Discussion Leading: The Body Politic

Andee Ondina
Intro to women's studies
Nina Perez
2/6/2010


Chernik, Abra Fortune. "The Body Politic". Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. New York and London: McGraw Hill, 2010.

    In in the article "The Body Politic" by Abra Fortune Chernik, Chernik opens up about her battle with anorexia. She begins talking about how she hit puberty late in life and was able to keep her prepubescent look longer than her friends. She was used to getting compliments on her skinny physique, so when she hit puberty and her curves started to develop her issues with body image began. The influence of "magazine articles, television commercials, lunch room conversations, gymnastics coaches and write ups on models"  took its toll on Chernik. She soon fell into a meal skipping, exercise junkie. With in several months she had fooled her body into returning back to the lanky prepubescent shape it had once took. Due to Chernik’s lack of nutrition her monthly periods never came and she quickly withered away to nothing. Along with starving herself, she became full of hatred, not only to herself but to others. Her friendships and relationships disappeared with each shredded pound. 
   
    "The word anorexia literally means loss of appetite" (600). Chernik would starve herself, convince herself that she did not need to eat. When she slipped and would binge, she would spend the rest of the night throwing up and verbally assaulting herself for what she had done. By the time Chernik was checked into a hospital she was nothing but skin and bones. Over the months that she was hospitalized she tried to search for a reason to why she had the need to control her weight. She looked back to her childhood, family, intimate relationships and personal beliefs. She participated in different therapies and going to psychotherapies. Her big question with gaining weight was she could not understand why society was rewarding her for something that is killing her. She realized that it was time to let loose of the skinny ideal and decided to recreate herself, in the image of a strong woman.

     Chernik ends the article by saying "For the first time in history, young women have the opportunity to create a world in our image. But many of us concentrate instead on re-creating the shape of our thighs" (602). I find this very true. We live in a nation where aesthetically inclined people have the upper hand. I personally believe that inner beauty can and will get you far in life, however it is becoming more and more unlikely with societies seemingly never ending shallow outlook. Chernik is right, we need to start overlooking what we see in magazines and understand that looks can only get you so far. Intelligence and confidence can carry you through.

Questions:
Explain the connection you see between a nation of starving, self obsessed women and the continued success of the patriarchy.
What does our society do to extinguish the "skinny ideal".
How can society re-create itself in a more positive light? Do you think it can? Or is it in too deep?