Huffington Post has a great piece today about comedian Margaret Cho and her struggles with trying to fit into a narrow and unmerciful standard of beauty.In 1994, Cho was set to star in the first sitcom to feature an Asian American cast. While Cho is a lovely, talented woman, she was intensely criticized for her appearance and, in an effort to fit what the show wanted, she starved herself. She developed kidney failure, and the show was replaced by Drew Carey's show.
Cho says, "Women don't live their lives fully because they are always concerned about if they are thin enough to be attractive, instead of accepting their weight." Eating disorders and preoccupation with body image take their toll on the lives of millions of women every day.
The mental energy that could be used towards having a fulfilling career or healthy relationships instead goes to endless and needless worrying about aspects of our appearance that are perfect to begin with. It is with the work of people, like Margaret Cho, that women can slowly ease up on their obsession with body image and move towards not only accepting their bodies, but loving them.
Photo courtesy of www.flickr/jimdavidson
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