Smart, inspirational, absolutely kick-ass.
We all struggle with body image. We stare into the mirror analyzing ourselves, pulling, poking, pinching every inch of skin and wishing we were just a little bit more comfortable with our bodies.
Body image is a universal problem that affects men and women from an incredibly young age.
For celebrities, these insecurities are magnified by living their lives in the public eye. So when we hear of wonderful celebrity women talking openly and honestly about their bodies, it makes us feel understood.
Related: Whenever anyone talks about body image, something strange happens.
The clever people over at Mashable knew this, and put together a list of inspirational quotes from famous women about their bodies. Women like Rebel Wilson, Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling. Smart, inspirational, kick-ass.
Here are nine of our favourite.
1. Tina Fey
“Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of the lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama and doll tits. The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes.”
2. Amy Poehler
“When the demon starts to slither my way and say bad shit about me I turn around and say, ‘Hey. Cool it. Amy is my friend. Don’t talk about her like that.’ Sticking up for ourselves in the same way we would one of our friends in a hard but satisfying thing to do. Sometimes it works.”
3. Mindy Kaling
“I get so worried about girls with body image stuff… And I feel like I have been able to have a fun career and be an on-camera talent and be someone who has boyfriends and love interests and wears nice clothes and those kinds of things without being an emaciated stick. And it is possible to do it. In life, you don’t have to be that way and you can have a great life, a fun life, and a fulfilling love life.”
4. Oprah Winfrey
“Step away from the Mean Girls… and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks. Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.”
5. Rebel Wilson
“I don’t really care what I look like that much. And I think that women out there should just be happy with how they look and they shouldn’t really try to conform to any stereotype. Just be happy and hopefully healthy.”
6. Kristen Bell
“Who cares if there are lumps on my thighs? I’m guilty of having human legs made up of fat, muscle, and skin, and sometimes when you sit they get bumpy!”
7. Pink
“Dr. Maggie DiNome was given the Duke Award for her tireless efforts and stellar contributions to the eradication of cancer. But unfortunately my weight seems much more important to some of you. While I will admit the dress didn’t photograph as well as it did in my kitchen, I will also admit I felt very pretty. In fact, I feel beautiful.”
8. Emma Stone
“You’re a human being. You live once and life is wonderful. So eat that damn red velvet cake.”
9. Melissa McCarthy
“Even when someone gets to looking like she should be so proud of herself, instead she’s like ‘I could be another three pounds less; I could be a little taller and have bigger lips.'”
What’s your favourite piece of body image advice?