Australia to ban ultra-skinny models

[XenoX101]

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment...-1225884746665 Excerpt:

Originally Posted by The Sunday Telegraph

Youth Minister Kate Ellis will today unveil a new body-image tick of approval, similar to the Heart Foundation's healthy foods tick, to be awarded to magazines, modelling agencies and fashion labels that meet the following criteria: - Disclose when images have been retouched and refrain from enhancing photographs in a way that changes a person's body shape, for example, lengthening their legs or trimming their waist, or removing freckles, lines and other distinguishing marks. - Only use models aged 16 or older to model adult clothes - both on catwalks and in print. - Refrain from using models who are very thin - or male models who are excessively muscular. - Stocking clothing in a wide variety of sizes in shops to reflect the demand from customers. - Using a broad range of body shapes, sizes and ethnicities in editorial and advertising. - Not promoting rapid weight loss, cosmetic surgery, excessive exercising or any advertisements or editorial content that may promote a negative body image.
I'm not sure how I feel about this, sounds good in theory, I guess.

 

[onion]

And yeah, this bill is ******* marsupialed.

 

[max_r]

what doesn't austrailia ban

or male models who are excessively muscular.

haha what

not allowed to show people who are healthier than the average reader, because it might make them feel bad?

 

[z7f9q]

More muscles than most people isn't the same as healthier than most people.

Anyways, this is a foolish bill, but I suppose they have good intentions. It'll probably have zero impact.

 

[Makeshift_Robot]

Should ban all movies featuring attractive people, all books in which people are being described as tall, slim, or attractive, The Nightmare Before Christmas in any form, and photographs of handsome people.

All the tall, slim people walking around will be ordered never to leave the house, so that your average fatass doesn't end up feeling bad.

It also indicates an incredible lack of respect for couture as an art form. "Designers can't be "edgy" or "cool"! They should just make clothes for everyone to wear!"

 

[Captain Winky]

More nanny-state bullshit...

 

[XenoX101]

One thing to note though is that the only thing they infer will be banned is this. "Designers will be asked not to hire either models with a dangerously low body mass index (BMI) or excessively muscular men." And so the other stuff, marketed under the 'body-image tick of approval' will not be enforced, but simply encouraged to be followed as a guideline, similar to the heart foundation tick (which I'd guesstimate 90% of processed foods in our market don't have). If it were enforced, then they wouldn't be able to distinguish brands with a 'tick of approval' as all brands would have to meet the rules by law, thus making the tick useless.

 

[A Fellow Linguist]

They should also make strong people carry weights all the time, and make attractive people wear masks.

But anyway, the title of the thread/article is sensational. They're not banning anything, just offering a seal of approval.

edit: oh **** beat by xenox

 

[MetroStyles]

The muscular thing is marsupialed. The too skinny thing has some merit.

 

[Captain Winky]

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

The muscular thing is marsupialed. The too skinny thing has some merit.

While I don't believe it is the state's place to regulate this, I agree. I think far more women will starve themselves/binge & purge in order to be thin than men will start using steroids or other dangerous drugs. And let's face it, a lot of men could afford to fit the gym...

And on another note, the male models I see aren't necessarily excessively muscular, like body builders, but, like actors, are just very cut. They are then photographed in a way that makes them look big.

 

[Synthese]

Originally Posted by A Fellow Linguist

They should also make strong people carry weights all the time, and make attractive people wear masks.

Oh **** which story is this from, haven't read that since I was like 10

 

[mondayc]

Why do we feel the need to appease fat people

?

 

[ryannn]

Lolz http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/wo...3fat.html?_r=2

 

[phildo]

woah the average american waist is 39"

 

[MetroStyles]

Originally Posted by ryanmnguyen

Lolz

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/wo...3fat.html?_r=2

Japan is awesome. I love how this kind of thing is okay in Japan but would be unimaginable for its un-PCness in the US. That said, the Japanese really don't need to be worrying about waistlines. Very thin country.