On Selfies

Let's be real. We've all taken a "selfie" of one kind or another. In fact, the Oxford Dictionary word of the year is "selfie". Can you believe it? And if you think through the process of taking a selfie...it's a little weird, isn't it? At least for me - I hold out my camera phone and position it at just the right angle (which is normally up and slightly to the left of my face). I make sure the angle of my face is alright - so I don't look wider than I am and my nose doesn't protrude. I need to make sure my hair looks good and the background is cool or at least not distracting. And then I snap several shots making different pleasant faces, maybe a few serious ones (but no duck faces). Only to scroll through and decide none of them are worthy and start the process over again.

This would have been a totally foreign concept to someone just a few years ago. 

But now our "selfies" are defining beauty.

I want you to watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFkm1Hg4dTI

These women and girls are stunningly honest with us about how they feel about themselves. These are girls in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade who are already under such scrutiny just because of what they look like. They share in the footage from their class as well as the interviews with their mothers the insecurities that have developed. Even the mothers admit that they are still not happy with their images and their bodies.

"Beauty Is." It just is. That's what their exhibition at the end shows us. Beauty resonates. Beauty shines. Beauty is unique. It is powerful. It is changing. "The power is in your hands. Because now, more than ever, it's right at our fingertips - we can take selfies!" I think an important point made in this video is the power of social media in the face of our definition of beauty. Actually, I was part of a discussion in my Sociology class last week that touched on this, too. 

Prior to cellphones and the internet and our constant connection with everyone and every thing, we were pretty much only connected with our immediate friends, family, and community. Now with this kind of accessibility, we have a much wider range of motion. We are connected to innumerable images and sources that we have the freedom to judge or accept or deny or mimic. Our definition of beauty has expanded purely because our access has expanded. But what have we done with it? I'll let you think about that one. 

"I'm going to ask you to take a risk that could change the way that people define beauty," says the speaker in the video. She asks her students to use the details that they call "flaws" and incorporate them into their self portraits. The girls are so perceptive about the way that other people see them and that it's wrong. It's wrong that we are judged and continue to judge each other. It's wrong that we feel so insecure about ourselves when there is so much to love about ourselves.

I think the most beautiful part of the video for me is when the project for the students merges with their mothers. "I want my mom to know that she's beautiful...and...she doesn't have to change. For anyone." Women, old and young alike, are all insecure about our physicality. "In the workshop, I was surprised when I heard the girls talk about their insecurities...when they said they were insecure about things, those were things that made them different, but the things that made them different made them unique. And...that made them beautiful."

At the exhibit, the girls come to realize that they are beautiful. And taking a selfie, good or bad, is not the worst thing that could happen to you. 

I have two last things to say:

I am putting the reigns in your hands to define what beauty means to you. 

And Mom, if you're reading this, I want you to know that you are beautiful. And you don't need to change. For anyone. 

- Annika Wooton

Miss Butler County 2014

American Eagle Uses "Real Women" in New Ads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOzLaGsdUtQ

American Eagle is jumping on the bandwagon. In their new "Aerie Real"line, the company has chosen to promote their lingerie by having "real women" pose in their ads.

I have two things to say about this -

First. This is awesome. To have such a mainstream brand and a company that has a lot of influence over the consumer market as well as influence on other companies that might follow suit make a leap like this is incredible. They are showcasing women of all different shapes and sizes, choosing not to airbrush out a single detail - notice I say "detail" and not "flaw". They keep the details that make these women unique - their beauty marks, their curves, their smile lines, and freckles. In the video one of the representatives says this will hopefully help the buyers see themselves in the clothing line better because they can relate to the models before them. They are attainable standards of beauty for all kinds and the women in the ads are those that would not normally be hired to model lingerie. So that's really cool!

