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Raz Jabbin: Miss Peterborough and the image of women


My life as a British Muslim - 04/06/08

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Published Date:
04 June 2008
As I read about Lydia Fahy, winner of Miss Peterborough I couldn't help but feel sad. You might be surprised when I say, that it had nothing to do with having a pageant where the criteria was to 'wow' the judges, with poise and beauty whilst in swim and evening wear. Somehow, it was more than that.
There are comments on the website, which could be perceived to be attacking the young, blonde, slim, 21-year-old and why not, especially when she has officially been viewed in a light that all young girl's today deserve but struggle to see themselves in.

You see with such events you don't necessarily have to be present to be involved, you can simply be drawn in by the photos of the girls printed the next day and start comparing yourself to them.

However, where one blonde is congratulated another has to be commiserated.

In the same week the face of Fern Britton, the presenter of This Morning was splashed across papers for not having shared the fact that she had had a gastric band fitted two years ago, which has contributed to her dropping from a size 22 to a size 16.

I found the volume of time invested in this story amazing and the need to exploit, disgusting.

Here was a 50-year-old woman apologising to, what must have felt like the world, for undergoing something very personal and not letting everyone know about it.

But why do so many of us need to know? Because another person's image says something about our own.

Despite the confidence that many declare, we still live in a very vulnerable society where we need each other to be able to validate ourselves and that's what makes it sad.

I think it's the same reason why so many are eager to criticise the new Miss Peterborough.

I believe it is key for young women to feel and believe they are beautiful but when we place an explicit image of what that beauty should look like, of course it's going to provoke feelings of some sort, especially amongst those who have no common features with such images.

However, let's not forget that Lydia Fahy's also won Miss Charity for raising £1,300 at an event at the Cresset, so well done for that too.

The full article contains 397 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 04 June 2008 12:39 PM
  • Source: Peterborough ET
  • Location: Peterborough
 
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Marky,

Peterborough 05/06/2008 17:42:32
What are you proposing? That beautiful women hide themselves away? I take your point entirely; that we shouldn't promote one idea of beauty alone. I'd like to see all fitness and health promoted far more than size 0s. But in the same vein, obesity SHOULD be frowned upon; it's not ugly, it's just irresponsible.
It's not the fault of pretty women that they make plain women feel inadequate. But it is disgraceful that, to cast the lead in Ugly Betty, the producers picked a pretty woman and made her 'ugly', and more importantly, that their idea of ugly was someone with a tooth brace and glasses - unavaoidable afflictions. If they could have got away with putting her in a wheelchair, they would have done it.
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