Earlier on this year, sometime in February, the internet was flooded with the hilarious ‘thigh gap’ campaign. For those of you who have absolutely no idea what I’m on about, the thigh gap is a space in between the thighs when you stand up straight. Normally I’m immune to the phenomenal fads that take over the internet on a day to day basis but I came across it in a rather odd manner. I was in the library working on my coursework when a rather eccentric friend of mine sat next to me and we started to chat. She randomly started to talk about how much she wanted a thigh gap and I was baffled by the idea so she Googled it and we were staring at girls slightly bent revealing their derriere regions and the void between their thighs when they stood with their knees close together ( we did receive a few judgmental looks but I daresay I’m used to them). I was in hysterics over the captions on some of the photos like “push push until your thighs don’t touch” and “do it for the gap you've always wanted-coffee and control”. Need I say more?
Feminists of course had a field day-no scratch that-they are still going on about it! I would like to stress that I have nothing against naturally slim women because I’m a big believer in the fact that we are all beautiful in our own ways and God( if you believe in him) or nature makes no mistakes. I just can’t fathom why anyone would physically torture their body to try and achieve a standard of beauty that requires giving up meals and some of the stupidest exercises I have ever seen! This subject topic was and is still quite popular on Twitter and Tumblr with models proudly flaunting their gaps with pride but looking like they are in pain just from taking ‘selfies’. This coveted thigh gap has resulted in many teenagers checking into mental institutions with eating disorders and it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. There are even surgery options dedicated to creating the void e.g. Vaser surgery and Cool sculpting which is freezing the fat cells away! The truth is, the thigh gap is just another updated version of anorexia and various other eating disorders and yes, it’s another aberrant psychological attack on people to influence them on what should be the aesthetic level of being attractive. My question is, is anyone else tired of being told what they should look like to tick the boxes of attractiveness? I mean do we all have to look like Cara Delevingne? I’m sure there is someone reading this who is dying to taste the meaty succulent texture of a burger (horse meat scandal aside) or a veggie burger if you’re a friend of the undead (get it?) but they can’t because they are on a strict no carb diet to try and look like one of the pretentious chancers on TV. My advice? Go get that meat (or Quorn, I don’t discriminate) and get a few things straight! That flawless skin and super toned legs are not real, that’s why they made Photoshop, I mean seriously, half the images we perceive to be reality have been altered to reach the standards of perfection that biology didn't deem necessary to grant us. Why strive to be something you were never meant to be? Confucius is quoted at having said ‘everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it’.
If you've seen me around then you will know that I would stick out like a sore thumb on a Victoria’ Secret runway because “mama’s got lumps!” I feel like confidence in one’s appearance is essential in eradicating the persistent problem that is classifying the ideal woman. We all come in different shapes and sizes and we all deserve to be loved for who we are. Life is too short to worry about a flimsy gap between thighs. If you have to starve yourself to feel good then I don’t want any part of it because you know what, ‘ain't nobody got time for that’!