ABCs of Me Blog Challenge – Z

Zaftig

Society’s standard of beauty has changed many times over the centuries. During the 20th century alone, we saw the pendulum swung from the buxom Gibson Girls of the 1910s, to the boyishly svelte Flappers of the 1920s, back to the curvy bombshells of the 1930’s, 40s and 50s, then back again to the waif-thin Twiggy’s of the 1960s. The 1970s brought us the pin-up girls and the 1980s was the rise of the swim-suit supermodels. Then the pendulum swung back again in the 1990s and we saw the androgynous, “heroin chic” look in all the magazines. The beginning of the 21st century saw the rise of toned models with visible abs and spray tans, and we come full circle again in the 2010s with the bootylicious Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj.

The Venus of Willendorf is a paleolithic sculpture believed to have been carved from limestone between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago. Figurines like this, with their exaggerated sexual features, are thought to have represented fertility goddesses.

For centuries, Venus, the Goddess of Love, was the ideal of beauty.  This painting is Venus Wounded by a Thorn by Peter Paul Rubens, c1606-09.  This is where we get the term Rubenesque.  Rubens did not depict the ideal woman as super skinny with huge breasts, a big, round booty, and a thigh gap.  All his women were bumpy, lumpy and fluffy, yet were still considered beautiful.

There has been a huge push in recent years for body positivity and acceptance, not only from others but from yourself as well. I used to be thin, even after having two children, but I developed an endocrine condition which caused me to steadily put on weight. Luckily, I don’t have any of the usual health conditions that go with carrying extra weight around. I will never look like a Victoria’s Secret model, but I am healthy and I am happy with who I am, which is more important to me. I am Zaftig and my self-worth is not dependent on what others think about me.