Why Is This 'Indecent'?

A new ad from US clothing line Lane Bryant - featuring plus-size models Ashley Graham, Tara Lynn, Denise Bidot and Georgia Pratt in the label's underwear - has been rejected by major US TV networks.
Why? Because they call it "indecent".
The ad – Lane Bryant's ongoing body positive #ThisBody campaign – shows the women speaking proudly about their bodies, and includes a shot of Tara Lynn breastfeeding her newborn baby.
Major US networks NBC and ABC asked LB to edit the clip. When it declined, the ad was rejected with the claim it didn't meet "decency standards".
WTF???!!! These are the same networks who regularly air Miss Universe and Miss America swimsuit competitions, not to mention countless Victoria's Secret ads featuring models in lingerie, and all of a sudden this ad doesn't meet its "decency guidelines"?

You'll recall the networks swinging the same axe in 2010, when LB launched a new line...if not, then recap here [link]. They had an issue with curvy Ashley Graham's voluptuous chest! After that drama, the ad was the No.1 most-watched viral video in the world!
Following the networks' recent decision, LB posted the clip on Facebook: "The networks didn't want you to see this. But we do. Show everyone what #ThisBody's made for." Since then, it's been viewed over 2 million times.
LB: "The #ThisBody campaign was meant to be a fun way for us to celebrate and honour women of all shapes and sizes. What is too much for some does not hold true for others. It is a true celebration of women of all sizes doing what makes THEM feel beautiful - whether its breastfeeding their newborn, flaunting their bodies the way they see fit, breaking down barriers all around and simply being who they are or want to be."
So now's your chance to see it. IS this ad "indecent"? Or a positive celebration of life? YOU decide!

Sports Illustrated Finally Gets REAL!

This year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition is making waves...
for all the right reasons.
Thanks to voluptuous Ashley Graham, the cover has made history - as the first to feature a plus-size woman since the annual edition started in 1964. The shoot features the 28-year-old brunette, who is best-known as a lingerie model for the plus-size clothing store Lane Bryant. (Remember the controversy in 2010 when US TV channels refused to play Lane Bryant ads featuring Ashley...?)

The US-size 16 lingerie model (that's NZ size 18) Ashley says the shoot is for "every woman who felt she wasn't beautiful because of her size...you can do and achieve anything you put your mind to."
The 2016 Swimsuit Edition also features Ronda Rousey and Hailey Clauson as the stars of its two alternate covers. (Rhonda is an American mixed martial artist, judoka, and actress. She is the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, as well as the last Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion. Hailey Clauson is an American fashion model who has been the face of Dsquared2, Jill Stuart, and Gucci.)
It's the first time in 50 years that Sports Illustrated has featured cover stars representing three different body types. SI's assistant managing editor MJ Day: "All three women are beautiful, sexy and strong. Beauty is not cookie cutter. Beauty is not 'one size fits all.' Beauty is all around us and that became especially obvious to me while shooting and editing this year's issue."
FINALLY Sports Illustrated has seen the light!

Hello, Adele!

Big...bold...beautiful...
Adele's comeback single Hello is an absolute cracker (just like her, really!). And it's smashing records worldwide.
But let's not get snowed under by stats: here's the song itself. You'll LUV it!

Porn or Pop? Adele Decides

Adele and Oscar

Keep your ears open for Adele's hot new comeback single, Hello…
and your eyes open for the new Rolling Stone mag, featuring the singer on the front cover.
But what a change! Gone is the big trademark hairstyle. She's stripped back to tousled wet hair and minimal make-up as she sits in a white dressing gown for the cover shot.
Adele says she's constantly asked whether she would pose for Playboy: "I've been asked so many times, it's ridiculous, but do they ask me because I'm a woman…or because I'm fat?" With the huge wave of public support for plus-size women, Adele says "...sometimes I'm curious to know if I would have been as successful if I wasn't plus-size. I think I remind everyone of themselves. Not saying everyone is my size, but it's relatable because I'm not perfect, and I think a lot of people are portrayed as perfect, unreachable and untouchable."

