Sorry, Trista, I'm not trying to hate but...

(Please note as you read: I really am not trying to be catty here).

I think it's wonderful that Trista Rehn has been able to fulfill her goal of "being thin" by new year. As some of you may recall, in an October 2007 issue of Us Weekly, the new mom said she was on a mission to lose the last of the 30 pounds she gained during pregnancy. “I’m definitely not pleased when I look in the mirror,” the 5-foot-2 reality TV star, who at that point was sporting size 4 pants, weighed 116 pounds and had a three-month-old baby boy said. Her ideal weight: “When I fit into my size 26 Hudson jeans, then I’ll be happy.”

Or, in real-world measurements, "when I have a waist with a circumference of a honeydew melon."

Well, mission accomplished. Trista, a former dancer, is currently on the cover of the mag in a yellow bikini, indeed looking tiny and hot, hoisting her baby on her left breast. I assumed things had been photoshopped - not in a "Ha! No way could she attain that bod on her own" way but more in a "Staus quo, blah blah, I'm sure they touched up her abs a bit like they do to everyone" way.

Then, I stumbled across some pics of Trista on the beach - candids, free from airbrushing. And you know what? She looks fan-freaking-tastic. But she does not look like she does on the cover. Check it out for yourself:

Why? Why, why, why? Why change how good she looks? Why smooth away every pore, erase any sign of age, digitally liposculpt her freaking knees, steal away any indication she had ever produced a child (except for her ample post-baby bosom)? For that matter...why is this on the cover of a magazine? Why do we love it? Hate it? Crave it and loathe it? WHO, exactly, needs this kind of "fixing"?

Comments

Because God forbid we, in this country, EVER see a wrinkle, a roll of fat, or even a freckle. If we don't look like plastic dolls, we aren't "hot."
Personally, I'm proud of my stretch marks and even my bit of belly jiggle. I don't want to look like I've never been pregnant. I have two amazing kids that I'm so proud of, and my body is the body of a 38 year-old mom who works out and takes care of herself, but not to the exclusion of living life.

In America, we're in a losing battle to look like we're 18 our entire lives. Why is it that in Europe, older women can look older, and it's totally accepted they are still considered sexy? They take care of themselves, and look maybe 10 years younger, but there isn't this plastic surgery epidemic we have here. All of my friends talk about plastic surgery, and I'm 26. How sad is that? It's in every magazine I pick up, on TV, on the radio. I guess I'll have to move to Europe to age.

Commenting on AD's European references: I think the reason Europe is perfectly okay with aging because all they have to do is look around themselves and realize that buildings over a gazilion years old (okay, exagerating a bit, yes) still look great, and so they as people will too! I sincerely believe that European attitudes need to be adopted in this country. Especially the attitudes Italians have about shoes... Anyone else with me on this one?

I guess what I'm trying to say is I sincerely believe that countries as old as European ones have appropriate attitudes towards age, whereas people in our baby of a country (compared to Europe and the Asian-Pacific countries anyway) have the mindsets of, well, teenagers (again, exagerating, but...)

Am I crazy?

Monique, that makes complete sense. We are still a young country, with a young attitude, and we don't really have much respect for older things, and certainly not for older people.

Ok I need to clarify, I am european and please dont kid your selves that they dont do plastic surgery. they totally do all types same as here. they just arent as fat as us. My parents visited from europe recently and I was surprised (and frustrated - my new yorker attitude tended towards "no we're too busy to stop to eat") by how often they wanted to take a break and eat while we were out and about. I thought that we americans eat more, I think we do but maybe beacuse we eat less often and get too hungry then eat too much, anyway getting off track now.
but in reference to alyssa saying you never see a roll of fat here- hello!!! where are you living all you have to do is walk down the street , there are rolls of fat everywhere. also british & german tabloids are far harder om the celebs so they only show perfection also. good for you with being happy with your body though

I just have to throw this out there: WHY is she holding her baby in such a weird way? I've never seen a mother hoist a baby on her breast like some kind of life-size medal. Did she not want to obscure any part of her glorious body and yet she wanted to make sure the baby was in the pic so people knew she had a baby and was still this hot?? It just looks awkward.

That said - right on about the stupid airbrushing Leslie! I didn't even notice her knees until you pointed out. Egads.

Monique - I agree with you & Alyssa. We live in a weirdly youth-centric culture. Although I lived in Europe for a while and they have their own body problems.

Cassie - we must've posted at the same time! Anyhow, you said it so much better than I did. Women in Spain (where I lived) were definitely as obsessed with their bodies as we Americans are although it manifested in different ways. For instance, they think our fascination with exercise is HIL-arious. Of course they walk everywhere so they don't need to worry about it. Still though, I gained ten pounds living in Spain & Germany. And I saw plenty of overweight people.

This just goes to show that no one is immune to body image issues. Today, almost every home has a tv and a computer and people are exposed to tabloids when they go buy their groceries. As far as magazine covers, no one is ever happy about what these editors slap on the front page. Whether it's obviously, severely airbrushed Trista or Kirstie Ally with her double-chin or Cindy Crawford with her post-baby belly and cellulite. It doesn't matter anymore, it seems these people are an issue away from putting a horrific image of an aborted fetus just to get our attention, just to sell a copy for $2.50 (or whatever the hell it costs). It's sick and it's not just happening in the good-ole USofA.
And how are new mothers supposed to feel after they just squeezed out a 8 pound baby and God forbid they're not down to the size they were in high school in two weeks? On that cover, it's almost like Trista is saying, I'm not gonna let a BABY stop me from my dream of looking hot, even my own baby, dammit. *Sigh

And what's up with every mother's ultimate "goal" in life being to lose the baby weight and be a MILF? Whatever happened to ending world hunger? Or at least making our communities a better place??

Hi Leslie!

I agree, she looks great in the untouched photo! But, I guess that just isn't "good enough". Instead, the consumers must be presented with a cover image that they can compare themselves to yet never achieve, because it's not even real.

You know what else is funny about the air brushed cover? They took so much away from her body that her head looks too big for her body. Notice that's not the case in the "normal" photo? ;)

OK, I'm not saying that we don't see fat in our everyday lives. I was being sarcastic and trying to say that Hollywood and Madison Ave. like to airbrush out every so-called "imperfection" because they believe they will sell more magazines/movie tickets, whatever that way.
I have been to Europe many times, and have seen heavy people there, as well. But I do think our obsession with youth goes further than in other countries. We worship 18 year-olds. We tell teenagers "these are the best years of your life." (HA!) We spend years trying to recapture our youth, for whatever reason.
Hey, we ALL have our hangups, no matter where we're from,lol!

I have no idea why people read People or Us or any mag like that. Who cares what someone that you'll never meet says or looks like. I don't get it -

I agree with you all we are obsessed with youth and beauty. Here I thought beauty was only skin deep. Ha!

I agree with you all we are obsessed with youth and beauty. Here I thought beauty was only skin deep. Ha!

I agree. People now days think beauty is only skin deep. Celebrity mothers are setting unrealistic standards. Not everyone can afford $1000+ a month meal plans, and personal trainers everyday.