Lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret has this week released behind the scenes photographs of 25-year-old Jasmine Tookes, modelling the famous $3 million Fantasy Bra.
She is only the third black woman in almost 40 years to model the diamond-encrusted lingerie, which is the first indication that Victoria’s Secret’s marketing strategy might just be a few decades behind.
But it’s not the colour of Tookes’ skin that has everyone talking.
In many ways the images are consistent with the brand’s ethos. She is tall, thin, has long, wavy hair, with perfectly proportioned breasts and hips.
But there is one "unprecedented" shot that is said to offer "a touch of reality."
According to Buzzfeed the 'unretouched' image ought to "give us hope."
If you thought Mia Freedman's stomach rolls were confronting, brace yourself for this.
Wait...what?
Huh?
Still squinting? Trying to zoom?
Apparently, Tookes has stretch marks on her hips, and Victoria's Secret has empowered all women everywhere by deciding not to edit them out.
Excuse me while I bang my head against a wall for five minutes.
Okay - back.
The Daily Mail has labelled the image "au naturel", and Today are celebrating that "even Angels are human".
But...are we looking at the same picture? If this image is meant to "give us hope", then how desperate must women be? Must we celebrate every time we're thrown a bone by the very establishment that has perpetuated and profited off our self-loathing in the first place?
Holly Wainwright, Mia Freedman and I discuss Tookes' alleged stretchmarks on Mamamia Out Loud. Post continues below.
Victoria's Secret angels are simply the Barbie dolls of adulthood. They continue to assert a narrowly-defined and completely outdated notion of what constitutes beauty.
Unfortunately, a few invisible stretch marks aren't going to undo four decades worth of damage.
I do not feel empowered or validated by looking at an image of a woman in $3 million underwear posing in front of a guy with a camera. Stretch marks or not.
If this is what a "real woman" looks like in 2016, then I must be a goddamn monster.
In fairness, stretch marks are better than no stretch marks. Most women have them. I suppose it's a step forward (or maybe more of a reluctant shuffle) for America's largest lingerie manufacturer, who are renowned for heavily photo shopping all their models.
But the campaign is no less objectifying.
Perhaps in the Victoria's Secret utopia, stretch marks are permissible when you tick the other 400 boxes for physical perfection. And when they're discretely confined to a very small part of your body. And in the right lighting, of course. Positioned just beneath sexy underwear that cost more than what I'll earn in an entire lifetime. Yes. In those circumstances Victoria's Secret is prepared to let stretch marks slide.
If we're looking to Victoria's Secret for 'empowerment' or 'body positivity', then I'm afraid we're going to be left very disappointed.
Let's stop cheering for the pitiful baby steps. Because it detracts from the conversation we ought to be having:
The real power comes from knowing we are not our bodies.
We are far, far more than that.
You can listen to the whole episode of this week's Mamamia Out Loud, here.
Top Comments
So you praise Bec Judd for posting bikini pics after having twins yet you blast VS models for being unrealistic???
Lovely looking woman with a lovely figure, but I must say I do think these girls are a bit too slim, I have also noticed that they all seem to wear padded bras so I'm guessing they aren't as busty as they appear. So I can't say I'm that envious because whilst there is no doubt she is lovely, I prefer the look of a woman a bit more curvy, and some of these ladies look more curvy than they are because of the padded bras.
Well look she is someone's idea of perfection, but everyone has a different idea of what the perfect figure should look like, admittedly there will be more people who think her figure is perfect than say someone overweight, but then there are people who think overweight women look better than skinny women. Of course the main thing we should all aim for is just to be healthy, and obviously there are various debates on what kind of figure is healthiest, but I think also you can appreciate the beauty of one woman without feeling that because they look different to another woman that the second woman is not as 'perfect'. For instance no one suggests that woman can only have one hair colour to be beautiful, and therefore anyone with different hair colour is not perfect, so it's a bit ridiculous to suggest that just because this woman has a beautiful body that another woman with a different type of shape is not equally beautiful in her own way. I think this is what woman have to remind themselves when they see a woman like this, yes she may be considered hot by many, but you too may be considered hot by the same people with your completely different hair colour, skin tone and body type.
Of course if all else fails and your face and body really are a complete wreck, get a pet they will cuddle up with you no matter how you look!