Barechested and pregnant

Raise your hands if you've seen the newest cover of Marie Claire! (Except, of course, if you're Christina Aguilera...if you raise you hands, a pic like this is going to go from cheeky and risque to pornographic and raunchy real quick.

The photos are causing quite a stir, especially because this is a woman who refused to utter a peep about her pregnancy until she was practically toppling over - and yet now, she's appearing nakesters in a beauty magazine.

I don't have a problem with women posing while pregnant, or documenting their changing body in whatever way they choose (photos, belly casts, etc). But what I do take issue with is the obvious (and insane amount of) airbrushing that appears to have taken place. First of all, why is she orange? Is she eating too many carrots? Also, how on earth could her entire body be that ridiculously smooth and creamy, with nary a stray vein, stretch mark, wrinkle or even a beauty mark? Doesn't this present an unrealistic portrayal that could make everyday pregnant women feel badly about their own bods?

Also, I think the whole sexualization-of-pregnancy has gone a wee bit too far. I mean, she's wearing an open, cropped leather (non-maternity) jacket and wedding ring - nothing else - on the cover. On the inside, she's sporting mile-high, fuscha-soled high heels - ironic considering she told the magazine (of performing), "There are so many things that could go wrong — somebody could slip, somebody could fall, I could fall.There was no way ... I was going to jeopardize my baby for my show."

What are your thoughts on the cover?

Comments

I'm pregnant and definitely don't feel sexy, I feel lots of great (and not so great) emotions, but sexy isn't one of them! :) I don't know anyone who ever has...but props to you if you do. Personally I feel like pregnancy is very private, but these are people who make money on their image. It's just an image and not a reality. Hopefully women will realize this and not feel like they have to live up to that very unrealistic standard.

Nothing is ever good enough for you, we finally have pregnant women who are confidentto pose nude and you want to nit pick over whether its airbrushed or not. so what nude & pregnant is good enough, she probably still does have a great body, i mean you tell that her butt has gained weight so they are not airbrushing everything out, and if you ever look at her she's always orange. too much fake tan, which i'm not sure you should use during pregnancy

Nothing is ever good enough for you, we finally have pregnant women who are confidentto pose nude and you want to nit pick over whether its airbrushed or not. so what nude & pregnant is good enough, she probably still does have a great body, i mean you tell that her butt has gained weight so they are not airbrushing everything out, and if you ever look at her she's always orange. too much fake tan, which i'm not sure you should use during pregnancy

Well, Cassie, i have to respectfully disagree. This is not what a "typical" pregnancy looks like (trust me I know, having been there a couple of times,lol!). If they were to put a picture of a regular, pregnant non-celeb, with the swollen feet and hands, and weight gain,and ,yes, stretch marks somewhere in the magazine, that would be real progress. (If they put it on the cover, it would be revolutionary, but that's not gonna happen. They ARE a fashion mag, after all.)
I realize Christina is a tiny gal, but I'm sure she also has a team behind her, making sure she eats right, exercises in a healthy way, and doesn't put on more weight than is recommended by her doctor. And you can bet that the weight will come right off once she gives birth, and all the magazines will show pictures of her "miraculous weight loss after baby!"
So, yes, it all conspires to make the rest of us feel crappy.

Alyssa I did not say it was typical, I just wondered what difference it makes either way. I cant understand why christina agueleira on the cover of a magazine in a photo, that you yourself believe to be airbrushed, makes you feel "crappy". you say you think its not real so therefore how can it make you feel crappy???? I honestly dont understand. also I love when people discount celebs bodies beacuse they have the money for trainers and personal chefs etc. Its not that. I think its more so that they have nannies to watch the kids while they exercise. they still are the one's sweating and eating properly. We all know how to eat properly just most of the time we are not as disciplined as we should be. "a team making sure she eats right" come on she's a grown woman making choices. she can eat whatever the hell she wants just as we all can. certainly its easier for them but its not like they sit on their buts eating bon bons and get those fab figures.
also i think pregnancy is the one time where you are entitled to

gain weight and still feel beautiful and are happy to do so. I say eat up. "conspires" to make you fell crappy. that sounds like paranoia. believe me the folks at marie claire or whereever have more to do than conspire against you. everyone on this site is so unhappy with their own bodies that a photo of a beautiful woman turns them into a raving lunatic.

Okay, I have to admit the only nekkid pregnant woman magazine cover I've ever liked was Demi Moore's, because she looked serene and beautiful, like how I feel more days than I'd like to admit for a fat chick.

As for Christina, well, she needs to step away from the spray can. For a few years now she's been overly oranged (she looks like she's been Tango'ed!) and her pics aren't, since you asked, at all attractive to me. She's young, she might not have any stretch marks, yadda, meh. I won't say she looks awful, but...I've seen her look better, even pregnant, even with makeup. And how much do I hate that jacket? Yeuch.

Cassie, I spent nearly 20 years as a professional actress, and I lived in both L.A. and New York for a long time. Most of these women DO NOT simply exercise and eat healthy. MANY of them exercise excessively are constantly dieting, as well as taking up smoking in order to keep their weight down. (Don't get me started on the modeling industry, and the alcohol and drugs that are GIVEN to those girls). In many cases, it is in their contracts how much they can weigh. It is not a choice. And yes, they do have an entire team behind them, including nannies.
I am GLAD that you do not let these images change your perception of yourself, but these images DO have an impact on many women and girls, and that is the simple truth. And the editors of these magazines are very critical of "average" women. (It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you,lol!)

