Hi Stacey, thank you for writing this. I'm Italian and I grew up watching Berlusconi's TV. All my female friends and I have suffered of body dysmorphia at some point. Deep down, even if we've learned to accept our bodies by now, we still consider ourselves fat, no matter how much effort we put in at the gym or how many diets we try. A constant struggle and self-delusion. I do believe that Berlusconi's TV played a key role in ensuring we don't feel at ease with how we look, ever.
ABSOLUTELY 100%. You are so right about all of it. Most Italian women (not unlike American women) grow up thinking their entire worth is sexual. That is so damaging. Italy is slow to change under the best of circumstances, but I fear that women's rights move at an unacceptable glacial pace here. We don't have gender parity in the US either. In some ways, I feel that (at least on a social level) women are treated more respectfully here.
I hate that you and your friends ever suffered from body dysmorphia. I wish I could wave a wand and make it all go away.
You are brave. And amazing. And worth so much more than this.
You're sweet, thank you. Somehow we managed to got to a safe spot, we're all in our mid 30s and alongside the "extra" weight we also carry extra strength and resilience. My preoccupations are directed towards my nieces now, there's still so much to do. Never a dull moment eh!
I suppose in a way it can be related to the popularity of reality television here in the US. Reality TV is cheaper and easier because you don't have a written script or rehearsals. You turn on the camera, let it run, and edit in post-production. It makes for some crappy television, but a preponderance of boobs will make a lot of guys forget just how bad a show is.
I love men. I really do. I don't think they're all pigs, but some men get a whole lot better and wiser as they get older. I see them as slow to mature. It's true that many of the world's problems can be chalked up to men. But it's equally true that some of the world's most remarkable accomplishments can be chalked up to men, too. A nuanced issue, I suspect.
Stacey, the situation you describe extends into the world of Tarot. The most important Tarot publisher in Europe is Lo Scarabeo in Torino.
I spoke to our business contact from Lo Scarabeo about this issue. The conversation went basically like this: "Your company's Tarot decks would sell far better in the USA if the women's bodies were drawn in a more life-like way," I said, trying to be discreet about the pneumatic boobs on virtually all the women in their Tarots. "In the USA, the great majority of Tarot enthusiasts are women, and gay men. A bunch of friends and colleagues in Tarot have mentioned to me that they are uncomfortable with Lo Scarabeo decks because of this issue, and they won't purchase your company's decks because of it."
He replied, "I have tried to speak to the brothers who own the company about this. They just replied, "We do not see a problem here," and they continued producing decks with women shaped like .01% of the population. So I stopped trying, since there was nothing I could do about it."
My contact was in his early 30s, and the brothers who own the company are around my age, 35 years older, in their sixties now. I am basically hoping they will eventually listen to their younger employees.
Eyeroll........ Sometimes it is really hard to teach Old Dogs New Tricks......
I'm so glad you told me, Caroline. Mind blowing, isn't it? I'm hopeful that the Italian Gen Zers will make some progress, but the Old Guard are hopeless. Instead, they say things like, "You Americans are more in love with violence and gore; we Italians love the female form." It's a false comparison, of course, and completely obviates the damage done to young Italian women who grow up thinking their entire worth is sexual.
Gary, I am all the way to wondering if/when they retire, who will buy the business from them.
The company has several business behaviors that are non-standard, but seem very Italian to me, such as re-printing decks that did not sell well the first time...... The US and UK Tarot publishing companies return the copyrights to the deck creators in such situations, which is frankly better for their bottom line.
My first thought was, "How is this even possible in a modern, industrialized, democratic state?" My second thought, looking at the picture of Elisabetta Canalis was, "How is it even possible for a mammal of any species to have a waist like that? I don't know that I ever found that attractive, but it has certainly been a long time. The whole "death camp survivor" look just does not appeal.
Is there any pressure on the ratings for all of these shows to move away from such a blatantly horrifying exercise in juvenile manipulation?
Italy suffers from something I call "learned helplessness." As Americans, it's hard for us to understand, but if I had to guess, the phenomenon stems from being invaded, on average, once every hundred years. America's never been invaded (except by Japanese tourism and the redcoats). It would probably do us good if we were. But Italian has this deep fatalism about life. It shrugs its shoulders and makes due. And I suspect that acceptance of how things are hasn't helped women push forward as quickly as they need to.
But there are rumblings. And for Italy, rumblings are a cause for optimism.
"As Americans, it's hard for us to understand" -- Not in the least. It is, in fact, baked into Rightwing policy and campaigns. Everything from gun policy to climate change is built around promoting, instilling, and intensifying learned helplessness. It is why they are winning.
Hi Stacey, thank you for writing this. I'm Italian and I grew up watching Berlusconi's TV. All my female friends and I have suffered of body dysmorphia at some point. Deep down, even if we've learned to accept our bodies by now, we still consider ourselves fat, no matter how much effort we put in at the gym or how many diets we try. A constant struggle and self-delusion. I do believe that Berlusconi's TV played a key role in ensuring we don't feel at ease with how we look, ever.
