Some people might agree that their mood is at least 75% determined by the last TV show they have watched. Given that I’ve been repeatedly streaming seasons one to three of “The Mindy Project” this past month, I’d like to think that I’ve adopted the loud sassy confidence of Ms. Beyoncé Pad Thai a.k.a Dr. Mindy Lahiri. I can’t imagine that I’m the only one who falls victim to admiring her carefree attitude and concrete self-assurance. If you haven’t watched it yet, I can’t recommend it enough. You may want to consider binge watching the last three seasons ASAP since season 4 is on hiatus but it’s coming back and it’s safe to say that we’re in for another amazing season. This show is insanely smart, ridiculously funny, honest, and has the added element of romance for the Romcom lovers, like myself.
Mindy Kaling employs such a positive approach to body image in her writing. She dedicatedly advocates self-acceptance, female empowerment, and hard work. Not in a necessarily conventional way, but in a way that makes you feel good about indulging in junk food and loving your body regardless of what others may think.
Mindy isn’t the only one providing audiences everywhere with a healthy perspective on body image, and life in general. There are a lot of television shows that are created and produced by women. Shows including Broad City, GirlsHBO, and Inside Amy Schumer, to name some of my favourites. These television programs were created and written by some of the coolest women in entertainment right now. They keep it real and it’s hilarious. Overall, These female characters of all shapes and sizes take pride in their bodies and in the process it makes you feel confident about your own. They demonstrate, so flawlessly, what it’s like to be a woman in these modern times and they don’t succumb to the pressures of the ridiculous standards that are held out for us to meet, in fact, they mock them. Especially since the representation of women in the media today is often disappointing, false, and exploitive, it’s so refreshing to see something on TV that doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re not enough or that you need to be something else. A lot of media can often suck your confidence dry. It’s really shocking how much it can influence you. I think we all like to pretend that we’re not so easily persuaded by what we watch on T.V. but it makes such a huge difference when you choose to surround yourself with media that actually makes you feel good.
Unfortunately, seeing flaws within yourself is an experience that too many girls can relate to. Looking in the mirror and loving what you see can sometimes be really hard to do. Living in a society that basically thrives socially and economically on the concept of hating ourselves, and where it is more socially acceptable to want to change who you are, than it is to express self-acceptance, is an extremely frustrating world to live in. Some days are more difficult and I can guarantee that no girl loves everything about herself. Which isn’t hard to believe since most of us feel like we are constantly being shoved into a mould we can’t all fit into, and may not necessarily want to fit into. Because of this, it is so important to surround yourself with positive, confident women. Girls should learn to appreciate each other, and not compete against one another. I can’t emphasize this enough. When we begin looking for the good in others and learn how to value one another for being unique, rather than picking each other apart, we will notice the difference in how we view and treat ourselves. It’s nice to see other women on TV rejecting these standards and rising above them, it gives you the courage to do the same.
This isn’t just limited to what we’re watching on TV, either. It’s important to also think about whom you are following on social media. When you scroll through pictures are you feeling jealous? Are there celebrities and people making you feel bad about yourself? Are you being bombarded with pictures of products selling and promoting an unhealthy image?
Often times when browsing the media and rummaging through all the material we can even catch ourselves harshly judging other women and criticizing others out of jealousy or hatred. It might make us feel better at first, especially if we are feeling insecure, which is often the case, but eventually you’ll find that these negative thoughts find a way to seep back into your mind. Soon enough you will notice yourself applying these standards and comments to your own body. Even though our original intention may be to build our confidence, we’re really only bringing others down to our level. Obviously social media is all around us, and it’s difficult to filter out all of the negative content, but on social media we have the control to choose who and what we want to see. Really take the time to think about it once in a while and make sure it’s not doing more harm than it should be.
It is so important to only let the messages that are going to build you up and make you feel good about yourself access you through the screen. That’s precisely what these shows accomplish. Take a day to watch an episode of the shows I mentioned above (if you can even stop at just one) and you will notice how much better you feel about yourself. Besides making you laugh, the stories and characters allow you to see all women as unique and beautiful, making us realize that we have to stick together if we want these standards abolished!
Image Sources:
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