My body image watching Girls vs Gossip Girl

I noticed something icky happening with my body image after my recent Netflix bout.

I was re-watching (for the number of times I am too shamed to share) Gossip Girl, a show I’ve watched since I was 14 years old. I noticed with time my body image (not that robust to begin with) was becoming worse and worse. With a 2024 lens and perspective of someone nearing 30, I noticed that 00’s era of body idea was what was eating away at my body image.

What I noticed now about the Gossip Girl era, is the lack of diversity and the ‘thin ideal’ being all we see, which makes us believe this is the only ‘normal’, stirring up discomfort if we don’t meet this unattainable standard. I am not blaming these women, actresses or their bodies, this is just a reflection of the era. Thinness is not bad. Diversity is important here. We never can tell someone’s health or experience based just off their appearance. No matter what body you are in, we are all victims to society’s pressures.

Not long after I started watching Girls, which premiered just 5 years later than Gossip Girl. What I noticed was body inclusivity and diversity, acceptance, more realistic standard of what bodies. Within myself I felt more comfortable and accepting of how I looked.

***Just highly recommend this show, so good and so funny.

My experience highlights the importance of body diversity in the media. There is no better feeling than “Oh hey, she looks similar to me and that’s cool to see myself represented”. Rather than feeling like I need to shrink my body to fit societies thin ideal.

Media and society have come a lony way in the past 10-15 years, but we still have so much work to do around representation and deconstrucing the thin ideal in the media and our society.

What I’d recommend is just starting to notice, in a curious and non-judgemental manner, what thoughts and feelings show up for you when consuming media? (whether it’s social media, TV etc)

Reminder to check in:

-what brands to do you follow?

-who do you follow on socials?

-what visual media do you consume, does it represent diversity?

-how can I, in my life and industry promote diversity and inclusivity?

Be kind to yourself,

M x