Allure May Need A Reality Check

Sorry to have disappeared on you for so long. I was sort of consumed with writing. Anyway, I'm coming up for air long enough to take on Allure magazine. I never used to pay any attention to Allure but then I was given a year subscription as a free gift with purchase so now when it arrives in the mail I give it a precursory glance. This last issue had Catherine Zeta Jones on the cover and the caption informs readers that inside there is a layout of Catherine completely nude. My first thought was, "Allure's target demographic is straight women, right? Why would I want to see Catherine naked?" When I opened the magazine I realized that there were a lot of naked women featured. Emmanuelle Chiriqui, Colbie Caillat, Kara Dioguardi, Jessica Capshaw, Regina Hall and so on and so forth. Apparently this is Allure's annual "nude issue." According to the article they are challenging these actresses to confront their body issues by bearing it all. So then of course I have to ask, what is the point of asking a size two actress who works out every day of her life to confront her body issues? Do they actually think that showing these women naked is empowering? Do they think their readers are saying, "Wow, if Catherine Zeta Jones is okay with her body then maybe I can be too?" And it's not like they were featuring Jessica Capshaw's on-air girlfriend, Sara Ramirez, or any woman who is bigger than a size 4 or, God forbid, over 50. And if this is some kind of modern-feminist statement then perhaps someone should clue in the people at the Huffington Post who have Allure's nude photos up on their site so readers can rate which female celebrity, "wears nothing best."

In fact Kara Dioguardi actually admits that she would never have felt comfortable enough to strip down for the cameras when she was in her 20s and had an eating problem that brought her to a whopping size 6. Now she claims she has a healthy attitude about food and is a more acceptable size 2.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see how this is helpful to anyone. Most people who have problems with binge eating are bigger than a size 6. Not all of them of course, but most. And most American women who DON'T have eating disorders are bigger than a size six. Sooo...is the article designed to make millions of women feel like they have a problem? And if we're really trying to get these women to face their own body issues should they really have airbrushed every single photo?

Look, I'm a size 2 as well and yes, there are things I'd like to change about my body but I'm not going to pretend that when I show up at the beach in a bikini the women in the area are going to gasp and say, "Wow, she's so courageous for exposing herself like that!" Furthermore, I, like Dioguardi, was a size 6 when I was in my early twenties and guess what? That wasn't fat. It wasn't even chubby. And Allure isn't being cutting edge by doing what GQ, Sports Illustrated and Maxim have been doing for years. If Allure really wants to make women feel better about themselves perhaps they could put aside the photoshop for even one full photo shoot. The models/celebrities wouldn't even have to be nude. The very fact that they aren't being digitally enhanced would be revolutionary.

I'm in no means a prude. If Allure wants to have naked women in their magazine once a year I have no problem with that. But I wish they'd be honest about it and admit that this has nothing to do with challenging celebrities to be brave and face their body issues. It's about featuring beautiful celebrities perfectly posed because the pictures are pretty and have commercial appeal. If women want to feel empowered to overcome their body issues they should turn to the Dove soap ads. Allure's nude issue isn't going to help.

Kyra DavisBestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
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