27yr.old Adele has enjoyed a phenomenal comeback, with the release of her first single since the James Bond Skyfall theme song in 2012.
An accompanying video for Hello has been released and it clocked a mammoth 100 million views in just five days. It's had the most US downloads sold in a week: 1.11m. It's the first song ever to sell 1m+ downloads in a week.
The catchy song was streamed 47.5m times globally on Spotify, making it the most-streamed song over a week in the online streaming platform's history.
The music video also broke records at entertainment platform Vevo.com, delivering more than 27m views in the first 24 hours after its release.
Can't wait for the new album, called 25, due out before the end of this month!

Perfection Projection

We each have our own individual idea of what the 'perfect female body' looks like, based on our personal preferences.

But have you ever considered that where you come from can have a strong bearing on your Perfection Projection?
Onlinedoctor.superdrug.com gave 18 designers from around the world an image and asked them to photoshop it, to make the model fit with their own culture's perceptions of beauty and an ideal female form.
The aim was to better understand potentially unrealistic standards of beauty and to see how such pressures varied around the world. As we know, widely-held perceptions of beauty and perfection can have a deep and lasting cultural impact on both women and men.
Of those 18 designers, 14 were women and 4 were men. The organisers of this artistic exercise focused on female designers, because they wanted a woman's view of what her culture found attractive and to understand more about the pressures they faced in their daily lives.
In fact, the men's contributions were only accepted
(a) to get entries from more countries, and
(b) on the proviso that they got female input and worked that into their design changes.
So to see Perfection Projections from around the world, based on geographical and cultural influences, click [here]...

Attractive Pedestrians Are Bad For Your Health!

The survey proves what we all knew - that good-looking pedestrians are a distraction for kiwi drivers!
A new survey has also found one in five NZers is still texting while driving, despite this being illegal.
The Drivers Index Survey (which asked 1,000 regular NZ drivers 18yrs+ to rate 12 distractions) found nearly half of younger drivers 18-24 break the texting law.
20% of drivers said people outside the car were also a major problem, with 25% of men admitting they're likely to find attractive pedestrians a distraction than women do.
So here's the AA's definitive Top Ten Driver Distractions:
1st equal: Texting, and reading a newspaper or magazine
2. Applying make-up, shaving or other personal grooming
3. Talking on a mobile phone WITHOUT a hands-free kit
4. Changing the radio/iPod/MP3 player
5. Eating while driving
6. Children in the car
7th equal: Talking on a mobile phone WITH a hands-free kit, and using GPS or other navigation system
8. Billboards /outdoor advertising
9. People outside the car
10. Passenger in the car (sheep were not mentioned!)

But NZers are not alone - up to a million UK drivers crash their cars while perving at pedestrians.
Distracted Brit motorists cause 921,840 crashes per year (roughly 2,500 per day!)- with many of these checking out sexy people.
Not surprisingly, men are the worst offenders in the UK as well. 60% admitted to being distracted by attractive women. 12% of women said an attractive man would divert their gaze from the road.
And it's not just the sight of genetically-lucky people: even the sight of a billboard with a pretty lady or bloke can be an issue - 21% admitted it! You may recall about 10yrs back in Auckland, the gridlock-causing billboard of the Elle McPherson Intimates Collection, unveiled by two studs dressed only in boxers?!!!
This behaviour gets worse in summer when there's more flesh on display. Maybe manufacturers need to install cold showers in cars!

Swedish Mannequins Get Real

Unreal...

A Swedish department store has renewed the body image debate, after pix of its 'normal-sized' mannequins appeared online.
Åhléns introduced new-look mannequins to all its 76 stores back in 2010 - to widespread customer acclaim. But a recently-blogged photo stirred up fresh interest: so much so that the pic has gained over a million Facebook likes!

Real...

