We’ve only just reached the end of January and already another internet fad has swept the web. Last year it was the ‘Kylie Jenner Challenge’ – if you didn’t have lips the size of Pete Burns’ then you were doing something wrong. Now, it’s all about the size of your assets and whether or not you can be deemed a ‘Real’ woman by the most important critic of them all… Social media.
So, what is the underboob pen challenge, I hear you ask? Well, surprisingly, it’s women being able to nestle a pen and keep it in their undercleavage. What better way to prove to society that you’re a woman than by sticking inanimate objects underneath your breasts? Though ridiculous, it seems that this craze has become an internet sensation, with thousands of women posting these selfies in a bid to have their femininity justified.
This latest beauty test is one of the most ridiculous to date. The idea that a woman’s merit and beauty is decided by the placement of a pen should make anyone’s blood boil, however this is not the first time that we’ve seen absurd trends run riot on the internet. Another example was the thigh gap trend which was another social fad that sparked concern from body image groups. This trend saw social media users posting pictures of the space between their thighs as a way of demonstrating that their legs didn’t even touch, a sign of true beauty in today’s society.
(Photo Credit: Google Chrome)
And let’s not forget the bikini bridge. This trend saw women posting pictures of their lower abdomen region with protruding pelvis bones. The angle allowed the waistband of the bikini bottoms to lift up from the skin. If you could do this, well guess what, you were deemed attractive. As ridiculous as these may sound these crazes have been become the hallmark of beauty today.
These body bullying ideas don’t just create unrealistic ideals, they also forget to embrace all kinds of body types. In response to the new boob craze, Aimee Fletcher, who underwent a double mastectomy, posted her chest on Twitter and wrote, “guess I’m not a real woman — both before and after cancer”. These fads aren’t just hurting young women, they tell women like Aimee Fletcher that her only real worth lay within her body.
(Image Credit: Aimee Fletcher/Twitter)
When will our obsession with women’s bodies stop? When will we stop pursuing perfection? From thighs, to brows, to luscious lips, no part of a woman’s body is left unscrutinised by society. In celebrating certain body types we endanger women. There is a toxic side to social media which is influencing how people perceive their body. What is most soul destroying is that these fads are part of a much wider problem which wants to reduce people to imperfect pieces, and then sell us the solution.
There is nothing actually wrong with your body, but there is something wrong with how you’ve been taught to view your body. Now I am not saying that we shouldn’t celebrate larger breasts or women with thigh gaps, not at all! Love what your mumma gave you, but let’s not forget to just accept bodies for exactly what they are – lovely, individual and utterly glorious.