When Did This Become Hotter Than This

"Can't we all just get along [and discuss this over a beer]?" - Rodney King

I've been seeing this and similar images circulating on Facebook. The basic idea behind this image is that once upon a time "real women had curves" and beauty standards weren't as harsh. This is a fallacy. Women's bodies have always been subject to strict beauty standards.

Marilyn is clearly wearing make-up, we all know blonde was not her natural hair color, Marilyn Monroe was not her real name, and she's totally wearing a body shaper in that picture.

And honestly: I think the woman on the right has an great body and I would rather have that body than have Marilyn's. She doesn't look emaciated to me, she looks fit and sexy. She looks athletic.

Does that mean there is anything wrong with Marilyn's body or women who have bodies like Marilyn's? No. A lot of people do prefer a larger woman. Do today's beauty standards encourage women to be thin? Yes. I think that's problematic because not everyone can be thin and perhaps some people don't even want to be thin, but that doesn't mean we need to pretend thin bodies are ugly to feel better about ourselves.

Women need to support each other, not tear each other down.

I found some interesting pictures people put together as a response to this:

Via YourFaceIsStupid.com

My personal favorite via Know Your Meme.