"We use different-sized mannequins because our customers are all different," says Åhlens' spokesman Monica Hultgren. "We're proud of them because of the great reaction from customers and it's good to encourage a positive body image."
The fashion industry's come under fire in recent years, due to it's skinny shop dummies that don't necessarily reflect the average woman. EG: most UK mannequins are size 8-10, around 5ft 10" and, in heels, create an

Something for everyone...

unrealistically long lean image. This is generally unachievable and helps create low self-esteem, as the average UK woman is size 16 and 5ft 4".
In Sweden, the average female is size 12 and 5ft 7". US dummies are usually 4-6, way below the average size 14 female.
So, well done to Åhléns! There's far too much focus on one fashion image. We all come in different sizes, shapes, colours and heights, and thank goodness for that!
The big question now is whether other chains will follow this positive example...

What's Hotter Than A Swedish Nurse?

Hotties - queue here!
Stockholm South General hospital is urging nurses looking "TV-series hot" to apply for a summer position in its emergency dept. A nursing degree might not be enough to land the job: the ad implies management are looking to hire their own Nurse McDreamy!
But officials say the description is merely a way of generating buzz about the job, just an attention-grabber: "Everybody else writes Summer Substitutes Wanted. We got something more catchy." So far, the ad's been well-received, with a statement on the hospital website to clarify things: "People understand it was written to catch their attention, there's been no negative feedback," says Nursing Manager Jorgen Andersson.

Perhaps Swedes have a broader sense of humour than the broads of Feminist Action...
A new group in NZ has launched a campaign against DB Breweries' latest Tui Beer ad showing klutz men outwitting scantily-clad female brewers in order to steal beer. It wants the TVC banned for degrading women and trivialising relationships.
Spokesman Leonie Morris reckons the message is that women are just sexual objects: "They're also saying women are stupid...the men are real dorks, but they still manage to outwit the women." However she's been ridiculed on talkback radio as hypersensitive and out-of-touch.
Tui's humorous advertising campaign uses stereotypes, heavy irony and the phrase "Yeah, Right", with lines like "Camilla for Queen? Yeah, Right" and "Aucklanders are people too. Yeah, Right".
Tui marketing manager Jarrod Bear says the Tui Brewery girls've been involved in ad campaigns since 2005 without complaint. "We salute Ms Morris for voicing her opinions and the public discussion it has created. The feedback Tui has received has been overwhelmingly supportive. Tui Brewery is an equal opportunities employer and we have no grounds for dismissal of the Tui Brewery girls, especially when they're doing such a good job." (Is that your tongue-in-cheek, Jarrod, or are you just pleased to see her?)

Making Music For The Ears

The gossip mags have reported that British singing sensation Adele cancelled the last leg of her US tour not because of illness, but because music execs said she had to lose weight!
According to a “source close to the situation”, a music guru told her if she wanted to be accepted in America, she needed to drop a few pounds. Adding to that pressure is the fact that Adele suffers from panic attacks, which were exacerbated once she got to US. When she gets nervous her throat closes up, hence the laryngitis (the supposed reason for cancelling). But how f***in' ridiculous and arrogant of the US music men!!!
Her weight is not an issue for to her fans though…she’s sitting pretty at the top of the charts with her outstanding second album 21.
Adele recently graced the cover of America's Rolling Stone magazine in their 'Best of Rock 2011' issue. Inside she says: “My life is full of drama and I don't have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like. Even if I had a really good figure, I don't think I'd get my tits and arse out for anyone. That’s not what my music is about. I don’t make music for eyes, I make music for ears.” Well said!
...if you liked that, you might also wanna check out this 2008 remake of Billy Joel's To Make You Feel My Love...

Playboy Plus!

Curvaceous Brazilian model Fluvia Lacerda recently made history as the first 'plus' model to appear in Playboy Brazil.
At a very shapely size 16 (that's a US 16 = Euro 48 = NZ 18; 5’8”/172 cm; 43-35-48”/109-89-122cm) she's definitely one of the curviest models to appear in any Playboy.
Hugh Hefner created the Brazilian
edition of Playboy back in 1975. Originally titled A Revista do Homem, the glossy publication was an immediate hit with locals and is still going strong 34 years later.
Many see Fluvia's feature as breaking down another barrier for plus models. She feels more Latina women should be represented in the plus industry.
In addition to the Playboy appearance, she was also named winner of Full Figured Fashion Week’s Plus Commercial Print Model of the Year Award.

