Bullies of Online Fashion Media

The fashion industry is under constant criticism for the way women are perceived and while most now strive to create better body images, unfortunately, it's sites like Skinny Gossip that continue to create this scrutiny.

Kate Upton got a lot of praise after her Sports Illustrated cover, but she also got some bashing. As the "Rookie of the Year" in 2011, the 19-year-old blond, all-American bombshell, landed the February cover, showing off her curves in a string bikini. The model's figure created quite a stir in the fashion world, but Upton doesn't seem to let it bother her. "I love my curves. You know, I'm healthy and I think that's what Sports Illustrated represents: healthy, confident women who love their bodies," Upton said in an interview.  

Photo from Huffington Post

After reading a tweet from Independent Fashion Bloggers last night, "Bloggers gone bad - Anyone who calls @KateUpton thick, vulgur and pornographic is clearly insane: http://bit.ly/LKoMM0,"  I was beyond curious to see what it was all about. I clicked the link and read the Elle write up. The woman in me was disgusted that anyone could write such hateful, horrible things, but the journalist in me said it's time to start writing.

I've always tried to write about hard-hitting stories in the fashion industry since I went to school for journalism and focused many of my pieces on fashion. It's the industry I love working for but, people need to know the good, the bad and the ugly in any industry. I knew this write up was a perfect example of why girls and women all around the world have such insecurities about their looks let alone themselves as individuals. I've always kept up with the body image issue vs fashion industry because every girl I know, including myself has had self-esteem issues.  

So, I went straight to the source: Skinny Gossip, Kate Upton Is Well-Marbled. The post started off comparing humans to cows and then insinuating that Kate Upton is one... Did you know that humans are 80% genetically identical to cows? Well, allow me to prove it to you…  The blogger goes on to joke about Upton "lumbering up a runway like there’s a buffet at the end of it," and that's just the first couple sentences.....  

Photo from Skinny Gossip

Not only does SG bash Upton's weight, the blogger bully tears Kate down about her style and class saying, "She looks like she would work in the back of a motorcycle shop in Nashville and give (bad) blow jobs for $25."

Photo from Huffington Post

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, but it's people like the blogger of Skinny Gossip and Maura Kelly, who create this constant bullying for others when they know they have at least a national audience. What good does it do to ramble on about how others looks, weight, ect, and bash them? It only shows that YOU, the bully, have deep issues that you need to battle yourself. 

Anytime someone bullies another it's because that person doesn't want to face reality and deal with their inner problems/demons. The writer of Skinny Gossip needs to take a look into what's really causing the attack on Kate Upton. Writing things like, "This girl belongs deep in the gutter of American commercialism – so don’t get any crazy ideas about her being a fashion model, OK?" only shows the world that you have deeper problems than you lead on. 


Two years ago, I wrote a piece about the Maura Kelly rant, a Marie Claire blogger wrote about the show Mike & Molly, attacking the show and people a like. Kelly compared overweight people to alcoholics and heroin addicts but as you read on, she apologizes and opens up about her struggle with anorexia. While it wasn't a valid excuse at all for the down right horrible things she said, it did show she had her own struggles that maybe caused her to not be fully happy with herself. 

There are some people out there that are taking the same steps as the Skinny Gossip blogger, sending SG hate mail and death threats, but what does that do? While yes, SG did something horribly wrong, and should not have shared the hateful rant with the world, I sit here writing this not to bash back but to make people aware of what's going on in the world around them.

So with that said, take a moment and think about what you write, text, post or say. You never know what someone is dealing with, everyone has their own battles to fight. And while celebrities are supposed to have "tough skin" and deal with haters all the time, remember....

Mocking model wins popular vote but doesn't win over American Apparel

Nancy Upton was one of about a thousand women who entered American Apparel's newest contest, but she was probably the ONLY one who entered hoping not to win. 

AA is no stranger to controversy but this time they've opened up a whole new can of worms. The company created a photo contest trying to find "The Next BIG Thing"(which it was conveniently titled) to show off their new "extended sizes." It was geared toward finding a plus-size model, size 12-14, based on votes from visitors. 

Here is part of the description from the contest:

"If you think you’ve got what it takes to be the next XLent model, send us photos of you and your junk to back it up."

Upton, was annoyed by the campaign's tone, feeling as though she was being talked down to for her size. "The puns, the insulting, giggly tones, and the over-used euphemisms for fat that were scattered throughout the campaign’s solicitation began to crystalize an opinion in my mind," Upton said. So she did something about it. Upton recruited a photographer friend, Shannon Skloss to take photos protesting the new contest. The size 12, 24-year-old, uploaded her photos, never expecting to win, just hoping to create awareness. 

