Time to change and take responsibility by the Appearance Industry. There is a BIG start: Brigitte published by Gruner+Jahr, one of Germany’s most popular glossy women’s magazines, announced that from 2010 it will no longer use models in photo spreads in response to changing ideas about beauty. Instead Brigitte choose from readers and staff members based on their meaningful qualities other than their dress size. “Attractiveness has many faces,” editor Huber said in a statement. Co-editor Andreas Lebert said “Behind the career of a model lies the idea of not showing women themselves, but instead a place holder – a model of a certain size. Now many women find this outdated, especially the beauty ideals, also moulded by the fashion industry, that are highly controversial.”
Dr. Lisa Pecho, a psychotherapist and spokesperson for the BFE (German eating disorder experts), comments that the Brigitte’s new aesthetic is an important step towards changing unrealistic body images, “This magazine has a huge influence in Germany,” Pecho said. “There are many factors that create eating disorders, but the media is certainly a big one.”
Comment by Peter Alberda — October 13, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
I really like this initiative, we need to make everyone aware of the fact that we’re being influenced by so many companies, all just because of money. I think our live standard is influenced by the industry, even our choice for food is being influenced. That is insane, isn’t it! Normal veggies and fruits are ‘boring’ and we should eat all kinds of weird produced foods.
Comment by Annemarie Sijbesma — October 13, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Time to change and take responsibility by the Appearance Industry. There is a BIG start: Brigitte published by Gruner+Jahr, one of Germany’s most popular glossy women’s magazines, announced that from 2010 it will no longer use models in photo spreads in response to changing ideas about beauty. Instead Brigitte choose from readers and staff members based on their meaningful qualities other than their dress size. “Attractiveness has many faces,” editor Huber said in a statement. Co-editor Andreas Lebert said “Behind the career of a model lies the idea of not showing women themselves, but instead a place holder – a model of a certain size. Now many women find this outdated, especially the beauty ideals, also moulded by the fashion industry, that are highly controversial.”
Dr. Lisa Pecho, a psychotherapist and spokesperson for the BFE (German eating disorder experts), comments that the Brigitte’s new aesthetic is an important step towards changing unrealistic body images, “This magazine has a huge influence in Germany,” Pecho said. “There are many factors that create eating disorders, but the media is certainly a big one.”
Comment by Peter Alberda — October 13, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
I really like this initiative, we need to make everyone aware of the fact that we’re being influenced by so many companies, all just because of money. I think our live standard is influenced by the industry, even our choice for food is being influenced. That is insane, isn’t it! Normal veggies and fruits are ‘boring’ and we should eat all kinds of weird produced foods.
Comment by Annemarie Sijbesma — October 13, 2009 @ 12:23 pm