Valeria Lukyanova, otherwise known as ‘the human Barbie’ has gained recent fame because of her absurdly small waist and abnormally blue eyes. She has also made news headlines for more important reasons that should be taken as a wakeup call to females in society today.
For starters, it is clear that not one inch of Valeria is natural. Although in interviews the only surgery she will admit to having done are breast implants, it is obvious upon looking at her that something is just not right, and frankly, she looks just about the opposite of a natural human being. The amount of makeup Lukyanova applies everyday to achieve her Barbie-like look is similar to stage make up. Human “Ken” Justin Jedlica stated to GQ Magazine that Valeria is an “illusionist” and said, “I don’t get why people find her so interesting”.
(Valeria with makeup versus Valeria without makeup)
Valeria is the epitome of unhealthy. She recently said in an interview with GQ Magazine that she hopes one day to live her life without the consumption of solid food. “In recent weeks I have not been hungry at all; I’m hoping it’s the final stage before I can subsist on air and light alone.” Obviously, the human body does not work properly without solid food. Valeria will only harm herself with this type of diet.
(Valeria and her 19 inch waist)
Even through all of this, a bit of faith in humanity can be restored. Valeria has been anything but embraced by the media, and instead it is being publicized by how disturbing her life goal is. Eating disorders are certainly not something to be put on a pedestal and thankfully the majority of the media in the United States has recognized this. Again in her interview with GQ Lukyanova talked about how the people of her home country, the Ukraine, have been anything but supportive of her transformation, and her next plan is “to cut off Ukraine entirely, because all I get here is sh*t. Why waste myself on this?” Well newsflash girlfriend, America’s not so sure we want you either.
Her Campus SJU, and the Saint Joe’s community as a whole, is in support of natural beauty. Females in society today feel constant pressure from the media, and the fact that any woman would feel the need to do something this drastic to their own body is not only disturbing, but also disheartening. Although as a school community there is not much we can do to help Ms. Lukyanova, there are things we can do to help those closer to us. If you sense that someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, speak up and assist them in receiving the help they need. SJU offers counseling and psychological services that are here to help students maintain positive mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to visit the CAPS website. It is our job as women to leave positive impacts on one another, and break away from what society and the media at times try to tell us is beautiful.
HCXO