Welcome To The Hellmouth
Opened: August 8, 2008
Welcome to Emily The Vampire Slayer, my name is Emily (surprised?) & this is my personal webspace that is free for me to say as I like in. You don't agree with my ramblings? That's fine, leave. I'm not out to offend or upset anyone but, like most, I'm very opiniated... that can often get in the way of my desire to be friends with everyone I meet because I won't drop my beliefs for anyone. Why should I? But feel free to take a look around and comment my blogs. Any questions, issues or complaints can be addressed here.
Pro-Insanity: The Reality
14.08.08
Pro-Ana sites are one of the few things that I really cannot stomach and choose openly never to decide to. It's almost funny, if it wasn't such a serious matter. This idea that Ana & Mia are some sort of female guides and the friends that you can rely on throughout your eating disorder; again, it's almost clever, like a strong advertisement, the idea that you have someone by your side looking out for you... that you're not alone. But that's the really scary thing.
Anorexia and Bulimia sufferers, especially these young girls who follow the so-called guidance of Ana & Mia are being told they are not alone, that they have help, that they should't worry. But the help, the person who is in a fashion looking out for them, is the one who's killing them, coaxing them into this world of Ana & Mia where encouragement means telling you you're disgustingly fat & help is saying: "Don't worry about the hunger pains, chew on some cotton wool."
I think that during puberty and growing up there's no real way to avoid some self-conscious issues about your body. Especially in today's world of airbrushed celebrities laid bare in magazines, it's some sort of cruel trick of human nature that makes us compare ourselves to them. However, the extremes involved in such as Ana & Mia followers, is far from natural. This is a serious illness that can, and often does, kill the sufferer. But it's unbelievably hard to cure someone of a disease when they do not believe they have one. Most of today's anorexics and bulimics believe that rather than a disease, it is merely a way of gaining control over something (their body), which goes along with theories that many teenagers feel they have no control over their lives. This is a favourite saying for them: "Starvation is control, control is tough; bones are beautiful, when thin isn't enough." Again, back to the issue of control.
There is clearly a huge sense of denial going on here as well. "I'm not starving to death; I'm starving to beauty", this quote proves that these people are very ill. 'Starving to Beauty?' Oh please... That's another scary thing. It's not as if these people are trying to make themselves look like those celebrities with the perfect figures. Far beyond that, they want to look like the sticks that have graced the catwalk and probably haven't eaten in months.
I'm afraid for them mostly because of the fact that they look at those girls with flesh that can barely cover their bones and think: "They look good, I want that." Whereas, I would look at them and shudder with revulsion. That this looks attractive to them appalls me, I feel like we're looking at two separate images sometimes. They say 'Beautiful' I say 'Horrid'. Another pressing matter is the lack of closure. For an anorexic, they can never be too thin. They may have a target weight but once they reach it, they will set themselves another. Which seems to me that the only realistic final target can be death. What I'm not sure of is whether they know this and except it, or if they really believe that they can keep getting thinner and thinner and somehow evade death.
One of the most widely discussed this/that topics is the debate about skinny or curvy. Which is more attractive, though in this case I will say that I don't think skinny necessarily means anorexic, bony little things... more Keira Knightley type slim. Personally, though biased as I am curvy, I think curvy figures look more attractive than overly skinny. I will say that if a person is naturally slim and has not starved themselves down then it looks better because it suits the natural shape of their body rather than being forced upon it. Also, the idea of what counts as curvy is often debated. Some see curvy as barely past skinny, where you are still slim but your bones aren't visible; others hold curvy to be just below fat and the person is able to grab hold of a large chunk of their bellies and thighs.
As well as numerous variations in between. I think that I personally hold a mental image of curvy that ranges quite widely, including those with a little bit of meat on them up to those that are almost plump; and I think the closer you are to the middle of this range, the nicer your figure is. However, do not think I have completely discredited other body sizes; this is just what I personally think most often looks the nicest. But I have seen many skinny and relatively big women that look amazing, this just shows that beauty is not limited to the size dress you wear.
Intrigued as I am by this subject. I took a look at many celebrities both skinny and curvy, analysed and compared them and I reached the conclusion that there is no ideal size... no perfect body. And we definitely don't have to model our bodies on someone else's that has been airbrushed to what seems to be 'perfection' anyway. I'm pleased to announce that when I searched regular images of celebrities out and about, in the street, shopping, whatever... I realised that they didn't have something heavenly and magical that other normal people didn't have (despite the fantastic wardrobe, of which I'm definitely jealous). I do think that fantastic bodies are being promoted by the media as a way of simply gaining more money for their companies, it's true and there's nothing much we can do about it except realise the truth and spread the word to young people who are being taught all the wrong things, who grow up hating their appearance because they think they should look like that.
I want to help people understand the reality. Don't think that the way to achieve perfection is to kill yourself, that isn't logical - that perfection in life is death. Regardless of your weight or dress size, if you hate your body or anything about the way you look and you are or have contemplated starving yourself/making yourself sick after meals... listen to me now: there is nothing good about this, it is certain death, not control, death does not mean control. For further help, visit: B-EAT(UK) Sedop(USA) Nedic(CAN)