Julia Bluhm is one of my new idols. Not only is she 14 and written about on places such as The New York Times and Huffington Post, but it’s because she’s standing up for a cause that millions of girls across the world can relate to and have issues with every day. After constantly having to listen to the girls in her ballet class talk about how fat they think they are, Julia realized that a lot of the high expectations that girls have for their bodies comes from magazines. Especially Seventeen magazine. A lot of girls read Seventeen, and all the models in it are tall and skinny, with no blemishes or pimples whatsoever. They’re perfect. No one looks like that, not even the models in the magazine.
After realizing this, Julia decided to start an online petition for Seventeen magazine to have one non-Photoshopped spread in every monthly issue. Julia created her petition 2 weeks ago, and now, as of the time I’m writing this article, her petition has 51,813 signatures.
One of my biggest problems is low self esteem. Yeah yeah, I’ve pretty much covered it before, but I really do agree with everything that Julia is putting out there. I do read magazines like that and I sometimes feel bad about how I look when I look at the models. This is one of the things Julia says about the petition: “To girls today, the word ‘pretty’ means skinny and blemish-free. Why is that, when so few girls actually fit into such a narrow category? It’s because the media tells us that ‘pretty’ girls are impossibly thin with perfect skin.”
Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Seventeen should be promoting that with all different types of models, but instead their only models are tall, skinny, pretty and Photoshopped. That’s giving off the impression to readers that to be beautiful, you need to be a twig with perfect skin and hair. Which isn’t true! Teenage girls are going to get pimples, and they’re not all going to be as skinny and perfect as the Photoshopped models. Seventeen should be telling readers to embrace that, but it’s not. It’s one of the reasons that so many girls have eating disorders, wear 5 tons of makeup and dress inappropriately. Because that’s what they’re told is beautiful. When I read a magazine that’s supposed to made for girls my age, I don’t want to read about 5 tips on getting skinny fast. Unfortunately, that’s not we are reading.
Yesterday, a post on Jezebel declared that Seventeen magazine had said thanks, but no thanks to Julia’s petition that, at the time, had 25,000 signatures. What the heck, Seventeen?! That’s not cool. I think Seventeen would have way more readers if they actually put models in that look like normal people, and not Photoshopped supermodel types.
To sign Julia’s petition, click here.
Image via Shutterstock
I love your post and I totally agree with you Mikaela.
I totally agree with this article and that girls shouldn’t think skinny and acne free is beautiful. I also agree that Seventeen Magazine shouldn’t photoshop. The one thing I disagree with is the idea that Seventeen Magazine doesn’t promote all types of beauty. They always have tips about clothes for girls of all shapes from curvy, petite, to tall. They have heavier girls as models in the fashion section. They have makeup tips for girls of all skin tones and most the time it’s only for white girls. Plus they promote being healthy by having healthy snacks and helpful exercises. And in the health section they talk about having good self-esteem, especially with body image and feeling like you have to look like what the world thinks beauty is. I’m wondering if we’re reading the same magazine because I think Seventeen is a great magazine for teenage girls that feel this way. You can’t bash them about showing a false image of beauty when they constantly gives advice to and show different types of girls all over their magazines.
The world needs more young ladies like you, Mikaela! I sure wish that there was one of you around when I was a teenager.
I, too, am a teenager and I hope that someday the world will stop just talking about how bad eating disorders are and actually take some action. Here I’m talking about TeenVogue. They have articles practically every other month about body image, while continuing to use anorexically thin models in their spreads. Seems like they aren’t practicing the way they preach.
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@AnnaStarMoon
Have you read Seventeen magazine? It has girls of many varied shapes and sizes – I don’t think an article has a spread without a “for your body type” section. Also, she is 14! What is she doing reading Seventeen? The equivalent would be petitioning for too much nudity in R rated movies – the material is not meant for her. Also, what Vogue is doing – banning models with “eating disorders” and “unhealthy bodies” shows that magazines are sensitive to the public’s perception of body images. I chalk it up to teenage self-consciousness and the horrific nature of the ballet community – “prima” ballerinas have to fit into an insane mold! I wouldn’t submit an already body-conscious teen to that kind of scrutiny.
Thank you for reading my mind.
I totally agree!!!! <3 u mike!!
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My advice as a previous teenager is to ignore the magazines, tv shows, and stores who tell you what perfect is. Only you can determine what perfect is for you, and it won’t be what’s perfect for everyone else. Don’t spend money on magazines like Seventeen, clothes from the mall stores who promote the same image, or watch the programs who can’t embrace variety. You can control the companies with the way you choose to spend your money.
go mikaela! i love you girl <3
Proud of you for this, Mikaela. You’re amazing!
Awesome, awesome, awesome post. Your very articulate for your age and I am in awe that your so aware of the bullshit that is the media. I am not being condescending of your age, but when I was 13 I am not sure I had grasped how brainwashed teen girls were becoming. Also, your appreciation for My So Called Life now makes you even more awesome. Keep up the awesome posts!