Beast Into Beauty

Gojira is gone.
Sea Shepherd’s fast interceptor vessel Gojira (Godzilla) helped rout the nasty Nippon whalers from the Sthrn.Ocean Whale Sanctuary earlier this year. It was funny to have Japanese media report the whaling fleet was fleeing from Godzilla (the giant lizard star of several C-grade Japanese movies)! But the filmmakers’ lawyers weren’t amused and served SS with a notice to remove the name.
No worries - Gojira had served its purpose well...
So Captain Paul Watson proposed to the Brigitte Bardot Foundation (BBF) its renaming as the Brigitte Bardot after the dedicated animal rights activist. The relationship between Brigitte and Paul goes way back to 1977 when Watson took Bardot to the

Brigitte and Paul?

ice off the coast of Labrador to pose with a baby seal. With that one iconic photo, Bardot brought the harp seals issue to the world’s attention, a turning point in the fight to stop this annual Canadian slaughter.
SS and BBF have worked together in partnership for many years, last year in the Faroe Islands.

Watson examines Bardot's assets

And thus, with a few licks of paint, Brigitte Bardot joins the SS fleet of Steve Irwin and Bob Barker. Its first role will be in Libyan waters, tracking down bluefin tuna poachers taking advantage of the war zone to illegally exploit these endangered fish.
My only concern about a hi-tech vessel like this is: if it's taken down into the Southern Ocean, is it capable of mastering the stormy seas down there? Time will tell.

Next Top Model Gets A Bit More Real

New Zealand's Next Top Model is going “plus size” this year.
By that, the producers mean almost the size of a normal healthy koiwoi sheila. Almost.

Whitney: hardly plus size...

America's Next Top Model 2008 was won by plus-sized Whitney Thompson. She was the first model above a US dress size 4 to win the competition: she says she fluctuates between US 8-10. Converting US into koiwoi sizes, a US 4 = NZ 6; 8 = 10; 10 = 12: hardly what you’d call “plus size”... or even “REAL size”.

"Real" models:
Barbara Brickner,
Danielle Line,
Crystal Renn

In the NZ show, no model bigger than a 10 has ever made it into the finals.
But this year that may change, with the door opened to models sized NZ 12 or more.
The only problem is, of the thousands applying for the show, only five met that criterion. But I understand some of those do make the top 33: they’ll appear in the first episode.
Stats show our average NZ gal wears size 14-16, with the next most-popular dress size 18-20. At size 8-10, these tv wannabees are getting a tad closer but still not a true representation of a majority of NZ women. I think these models should be NZ 12-14, showing how outstanding curvy women actually look.
But we all know designers want clothes horses, not true “real” representations of their customers. They seem slow to grasp that, if they actually catered to the market, there’d be more financial support for their creations.
Women of all shapes and sizes have a right to dress the way they want – not the way the retail industry lets them.

Plus Size TV: No Wide Screen Needed

Hands up who remembers Gilmore Girls... that sugar-sweet comedy-drama about a 30+ single mum called Lorelai Gilmore and her goody-good teenage daughter Rory, living in Stars Hollow.
The character I liked most was Sookie - she was Lorelai's best friend: a talented chef, a bit scatter-brained and klutzy, controlling in the kitchen.
Sookie was played by Melissa McCarthy, a 5ft.2" cuddly hotty. I was always surprised the scriptwriters didn't have a field day with her weight, but that would've alienated some of the audience the show wanted. I can't actually remember even one 'size' joke at her expense...

"Love me. Love ALL of me."

