I am teaching a seminar on body image this fall at the University of North Carolina- Charlotte. I had to pick my books by the end of June (oh, the pressure!) and one of the books we’re reading from is Joan Jacob Brumberg’s The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. Published in the late 90s, it looks at the evolution of body image and beauty perception in American girls from the 1800s to the 1990s. Aided by diary excerpts and media images through history, Brumberg, a professor at Cornell University, exposes the shift in thinking over time.
“Before the twentieth century, girls simply did not organize their think- ing about themselves around their bodies,” she writes. “Today . . . they believe that the body is the ultimate expression of the self.”
Ever wonder how bras became a commodity or just how we got to be so consumed with being sexy? She reveals a fascinating cultural history of how we got to where we are (or where we were 10 years ago). From corsets to pretty skin and private piercings to overt sexuality, Brumberg gives a fascinating account of our history and how we came to the “I hate my body” mantra that ruled the 90s and this century thus far.
Earlier physical maturation is a complicating factor, but there is, of course, more to how we got to the point where we “dress little girls in brassieres or bikinis, [and] imply adult behaviors and, unwittingly, mark them as sexual objects.” Brumberg reveals that 53% of girls are dissatisfatised by the age of thirteen and that by 1995, American women and girls were spending more than $100 million on cellulite busters alone. There isn’t a typo there. $100 million on cellulite busters. Just think what we could do for our community with those funds if we hadn’t become so programmed to fixate on our cellulite.
Please take a moment to check out The Beautiful Women Project. The Beautiful Women Project is a traveling photography exhibition created in part by an Artist’s Grant from the New York State Council for the Arts. The photo-documentary shares the life stories of thirty five women ages three through ninety brought to life through their black and white images. Our message is simple, yet powerful: It is the sum of a woman’s life experiences that makes her beautiful. The Beautiful Women Project has been endorsed by The Women’s Media Center, The Lance Armstrong Foundation, and New York Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand.
From the very beginning, The Beautiful Women Project has brought art and discussion into very public forums. Redefining beauty begins with the discussion that is fostered by our audiences’ experiences during and after their viewing of the images and stories of these amazing women. The Beautiful Women Project has partnered with various organizations to raise awareness for our shared messages and funding of our shared missions including: American Heart Association, Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders, Girls Inc., New York State Business and Professional Women’s Scholarship Fund, Russell Sage College Wellness Center, ToLife!, Wiawaka Holiday Retreat House for Women, YMCA Reach Out for Youth, and other community organizations.
In October of 2007 the project entered a new phase: working with college and universities to create exciting programming incorporating our project, current courses of studies, and related popular culture topics and calendar weeks and months related to women. In January of 2008, The Beautiful Women Project released a nationally published book based on the exhibit, Beautiful Women, Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills (Bridgeway Books), and through the sale of our book, we are able to continue to give back to communities.
I would like the opportunity to speak with you about bringing The Beautiful Women Project to UNC Charlotte. I would like to invite you to our web site: http://www.beautifulwomenproject.org and look forward to speaking with you.