Comments on: What Pictures Can't Tell You…

By: Being Native in the Twilight Saga and The Importance of Being Sam and Emily… « random babble…

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:20:26 +0000

[...] were willing to toss him aside for someone who looked closer. Fair enough, sure, because nowadays, you really can’t tell if someone is truly Native (or any ethnicity) just by looking at them. But the makers of the Twilight Saga movies sure as hell were not hopelessly devoted to the idea of [...]

By: The Space Between… « random babble…

The Space Between… « random babble… — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:57:27 +0000

[...] women meant to make me hate myself so that I would work to not be like them. There was no campaign of women of any size coming out to say “we are imperfect, but here we [...]

By: dorktastic

dorktastic — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:55:19 +0000

This is such an interesting post. My mixed-race ex is read as white, totally erasing his First Nations heritage (and leading to some very uncomfortable moments when he has presented his status card.
I will admit that my firs thought when I looked at this picture after reading your comments was that there were a number of women in that picture that I read as racially “ambiguous” – and then it occurred to me that I was totally missing the point. I have met blond mixed race people, mixed race people with skin that is as light as my (very) pale white skin, and white people with darker, olive skin.
I also agree with your frustration that these women are considered “plus-size” models. Maybe they do wear plus sizes, but that doesn’t mean that they’re fat. At my largest, I didn’t wear plus sizes because of my body shape/fat distribution, but was definitely outside of the socially approved range of body sizes for women. And, at least from that photograph, most of those women look like they fit within that range, or come pretty close. Sure, maybe some of them wear a size 14, but that looks different on a woman who is 5’8 + (I’m assuming they’re tall because they are models), than it would on my 5’3 body. Clothing size, like body weight, doesn’t necessarily tell you very much about what someone actually looks like.

(Also, size 14 according to whom? I currently have clothes that fit in women’s sizes 5-10 – women’s sizes are not standardized at all!).

By: Lois

Lois — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:56:55 +0000

I’ve always been a fan of plus-size models! There’s a great site with many images of plus-size models here:

http://www.judgmentofparis.com/

They’re all gorgeous.

The site’s forum also has thought-provoking discussions about body image and the media.

By: Cecelia

Cecelia — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:40:43 +0000

Awesome… thank u!

By: Ouyang Dan

Ouyang Dan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:07:51 +0000

Fixed!

By: Cecelia

Cecelia — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:44:17 +0000

I italicized everything because I was trying to quote what you said in your post. I am not all up on html codes, haha!!!

By: Cecelia

Cecelia — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:43:25 +0000

“We don’t know, in today’s world, by looking at a photo or representation of a person what their racial or ethnic identity is.”

EXACTLY!

When I read this on Renee’s blog I was like uh-oh, here we go again looking at skin color when many women of color are light skinned. Its not a black and white world – and I really want people who are discussing race to know this. It only perpetuates this Black and White world which is mixing and meshing as we speak. Embracing diversity is also embracing diversity of mixed peoples. Which often many assume these people are “white.” For instance, my Aunt is half but has blonde hair and blue eyes. This does not make her any less Black to be light skinned. Nor does it make you or I any less Native to be lighter skin toned.

I really want to say this because I am very tired of the Black and White argument around race. White is insulting to some as well. I am Native and European. My Mother does not identify with White as that is a color of a wall. She identifies with her Scandinavian heritage and has every darn right too. She has a fabulous t-shirt she got in Norway that says “Scandinavian Heritage” to celebrate her culture and pride. Please know that there are many people that embrace their culture who do not identify as White. Oppression is layer deep as well. It was not long that my Grandfather on my Mothers side went hungry and was abandoned by his family as a young child. This is also generational trauma. I have a right to claim this part of my heritage and claim it as my story. I have a right to heal this and to not be dissected in my existence. I am sick of it. I just needed to speak of this.

Great post friend!!!

By: bme

bme — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:59:54 +0000

Thank you! My native ancestry is distant, though looking at my maternal grandfather, it is also fairly obvious. Looking at the picture, I’m surprised by how few of the women are blond, and by the hints of various racial or ethnic origins outside the strictly European framework — though as you say, you can’t tell a person’s bloodline from a picture anymore. I too would love to see more representation across the board ethnically, size-ishly, abled-bodiedly, etc. (also urgh, linguistically). I hope that there is room for more discussion of inclusion that doesn’t seek to reduce everything to binary terms and instead defines representation across a spectrum.

By: steve

steve — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:07:54 +0000

totally off topic (to a really terrific post) but there is an Ikea (now that I have embraced my heritage) by my house and I would me more than happy to pick up a rocking moose and send it to DA UP
I know that was not the intent of your comment but I would love to get the kids something if that is what you think they would like.
Drop me an email and let me know.