Melissa's about to start a run here on NZ TV in a romantic comedy called Mike and Molly (TV2, Sun.1st.May 8pm). It's about a couple who meet in a weight-loss support group. And this time, there will be laughs made out of the couple's size - in fact, that's pivotal to the whole show. I'm looking forward to seeing how the issue's handled. Ok, to be totally honest, I'm more anticipating seeing Melissa McCarthy...but that's a whole different story!
Another show I enjoy is Drop Dead Diva (TV2, Wed., 9.30pm): "A vapid aspiring model killed in a car crash gets brought back to life as an intelligent overweight lawyer, hoping to find the meaning of inner beauty..." Another leading lady, Jane Bingum (played by Brooke Elliott), who's not a stick insect! And again, she looks hot!
So why is US TV suddenly relating to larger people? Or are the producers merely using them to gawk at? Are they trying to attract the 60% of Americans classified as overweight? Have they finally realised that most viewers are not model-thin? Is "fat" no longer a dirty word? Is "being normal" now ok? Has "plus size" finally come-of-age?
So many questions. I guess the ratings will tell...

Fantastic Fashion Week

Auckland's fashionistas are full of the joys of Fashion Week 2010.
The loss of banner sponsor Air New Zealand this year has not compromised the glam event, running through til this Saturday in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour Marine Village. The best of NZ’s fashion design is on show, with a wide range of both established and emerging brands.
And like last year, The Carpenter's Daughter has stunned the crowd with gorgeous plus-sized models cast from a public call-up. This show was a real progression for The Carpenter's Daughter, making a strong design statement instead of relying on colourful layering pieces. "Big, loud and proud" is one thing, this added another in more of-the-moment pieces, reflecting the darker mood of mainstream winter ranges. The look was hardly funereal, however, with lots of lace, floaty fabrics and brocades and velvets softening the overall effect.
Once again, The Carpenter's Daughter designers Caroline Marr and Sarah-Jane Duff have shown that style isn't only for stick insects.

Plus Size Is A Joke

UK designer Julien MacDonald (maker of skimpy upmarket glam) is in hot water when, talking about the tv show Britain's Next Top Model, he said: "This is a serious show. You can't have a plus-size girl winning - it makes it a joke". Ouch! MacDonald will chair the jury of the show, and it seems he's already made up his mind over what qualities the winner must have...
Tell that to plus-size supermodel Crystal Renn, who hit back in the Independent, saying beauty is not about size and it is terribly wrong to create a strong division between straight-size and plus-size models. The catwalk should be like the road, with different sizes, and she'd like to see a move away from titles like "plus size". She says the winner should be beautiful and talented, able to pose, with passion and charisma, whatever her size...

To accentuate that curvy girls are not a joke, New York has just concluded its 2nd.annual Full Figured Fashion Week, completely dedicated to plus size fashion, models and business. The marketplace is thirsty for innovative stylish creations that flatter curvy figures, and FFFWeek is an exciting promise of fuller fashion evolution.
Meanwhile the June 2010 issue of French Marie Claire has gone curvy with editorials featuring plus-size models in lingerie and swimsuits à la française - some with only bottoms, no tops!
PS: 14 July 2010 - Macdonald is rapidly backpedalling: "I was misquoted! I meant to say I think there's room for everyone in fashion, but if you're a plus-sized model the opportunities are less - there's just less work for plus-sized models." The designer then added with a bit of pride, "I don't try to cover up plus-size women, I want them to accentuate their bodies." Yea...right, Julien! Too little, too late!

Callie's Underwear Dance

Last year I posted about the delicious Sara Ramirez, Hispanic-and-Hot actress playing Dr.Callie Torres on TV's Grey’s Anatomy. I still get a few emails about that post – not only from guys who’re appreciative of the curvy female form, but also from generously-shaped gals who find Sara (pronounced Sa-da), to be inspirational...

One of the best moments in Grey’s Anatomy:Season 3 was Callie’s near-legendary "underwear dance". It certainly rocked TV Land at the time! Imagine: a non-stick-figure woman diggin’ the groove in her knickers and looking damn hot! OMG!
If you missed that solo scene down in the Seattle Grace Hospital basement (or would like to see it again - and again - and again)…
here it is: enjoy!

