body

Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.

Is There Something Wrong With My Body?
Approximately 91 percent of women have a negative body image. That is a staggering number. All the pictures portrayed of the stick-thin models in magazines and on Instagram are unrealistic. In fact, only 5 percent of the women in America actually possess the "ideal" body presented by the media. So what is the ideal body? The ideal body is when you are happy, love your body, and are healthy—not only physically but mentally. How you get there is up to you. If you simply struggle with how you think about your body, work on changing your mindset. If you want to physically change your body, find exercises and a routine that works for you. Finding your ideal is how you find confidence and self-love. Your ideal doesn't have to be looking like a supermodel. Maybe your ideal is finding something you like about your body and focusing on it. Maybe your ideal is showing your body off to build confidence. Maybe your ideal is telling yourself you are beautiful. Whatever your "Ideal" is, once you find it, you should be able to love your body. Loving yourself can do wonders for your mental health because you don't obsess over tiny flaws. If you radiate confidence, other people are attracted to that positive energy.
By Luna Teal8 years ago in Viva
Loving All but Myself
It’s the same thing every morning. I wake up, check my phone, brush my teeth and any other morning ritual a person does. I make sure to stretch because this will help the motion in the muscles and with flexibility, and it just makes me feel good.
By Lily8 years ago in Viva
Didn't See That Coming
Generally speaking, hormones can be vastly inconvenient. From a woman's perspective, they are downright a pain in the ass! However, pregnancy has a whole different set of hormones that make any sane woman go crazy! I have become very aware of my mood swings, and it has not been easy keeping them in check either. As my belly grows, I am physically getting more uncomfortable, and apparently, it doesn't take much to "set me off."
By Not Important8 years ago in Viva
Wait, You Were Naked?
I could say that I was mortified about having every mole, pimple, and hair on my body captured in an eternal digital file. But the truth is, I didn’t really mind. I could say that my knees got weak at the thought of posing in a completely vulnerable state in front of dozens of people who studied every detail of my figure...but instead, I anticipated the moment.
By Amy Patterson8 years ago in Viva
Love Yourself
I wasn't sure about creating this but I know other girls struggle too. I've struggled with my weight most of my life, I've always been the little pudgy kid. I've always had some sort of insecurity about my body and how I look. It's like you don't get bullied but you know people talk behind your back. Frankly, I'd rather have someone call me fat to my face than see them stare. On my bad days, I even tell my closest friends, "I'm fat," and of course they always respond with something like, "no you're not!"
By Alyssa Smith8 years ago in Viva
PMS Survival Guide
If you're a woman like myself, I'm sure you can nod your head in agreement that being a woman is never easy. Especially when Aunt Flo pops in once a month for a visit. Here are a few tips and tricks to having a much happier period. Not to mention a much happier ending when it comes time to pop open the champagne as soon as Aunt Flo leaves. At least for another month. Here are some surival tips to make your visit with Aunt Flo more tolerable and much less expensive.
By Janelle Ouellet8 years ago in Viva
To Filmmakers That Make Rape Scenes
I know what you’re thinking; you’ve heard all of this before. You’ve already been contacted by plenty of other rape survivors who’ve told you how you triggered them with that graphic scene. You’ve heard hundreds, maybe even thousands of times how you made other women burst into tears and have to leave the theater, or even triggered panic attacks by making such a realistic rape scene. Maybe some of you have openly apologized to anyone that you offended with that scene. Or maybe, instead, you’ve decided to stand by and defend the scene, saying that violence is shown in movies all the time, and that you wanted to accurately show the horror of the crime.
By Elizabeth Brandon8 years ago in Viva
My Body and I
Being a larger female I have always struggled with self acceptance and learning to love myself. I find everyday I am in a constant battle with what to wear. What will look good and what I feel comfortable in. Most the time it’s black leggings and a larger t-shirt and my vans.
By Maddie Skelton8 years ago in Viva
Why Are Periods Still So Embarrassing?
Today was the day of all days. I started my trillionth period, or so it felt. I went to the restroom, just to… you know… handle my business? Once my body stopped spewing waste through its natural process, I proceeded to wipe my twat clean. To my surprise, there she was, shedding from the inner layers of my love button; Mother Nature. As vibrantly red as she could be, arriving every month at any time she felt convenient, just to remind me that I am not pregnant (as if I could be). With all her glory, politely tearing my insides apart as she flows down my slit onto my panties. No matter how many times she has paid me a visit, I continuously feel the utmost amount of embarrassment, equivalent to my first visit. Now I started to become distressed. With my undies and jeans wrapped tightly around my ankles, I began to question my next move. Conveniently, I was in a restroom that contained a sink to my left. As I stared violently at my cunt, I told her, “Melinda, we are going to take off these bottom layers and walk to the sink to clean the panties that protect you. I swear on everything, if you drip blood on this floor or on my leg, you will not be receiving pleasure for a week, so be a good little girl and do as you're told.” Once we agreed, I slowly removed my shoes, then each pant leg slid off my bare feet, and finally my drenched panties slipped off as carefully as can be. I walked to the sink, soaked my panties with cold water and soap, and vigorously rubbed both sides of my panties together to remove the socially stigmatized blood that my inner loins created (without my want, permission, or control). I began to wonder, how will I now clog my hole to prevent more blood from escaping? I walked back to the john and rapidly put my clothes back on, in hopes that when I walked back into my last class, I would have some form of Mother Nature protection. As I desperately searched my bag, it became evident that I did not have any protection for this unexpected visit. I only had two choices. One, I go back to the bathroom and stuff an enormous amount of toilet paper in my trim, in hope that it will clog my hole long enough to provide protection. Second, share my embarrassing, current experience with another female by asking for a tampon. I went with the second option, as stuffing my twat with toilet paper like a turkey on Thanksgiving wasn’t appealing. I looked over to my classmate next to me and asked her for a tampon. She glanced over to me and secretly handed me a tampon under the classroom table, so no other student would notice. I nervously hid the tampon in my back pocket prior to racing out of the classroom to the restroom. I was able to confidently fill Melinda with the protection she deserves when Mother Nature occurs.
By carashari8 years ago in Viva
The Big, Round Obsession
Part of why I want to talk about this topic is because, as far as I am aware, a conversation about it has barely begun, and I think it would truly do us damage if there wasn’t one.
By iris georgie8 years ago in Viva
Will Beauty Save the World?
I spent the last decade working in the fashion industry as a model. And yet, I struggle to answer what exactly is beauty. Mainly because to me it is less and less about the physical as the time goes by. Yet as I try to explain this, not many will listen. Hardly surprising, since we are bombarded daily with the images of what is considered beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, small nose, pronounced cheekbones, slim waist, long legs - the list goes on. Barbie doll comes to mind- beautiful, but not real.
By Eva Smitte8 years ago in Viva
The Alchemy of PMDD
I was very inspired by a post I spotted recently on the Gia Allemand Foundation's Facebook page. A woman posted the question, "I'm wondering if anyone has found any beautiful things coming out of their PMDD experiences?" She went on to share how she was actively practicing gratitude when things were at their worst, and that this practice was giving her courage...
By Cheeky Minx8 years ago in Viva