As I look at the pictures I hung up in my dorm room of my friends and me, one thing jumps out at me, in every single picture. I always pose with one arm around whoever I’m taking the picture with, and my other hand resting on my hip (see picture). Looking at the pictures more carefully, I noticed that it wasn’t just me, it was every girl. All of my friends pose the same way in pictures. This ‘pose’ is second nature to me, and apparently to all the other girls I know. I thought maybe it is just because it’s comfortable to stand like that, or because we look awkward with our arms hanging down. However, the very first sentence of Susan Bordo’s article says “The body- what we eat, how we dress, the daily rituals through which we attend to the body- is a medium of culture” (165). Based on this quote, I believe that the body practice of posing for pictures with one hand on your hip is done because of the culture that we are surrounded with every day. According to a magazine article I saw online a few days ago (but unfortunately can’t find any more), posing with one hand on your hip draws the attention to your waist, and makes it look smaller. The article also listed a slew of celebrities (Specifically, I remember Kim Kardashian’s name being on it) who always pose that way. This obviously has been captured by the media, and therefore seen by teenage girls everywhere. The result? Subconsciously posing with one hand on your hip, in EVERY.SINGLE.PICTURE. Thanks culture.
I have never even thought about that! It makes me wonder how many other things females do that we don't even realize we are subjecting our bodies to. When I hear someone say "lets take a picture", I know I immediatly change everything about how I am positioned...why? You know that certain poses and angle make you look better, but what is better, and what sets the rules to define it? Very interesting to look further into some of these body practices.
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