swimwear. Wearing flattering clothing is fine. Dressing in what is good for your body is fine. For example, a fair girl like me looks better in jewel tones than pastels. So I’m going to dress in what makes me feel confident and pretty. But telling a woman (or anyone else!) she looks like a piece of fruit? Not cool.
So why do we do it? Why do we label ourselves one of three of the thousands of body “types?” Why do we continue to buy push-up bras even though that’s basically signing a consent form for objectification? It’s called internalizing oppression, and we’ve all done it in some form or another. Internalizing oppression happens when we realize that a certain institution is wrong, but we support it anyway.
According to author Marilyn Frye, “The root of the word ‘oppression’ is the element ‘press.” She says “Something pressed is something caught between or among forces and barriers which are so related to each other that jointly the restrain, restrict, or prevent the thing’s motion or mobility. Mold. Immobilize. Reduce (Oppression).” When we let a magazine tell us what we are, we’re allowing ourselves to be oppressed. Our expressions are restrained and restricted when there is so much focus on body types. Dressing for confidence is one thing. Dressing another way because you feel like you should is completely different. Don’t let anyone label you. Especially as a fruit or a measuring device! I am not a ruler. I’m an intelligent woman, and I’ll wear what I want. Oppression is not in this season.