She took the pictures to mock the contest and she shares how she would never model for American Apparel on her blog Extra Wiggle Room, dedicated to her journey with AA and aftermath: 

'I most certainly would not model for American Apparel, because (pretty obviously) I don’t agree with their business practices. I also would not expect to be asked to do so, even if I receive a majority of the votes (something I never planned on).'

She goes on to write how she disagrees with the message AA is sending but she respects others opinions.  

Here is Upton's description of the blog:

"MY NAME IS NANCY UPTON. I'M A SIZE 12 AND WANTED TO SHOW AMERICAN APPAREL MY FRESH FACE (AND FULL FIGURE). MY GOOD FRIEND SHANNON SKLOSS CAME OVER TO TAKE SOME "BOOTY-FUL" PHOTOS OF ME...BUT I JUST COULDN'T STOP EATING. 

I CAME IN FIRST PLACE IN THE AA 'NEXT BIG THING' CONTEST, BUT WON'T BE MODELING FOR THE COMPANY ANY TIME SOON."

As the company learned of Upton's antics and her angle on the contest, AA's Iris Alonzo fired back. (Here is a a few pieces of the 7 paragraph letter to show the response)

"It’s a shame that your project attempts to discredit the positive intentions of our challenge based on your personal distaste for our use of light-hearted language, and that “bootylicous” was too much for you to handle. While we may be a bit TOO inspired by Beyoncé, and do have a tendency to occasionally go pun-crazy, we try not to take ourselves too seriously around here. I wonder if you had taken just a moment to imagine that this campaign could actually be well intentioned, and that my team and I are not out to offend and insult women, would you have still behaved in the same way, mocking the confident and excited participants who put themselves out there? " 

"Oh - and regarding winning the contest, while you were clearly the popular choice, we have decided to award the prizes to other contestants that we feel truly exemplify the idea of beauty inside and out, and whom we will be proud to have representing our company."

Trying to take a stand against the contest, Upton's dream became a reality. She has now caused an international discussion, bringing the problem of plus-sized women and the media to a forefront.

Upton has been featured in many publications and news stations including: 

Fashionista
The Frisky
Yahoo News UK and Ireland
AOL UK
The Independent

CNN

ABC

and the list goes on....

While many people are siding with her, there are those who just don't agree and that is why this controversy has become such a heated debate. 

"I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do on a greater scale than I realized I was doing,” Upton said. “I've provoked discussion and promoted awareness about the depiction of plus-size women in the media."

Photos from: http://extrawiggleroom.tumblr.com/

With all the media buzz and controversy that has stirred up, Upton and AA have reached an agreement to fly her and photographer friend Skloss to American Apparel in L.A. They will be able to see what the company is like and she is allowed to write about whatever she sees.

Check her blog for future updates.

Get up, Stand up!

By Jody Marich 

After an 18-year old girl was raped by her driving instructor in Italy, she ultimately paid the price. 

In 1999, the instructor was convicted and sentenced to jail but he appealed his sentence and made it to the Italian Supreme Court. After learning the victim was wearing jeans, the case was overturned with the Chief Judge stating, "because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex."

After being outraged by the verdict, women in the Parliament protested by wearing jeans to work and it soon motivated others to stand up and fight for what they believe. Denim Day in L.A. is one of the many events to acknowledge and support the world wide protest of the court ruling. The day is about preventing sexual violence. The campaign was created to educate and take a stand against rape. 

April is sexual assault awareness month and "Denim Day" has become an internationally known day of protest against the outrageous court ruling. With millions of women and men being affected by rape each year, the day is practiced by schools, businesses, organizations and individuals. 

Here are some stats:

❤ One in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. -denimdayinla.org/

❤  In 2008, victims age 12 or older experienced a total of 203,830 rapes or sexual assaults. - 

The National Center for Victims of Crime. 

❤ 35% of college men who voluntarily participated in psychological research conducted at several universities indicated they might commit a rape if they knew they could get away with it.- denimdayinla.org/

While doing research, I found that Denim Day has different dates but all seem to be in April. Denim Day in L.A. is April 27th with another big event happening April 28th. So if you or a friend has fallen victim to rape or sexual assault, participate and take a stand against sexual violence!

For more information check out these sites:

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Denim Day in L.A.

Rape Stats