ABSOLUTELY 100%. You are so right about all of it. Most Italian women (not unlike American women) grow up thinking their entire worth is sexual. That is so damaging. Italy is slow to change under the best of circumstances, but I fear that women's rights move at an unacceptable glacial pace here. We don't have gender parity in the US either. In some ways, I feel that (at least on a social level) women are treated more respectfully here.
I hate that you and your friends ever suffered from body dysmorphia. I wish I could wave a wand and make it all go away.
You are brave. And amazing. And worth so much more than this.
You're sweet, thank you. Somehow we managed to got to a safe spot, we're all in our mid 30s and alongside the "extra" weight we also carry extra strength and resilience. My preoccupations are directed towards my nieces now, there's still so much to do. Never a dull moment eh!
I suppose in a way it can be related to the popularity of reality television here in the US. Reality TV is cheaper and easier because you don't have a written script or rehearsals. You turn on the camera, let it run, and edit in post-production. It makes for some crappy television, but a preponderance of boobs will make a lot of guys forget just how bad a show is.
Yes, men are pigs. Some of us aren't proud of it.
I love men. I really do. I don't think they're all pigs, but some men get a whole lot better and wiser as they get older. I see them as slow to mature. It's true that many of the world's problems can be chalked up to men. But it's equally true that some of the world's most remarkable accomplishments can be chalked up to men, too. A nuanced issue, I suspect.
When it comes to men v. women, nothing is ever black and white. :-)
Stacey, the situation you describe extends into the world of Tarot. The most important Tarot publisher in Europe is Lo Scarabeo in Torino.
I spoke to our business contact from Lo Scarabeo about this issue. The conversation went basically like this: "Your company's Tarot decks would sell far better in the USA if the women's bodies were drawn in a more life-like way," I said, trying to be discreet about the pneumatic boobs on virtually all the women in their Tarots. "In the USA, the great majority of Tarot enthusiasts are women, and gay men. A bunch of friends and colleagues in Tarot have mentioned to me that they are uncomfortable with Lo Scarabeo decks because of this issue, and they won't purchase your company's decks because of it."
He replied, "I have tried to speak to the brothers who own the company about this. They just replied, "We do not see a problem here," and they continued producing decks with women shaped like .01% of the population. So I stopped trying, since there was nothing I could do about it."
My contact was in his early 30s, and the brothers who own the company are around my age, 35 years older, in their sixties now. I am basically hoping they will eventually listen to their younger employees.
Eyeroll........ Sometimes it is really hard to teach Old Dogs New Tricks......
I'm so glad you told me, Caroline. Mind blowing, isn't it? I'm hopeful that the Italian Gen Zers will make some progress, but the Old Guard are hopeless. Instead, they say things like, "You Americans are more in love with violence and gore; we Italians love the female form." It's a false comparison, of course, and completely obviates the damage done to young Italian women who grow up thinking their entire worth is sexual.
"I am basically hoping they will eventually listen to their younger employees" -- or die off like the rest of the dinosaurs.
Italians never never die. Ever. Like, EVER.
Gary, I am all the way to wondering if/when they retire, who will buy the business from them.
The company has several business behaviors that are non-standard, but seem very Italian to me, such as re-printing decks that did not sell well the first time...... The US and UK Tarot publishing companies return the copyrights to the deck creators in such situations, which is frankly better for their bottom line.
Even the video game industry is moving away from such schlock. (On older games, you could literally adjust how much "jiggle" a female character had.)
Well, at least I can write this with confidence: that was not a feature in the games my husband designed back in the day, chuckle......
JESUS.
Italian copyright law is so hopelessly Byzantine, I wouldn't stand the remotest chance of understanding it.
My first thought was, "How is this even possible in a modern, industrialized, democratic state?" My second thought, looking at the picture of Elisabetta Canalis was, "How is it even possible for a mammal of any species to have a waist like that? I don't know that I ever found that attractive, but it has certainly been a long time. The whole "death camp survivor" look just does not appeal.
Is there any pressure on the ratings for all of these shows to move away from such a blatantly horrifying exercise in juvenile manipulation?
Such a good question.
Italy suffers from something I call "learned helplessness." As Americans, it's hard for us to understand, but if I had to guess, the phenomenon stems from being invaded, on average, once every hundred years. America's never been invaded (except by Japanese tourism and the redcoats). It would probably do us good if we were. But Italian has this deep fatalism about life. It shrugs its shoulders and makes due. And I suspect that acceptance of how things are hasn't helped women push forward as quickly as they need to.
But there are rumblings. And for Italy, rumblings are a cause for optimism.
"As Americans, it's hard for us to understand" -- Not in the least. It is, in fact, baked into Rightwing policy and campaigns. Everything from gun policy to climate change is built around promoting, instilling, and intensifying learned helplessness. It is why they are winning.