A Note on the VS Fashion Show

As many of you may know, the Victoria's Secret Fashion show filmed this evening and debuts on December 8th. Which means I am being proactive in addressing the body shaming and body policing bullshit.

First and foremost, calling the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show a "fashion show" is like saying Gigli is the pinnacle of cinema. The VS Fashion Show is as much about fashion as MTV is about music. VS sells bouncy boobies and cheeky bums set to popular live music performance once a year. Let's tell it like it is. That said, Victoria's Secret is a consumer brand in a capitalist market. They make a shitload of money off of over-priced bras and slightly less shameful looking sweatpants, and they are really good at it. Victoria's Secret sells an image and that image requires svelte bodies with curves in all the right places. That's their thing. That's what they sell. Furthermore, the extravagant winged body suits and capes that walk down that runway aren't exactly daily wear for anyone who isn't Batman. This should be common knowledge.

The VS Fashion Show models are some primo genetic specimens, that's undeniable. That said, the brand opts for whomever is (pop) culturally relevant at the time and can reel in the most TV views and Twitter mentions, hence their usage of Gigi Hadid and one of the ubiquitous Kardashian offspring. These aren't normal people. They live lives many of us will never understand or experience. Their existence and their bodies are nothing short of stellar but that doesn't give anyone the floor to body shame these models as a whole. I loathe Hadid and Kardashian #4 or #7 or whatever she is; they suck. BUT, their disappointing personalities and failures to contribute to society doesn't mean their collective bodies are up for critique. The same applies to everyone else on the fucking planet. This is probably the dumbest matter to even address. We are all massive sacks of skin, bacteria, bones, and fluids, just in different measurements and distributions. Therefore...I am going to stop everyone right fucking now before they break out the "real men like curves," "she looks anorexic," "eat a cheeseburger" comments. First, "real" men like whatever they want and unless you are talking about sentient mannequins then I have no idea what you mean by "real" and if sentient mannequins exist then we have far larger issues to address. Second, anorexia, bulimia, and other types of disordered eating are serious medical and mental health problems and not fodder to mask your personal insecurities. Third,  donuts are better than cheeseburgers and you don't know someone's food preferences you fascist.

The VS Fashion Show is for entertainment purposes only, just like the Super Bowl. Don't use these individuals as measures of your own self-worth or material for your unsolicited critiques. I shouldn't have to tell you not to be a dickhead, but here I am.