Second. I'm not a huge fan of the term "real women". Real as opposed to imaginary? Any woman you see in person or on a poster is real. No matter what she looks like, she is a living, breathing human being who deserves our respect. I've seen a good number of articles claiming, "real women have curves", or just the opposite, "real women don't have curves". Why is this even an argument? Real women have real bodies. Real woman have minds. Real women have hearts, and souls, and interests, and goals, and talents, and emotions that are toyed with when we tell each other what we are and aren't supposed to be.

So it's really, honestly cool that American Eagle is kicking off what I hope to be a trend in advertising. They have always shown their lines on real women. Now they are displaying their clothing on unique women, un-altered women, but they have always been and will continue to be real and beautiful women.

I'll leave you with this:

- Annika Wooton

Miss Butler County 2014

World's Ugliest Woman

Did the title make you click on my blog? It's certainly caught the attention of many others on the web.

There is a video circulating the internet right now accompanied by an article titled, "Labelled the World's Ugliest Woman: Lizzie Velasquez 'Knows God Sees Her True Beauty'". The video is of her speaking at an Austin Women Ted Talk forum.

Lizzie Velasquez has a genetic disease that prohibits her from gaining any weight. She is one of only three people on the planet with this disease. But despite this hurdle, she stands today as a motivational speaker and shares her story.

As a titleholder in the Miss America system, I was encouraged to support some kind of platform. Last year I chose, "The Beauty Myth", renamed this year as, "Being You". Through the ease and access of social media, it's incredible the videos and articles that have been shared this past year. Every day I see videos like Dove Real Beauty campaign, and articles about what dress codes say about girls' bodies, and cool shorts just reminding you that you, yes you, are beautiful.

There is so much focus on what it means to be beautiful and I believe our generation is realizing what I am trying to promote through my platform - that there are so many different kinds of beautiful, and being you is the best kind there is.

In Lizzie's Ted Talk, she asks, "What defines you? Who are you? Is it where you come from? Is it your background? Is it your friends? What is it? What defines who you are as a person?"

She talks about how for the longest time, she thought what defined her was her appearance. Her skinny limbs, her little face, her thin fingers - she thought she was ugly. She wanted so badly to be like the other kids. "It's what I wanted every single day. And every single day, I was disappointed."

But she shares that she stood above the bullying that she received and the self criticism and came to find who she really is and what she really wanted to do with her life. And what an amazing success story. She is a successful public speaker and she's just finished a manuscript for her third book. If you listen to her talk, her beauty will resonate with you, I promise.

She says, "You are the one who decides what defines you."

Can I stress that even more? In the midst of our world today, there is so much pressure to look a certain way and be a certain way. There are so many tools to shape ourselves to those molds. But these tools can also be used to project our unique and original selves in bigger and brighter ways.

"Brave starts here," Lizzie Velasquez.

- Annika Wooton

Miss Butler County 2014

http://clashdaily.com/2014/01/labelled-worlds-ugliest-woman-lizzie-velasquez-knows-god-sees-true-beauty/

This winter is s-no-w joke!

WOW! I hope you all are staying warm!!! I don't know who ticked off Mother Nature, but she is certainly throwing us a curve ball with these winter temperatures. Tomorrow looks like it is going to be tough all across the country. Please be smart and careful as the temperature continues to drop and stay warm!

This is my last week in Virginia before I head back to the great state of Kansas. I have packed in a few last minute activities before I come back. This weekend, I got to see a Hollywood Costumes exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts - a really cool show including the Batman costume, outfits from Blues Brothers, Seven Year Itch, Funny Girl, Harry Potter, and much much more!

I also had two photoshoots with a friend of mine, Kait Winston of Kait Winston Photography. She is kicking off a concept series of couture/modern queens and icons. I portrayed Queen Elizabeth I and Marie Antoinette. I loved being transformed into these iconic women and being able to bring them to life in a series of photographs. I even got to model with a dachshund! Keep an eye out on Facebook later this week for the published full set.

 

Stay warm, everyone.

- Annika Wooton

Miss Butler County 2014