Body shaming: why it is important to combat this toxic behavior
In the era of social networks, Instagram and Tik Tok in primis, where the exposure of the body has reached an unprecedented peak, the attention towards the aesthetic aspect has become increasingly morbid. A direct consequence of this trend is body shaming, a phenomenon that has polluted society since the beginning of time, but which today has become even more relevant and, above all, dangerous. This behavior, then, deserves reflection and deepening that we offer you in this article, at the end of which we hope the reasons why it is urgent to stop it once and for all, like a crime.
What is body shaming?
For some years now, the English term body shaming has become part of the common jargon and, more precisely, in 2018 it made its official entry into the Treccani vocabulary. It is, precisely, a neologism from the English language which indicates that phenomenon whereby the physical appearance of a person is mocked and humiliated because it is distant from the aesthetic standards served up by the media and society. Speaking of body shaming, we tend to think that it is above all obesity that is being targeted. In fact, this practice also targets other aspects of the body such as thinness, height, baseness, fluffiness, hair color, hairstyle, shape and size of the genital organs and breasts and problems. of a cutaneous nature such as spots, acne and psoriasis. This attitude, which stinks so much of bullying, has always existed, but has had a greater echo with the advent of social networks, platforms in which one is more exposed to the (often negative) judgment of others.
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The main victims
In general, all those who do not fall within an ideal of aesthetic perfection may be subject to body shaming, but there are categories that are more vexed than others, such as:
- Adolescents: these individuals are in a delicate transition phase between childhood and adulthood which is also manifested externally. The younger ones, in fact, are often struggling with a changing body that they struggle to accept and this can make them uncomfortable in front of those peers, whose physique has already assumed a defined shape.
- Women: Although men can sometimes be attacked and denigrated for several reasons, including the lack of defined muscles that help emphasize their virility, it is mainly women who are victims. These, subjected to constant media pressure and unrealistic models of beauty, are harshly criticized if they do not prove to be up to aesthetic expectations, often unreliable.
- Postpartum women: a sub-category subject to unsolicited comments regarding the weight and physique that usually result from pregnancy.
What are the consequences of this attitude?
Insults, offensive words, criticisms, these are the weapons with which body shaming hurts its victims, generating in them a sense of shame and serious self-esteem problems. Being bullying in all respects, this practice can have serious repercussions on people made the subject of ridicule, such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks and eating disorders, fomented by the exasperated search for a perfection that does not actually exist. Sometimes, unfortunately, some episodes can lead to dramatic consequences such as suicide, especially when a particularly fragile and vulnerable individual is targeted. It is these situations that we need to think about in order to feel more empathy and finally come to understand that harmful and lethal attitudes of this type must be eradicated as soon as possible and never again perpetrated.
Filippo Sensi and the bill against fat-shaming
Fat shaming is an important component of body shaming as well as the most common. It is discriminatory behavior towards overweight and obese people determined by an anti-fat bias. It is on the social stigma of obesity that in 2020 a bill against bullying was presented in Parliament by the deputy Pd Filippo Sensi. On that occasion, the speech at Montecitorio was addressed for the first time. Sensi's intent was to make body shaming a crime, especially now that, with the spread of social networks, this already aberrant phenomenon has definitely worsened.
Skinny-shaming: a still little known problem
If, on the one hand, a greater sensitivity and consequent aberration towards fat-shaming is perceived, the same cannot be said of its inverse, thin or skinny-shaming, a highly disparaging behavior towards thin people. In fact, thinness can be a constitution factor due to a fast metabolism and not necessarily a pathological condition. Even if it were, persistently pointing out to someone that they should eat more or, worse, that they "look sick" is definitely not therapeutic. From the outside, in fact, it is not possible to guess the very personal relationship that everyone establishes with their own body and, considering this, it would be advisable to refrain from any judgment to avoid further rage.
It was the singer Elodie in 2020 who tried to raise awareness on the subject after she herself, for the umpteenth time, was a victim. After participating in Sanremo, the girl said she had received inappropriate considerations on her physical appearance from her colleague Marco Masini. The latter, meeting her behind the scenes, has repeatedly made his debut with phrases such as "But are you eating?", "Eat eh!". Then the singer, tired of constantly having to defend herself from people who take it for granted that she does not eat, gave a speech that finally put to rest this type of allegations: "When you see a woman who has gained 3.4 kg and you see her more curvy, you certainly don't go there and say: 'Oh anyway, magna de meno. "You don't dare, right? Because it's her business. If a woman loses two kg, you see me slightly thin and you say' Eh but you have to eat ". As if I had a food problem ”.
Celebrities are also victims of body shaming
Body shaming does not spare anyone, not even the women of the show. Their body, constantly in the spotlight, is further subject to judgment and criticism from haters and detractors. One of the most attacked stars is certainly the singer Adele who, in recent years, has lost several kilos, thus passing from the insults of those who considered her too "fat" to, paradoxically, those of those who consider her "excessively thin".
As highlighted at the beginning of the article, postpartum women are not immune to this criticism either, and they also include actress Blake Lively and Italian influencer Beatrice Valli. Both, in fact, suffered bitter offenses on social media because they had the "ardor" not to get back into shape promptly a few months after giving birth.
But body-shaming has several facets, including ageism. Heather Parisi, for example, found herself having to respond to the comments of nostalgic detractors, unable to accept the natural appearance of the signs of aging on the face of the woman who prefers to age naturally rather than show off an artificial and stereotyped beauty.
Even the unsuspected Chiara Ferragni was the victim, over and over again, of teasing and indelible comments. There are those who target her for her "too small" breasts, others for "too big" feet, or who, including journalists, humiliate both her and her friends for their physical appearance. To these people, Ferragni responds with grace and wit, highlighting the absurdity of this toxic attitude: “I think it's disgusting to send such a message, especially when so many women and girls have problems with their bodies and their self-esteem [ ...] For today's women it is really difficult to feel beautiful, for many different reasons. Being a model for many of them, I have always tried to share messages that can instill confidence and self-esteem. […] Diversity is beauty. Imperfection is beauty. Happiness is beauty. Self-confidence is beauty. Don't let other people ruin you, or tell you who you are. Never. "
In short, it is clear, then, how deeply wrong this practice is and, above all, why it should be fought. The value of each of us, in fact, is untied and goes beyond our appearance and only those who are not superficial are able to perceive it.