Remember: "Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we're here, we might as well DANCE!"

Double Standards in the Knickers Drawer

A storm in a 38D cup in USA...over a plus-size lingerie commercial that Fox TV and ABC were reluctant to play!
Plus-size label Lane Bryant claims the channels agreed to air an ad for its new 'Cacique' lingerie line, then got cold feet. The company says ABC "restricted our airtime" and refused to air the ad during Dancing With the Stars, while Fox "demanded excessive re-edits three times before relenting to air it during the final ten minutes of American Idol, but only after we threatened to pull the schedule."
Bryant says the networks had a problem with the cleavage in the ad...
Hear what some US media are saying...
Lane Bryant suggests they have an unfair issue airing images of curvy women in lingerie, while they have no problem with Victoria's Secret's racy ads featuring much thinner models.
Sure, the voluptuous model (Ashley Graham) has a bigger bosom but, as far as raciness goes, it's no more shocking than anything else on TV. And quite frankly, she looks a damn sight better!
PS: 06 May 2010 – The people speak. Lane Bryant's ad is the No.1 most-watched viral video in the world this week: over 3-million views !

Getting Real...

The word from Aussie fashion industry experts is that 2010 will be the Year of the Plus-Size Model. Australia's leading plus-size modelling agencies expect demand for larger models to surge in the next 12 months with more consumers demanding "real women" in the media.
Director of Sydney's BGM Models, Darrianne Donnelly, says US magazine V's decision to devote its January 2010 issue to plus-size women shows how attitudes have changed. Bella Model Management director Chelsea Bonner agrees, saying plus-size models are now earning big money, especially overseas. "Our top model Abby Valdes is stunning and is a size 14-16...she earns well in excess of $300,000 a year and gets to travel all over the world doing it."
With the average aussie sheila a size 16, Australia's top fashion magazines such as Madison, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan now regularly book plus-size models. Ms Bonner: "The latest issue of Australia's Woman's Weekly has 15 pages featuring our models....that is incredible. We only ever used to get a token one or two pages." There had also been an upswing recently in the number of women wanting to become plus-size models.
You GO, girl!

V Gets Up-Sized!

When it comes to fashion we all know that, sadly, thin is still in. Having the body dimensions and appearance of a stick insect is strangely appealing to the fashion community, and modeling while under the influence of anorexia has long been the industry standard. Of late, there's been a growing awareness about the dangers of the industry’s excessive obsession with being skinny, but the world of editorial glam is still dominated by the very thin: even the deaths of anorexic models seems to have had only marginal impact.
However, in it's January 2010 issue, high-end US fashion bible V Magazine decided to show images to the contrary. It's pictures are very sexy, focusing on looks normally reserved for the skinniest of fashion specimens. The fuller curves lend a grace and flow to the images, illustrating that sometimes bigger is better...
Now, I'll concede that these plus size models are all in great shape so you'll not see wrinkles and rolls that many "real" bigger women may feel self-concious about daily, but hey - it's a step in the right direction, isn't it?

Dogs DO Go To Heaven!

Following its deliberately-tactless Save the Whales billboard (Aug.2009) which seriously upset obese Americans, PETA (that's 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals') has produced a couple of sexy ads featuring Playboy covergirl Joanna Krupa: one entitled Angel and the other Church. The latter, featuring a strategically-placed crucifix, has displeased the US organisation, The Catholic League.

The League says: "Cats and dogs are a lot safer in pet stores than in the hands of PETA supporters. Moreover, pet stores don’t rip off Christian iconography and engage in cheap irreligious claims."
The practising Catholic model's response: "I’m doing what the Church should be doing, working to stop senseless suffering of animals, the most defenseless of God’s creations."

I feel the question isn’t so much "Is PETA being irreverant?"...but more "What is PETA actually selling?"

Clever marketing is one thing, but does Joanna Krupa really appeal to those wanting to adopt a puppy...or those likely to buy Playboy?