Graphic courtesy of Carrie Clowers ’18
BY NAIEKA RAJ ’19
As the body-positivity movement advances through the Mount Holyoke College community, more and more questions surrounding the authenticity of these words are raised each day. With a large number of Lena Dunham-type “free-spirited” students roaming the campus and dominating the social scene, one would expect attitudes of self-love and appreciation to prevail just as confidently. Sadly, this is not the case and feelings of self-hate and struggles to meet conventional beauty standards continue to plague our daily existence. Although self care and body-positivity can be helpful, its language can be convoluted and not accessible to all.
When I first got to Mount Holyoke, the concept of not having to shave my body hair was revolutionary. After years of plucking, waxing and bleaching the persistent Indian hairs that covered my skin, my pores were finally free from torment and this was a step to accepting my body in its natural state. But I soon found out that these “bold” actions were little more than bourgeois political statements. Every hairy armpit and thrift-stored crop top came with invisible bold letters, “SC*EW YOU, PATRIARCHY” sketched on, and although this is one of the many things I love about the Moho spirit, what does it have to do with loving my body? Why is my relationship with myself a brave statement?
Of course a restrictive society is harmful and of course the patriarchy needs to be checked at every point but my body positivity starts and ends with me. When I get validation from my friends and they are accepting of my physical choices then this is greatly appreciated, but I am not making my decisions to prove any point. More importantly, when we have certain qualifications for what does and does not constitute for a liberal aesthetic Moho, we are neglecting entire groups of individuals who make different choices.
Intersectionality within the body positivity movement is not always present, not here and definitely not in the world outside the bubble that is Mount Holyoke. But this is a topic in and of itself. More minor concerns arise from the term “self-care.” Taking time to treat yourself is no doubt important, but not all students on campus have access to face masks, makeup and an Amazon Prime account. Maybe this term needs to be re-defined to include vocal or physical expressions to remind ourselves of our inherent self-worth. Retail therapy has its benefits, but I wonder if an element of non-material value can be incorporated in some way. This is easier said than done; I am definitely not the spokesperson for this movement (or any other for that matter).
Another common and complicated issue in discussing Body-Positivity arises when we put ourselves down in front of others — how do we grapple with the idea of validating someone’s feelings and taking care of our own self image/ self worth? We’ve all had that friend who complains about her thighs, forcing you to re-examine your own body through her eyes. I am not interested in playing the insecurities game. I don’t know what the right thing to do is — I just know that if I have to hear another 100-pound person tell me they hate themselves for being “fat,” I might have to shove some chicken nuggets down my throat to keep me from saying something rude
I want to clarify that I do understand why expressing your pain out loud might be beneficial to you, as well as to those around you; but these words can in turn cause greater harm than good. By criticizing our own bodies based on highly superficial standards, we are in turn placing value on these objectifications for others as well. I’m fully aware of the hypocrisy in these words as I certainly am not entirely guilt-free, but I find that there is a way to go about being honest with yourself and supportive of others at the same time. I am not qualified to give advice on ways to go about doing this though. To conclude, the sooner we realize that the words we put out into the world have significant consequences, the closer we get to building the inspiring, patriarchy-fighting community of our dreams.