Strong is the New Skinny: Positive Shift or Just Another Beauty Standard?

As you know, I’ve been reading (or…listening via Audible.com) various comedian’s books lately. This quote from Tina Fey’s Bossypants has stuck with me the last few weeks because I think it has so much truth to it. She’s talking about the shift in body image that occurred when J-Lo’s butt and Beyonce’s strong legs became the ideal for every girl rather than the previous stick-thin ideal. Tina says:

“And from that day forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes are beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I’m totally messing with you. All Beyonce and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. 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 a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits.”

While I personally think the “strong is the new skinny” culture is an improvement from the previous stick-thin culture, it can still be seen as a beauty standard. And it’s still an ideal that can make girls hate their bodies. If you have any doubt about that, just take one look at the health & fitness section of Pinterest and you’ll find thousands of pictures of girls with ripped abs in a sports bra and booty shorts that serve as inspiration to women. These images replaced the stick-thin models that girls used to put on their refrigerator to make them eat less. Now our culture is shifting to look at images of fit women and go to the gym and squat. Improvement? Yes, kind of. But if fitness is all in the name of vanity, is it really healthy? Let’s face it, not many people are doing hundreds of crunches per day to become strong. They’re doing it for the physical appearance of abs because that is the new definition of beauty.
I’m not at all saying I’m above this. I struggle with body image all the time. For example, my genes gave me a very small butt that I am constantly trying to make bigger. Am I doing extra deadlifts and lunges to improve my fitness and overall health? I’d be lying if I said yes. I don’t think there’s an answer to this. I think women will always struggle with body image as long as the media is dictating what is beautiful (ahem, always). I think it’s just important to remember every once in a while that it’s all a bunch of crap. All of our bodies are, and should be, different. And while I do think the physical side-effects of exercise are great and should be celebrated, I’ve noticed the more I focus on and appreciate what my body can do rather than what it looks like, the happier and healthier I am. And if I happen to get a J-Lo booty in the process, then that’s just the cherry on top.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Are you all for “strong is the new skinny?” Or do you have some doubts about it too?