"Everyone on this site is so unhappy with their own bodies that a photo of a beautiful woman turns them into a raving lunatic."

Cassie - I don't think this is a fair statement but since you wrote it and are on this site I have to ask does that mean you are a raving lunatic and are unhappy with your body as well? I don’t mean any disrespect but maybe you should a bit more careful with your words in the future. Some of us are still learning to love and accept our bodies as they are.

Okay, this first comment isn't relevant (sorry, Leslie, feel free to pull it!) but Alyssa - girl! - you have got to tell us your life story sometime!! Every new little tidbit is like tease... I know you are a mom of 2(?) autistic children and now you were "in the business" for 20 years? Get a blog!

My thoughts on the picture: I've never thought Xtina particularly attractive (although I do love the gal's penchant for retro!). She seems to do well with what she's given though. Although I totally 100% agree with what Leslie said about sexualizing pregnancy. It is so frustrating how the industry sexualizes women FIRST and then everything else that women are can come later. You can be a scientist but you'd better be a HOT scientist. You can be a librarian but you'd better be a HOT librarian. And now, you can be a mom but you'd better be a MILF. It infantilizes women. It reduces us to our anatomy first and our minds second. I hate that.

My thoughts on what Cassie said: the way that these images make it into our collective conscience is very insidious. It isn't so much about saying "I'm not going to let that make me feel crappy" but more that these mags set the societal standard. And if that standard is air-brushed and nanny-fueled, there really ought to be an outcry of "not fair."

Hey, Charlotte!

You make my life sound so exciting,lol! I've been working on getting a blog up, but I think I'm too hyper (or ADD) to maintain it. I'll give it a try, but you might be disappointed,lol!
BTW, thanks!
And I totally agree with you. The standard is unfair, unreal, and insidious.

Indeed, the way that images like these - or the ones we see on billboards, in the movies, in ads - work by seeping into our subconsciosness. It's not like I (or anyone) look at every picture consciously think "I must look like her. I MUST look like her." (Though this certainly can happen.) Rather, it's the cumulative effect of being bombarded my images day in, day out, which shapes how we think about the world, how we come to value ourselves (I'm not saying this is the SOLE influencer not our self-worth, but certainly a major factor.) If a woman was raised on a secluded island like Return From the Blue Lagoon, she most likley wouldn't aspire to some crazy-thin ideal, or beat herself up for being fat. There's actually a study out of Harvard that showed a dramatic increase in disordered eating among teenage girls in Fiji was linked to the introduction of TV. These are girls who did not have EDs but once they started watching Baywatch and 90210, they started to harbor negative feelings about their bodies -

38 months after TV came to the island, 15 percent of girls (age 17 on average) reported that they had vomited to control weight. But BEFORE TV? Only THREE percent! Some other effects of being bombarded with American body "ideals":

After TV was introduced, 74 percent of the Fijian girls reported feeling "too big or fat" at least some of the time. Those who watched TV at least 3 nights/week were 50 percent more likely than others to see themselves as too fat, and 30 percent more likely to diet, even though they were not overweight.

If this isn't proof of how mainstream media can seep into the consciousness of women, I don't know what is.

Source: http://www.hms.harvard.edu/news/releases/599bodyimage.html

I wonder what Christina looks like without all the makeup. Taylor Durden gave a good description on his website: "It looks like she fills her sink with foundation and dunks her face in."

She's just not pretty to me. I like a more natural look.

Well, I've never been pregnant so maybe its not my place to comment, but i am rather torn by this. Does anybody remember the Demi Moore Vanity Fair pregnancy photo back in 92 i think? I prefered that one. It was more artisitic and kind of sutle but still beautiful. Actually, i've been lucky enough to see Chistina without makeup because my best friends mom was doing her makeup once i was help her. She very normal looking, i probably couldn't tell it was her to be honest if she were at the grocery store. She had lots of extentions, but that was five years ago, i am sure she's changed. I just hope this doesn't pressure new mom's to want to look like that. The last thing we need is to-be-moms going to tanning beds! (i live in L.A. and I am sure this happens here).

Kind of along the lines of this article, maybe not, but I just picked up the new issue of Self with Keri Russel on the cover. First of all, girlfriend does not look 31. Second of all, that cover photo was taken 3 months after she gave birth. Wow. I can't even believe it. She says she doesn't diet or exercise, that it's mostly due to being "active" and genetics. I don't know if I believe that. If I were a new mom, I might feel a little inferior. Actually, I feel maybe a little bit inferior even though I'm 7 years younger than her and have never had a baby. >:)

You are so right Nikki!! I read that article and immediately wished I hadn't. My youngest baby (of 4) is 14 months old and I still (sigh) haven't lost those last 8 lbs. At least Keri credited genetics though. I HATE it when stars say they lost all their baby weight in 4 weeks by "having occassional treats and exercise". Who are they kidding?!? It definitely sets an unrealistic and depressing standard for the rest of us moms.