Singing to a skinny tune
We all have music that inspires us to workout harder or faster. "Stronger" by Cristina Aguilera. "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake. "Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic.
But "Incredible Shrinking Women" by Heidi Roizen?
Um, no.
I'm all for motivating people - carrot beats stick any day - but the thought of women running laps while blasting the following lyrics through their iPods churns my stomach:
( I just wanna be)
Thin! -- I don’t deny it. Thin! -- I wanna try it
Thin! -- but I can’t buy it. Guess I’ll have to di- di- diet
It sounds like some sort of indoctrinating tool or cultish chant. I was actually pitched this CD a couple of months ago as a possible story idea for Weighting Game but I decided against it because I try to promote a message of body love and acceptance, balanced with fitness and good, healthy food. This CD is, I feel, the antithesis of this. It's like wall-papering a gym in magazine ads featuring models in bikinis and stilettos. In the abc.com article, Roizen says "We're not trying to get people to be skinny or reach any particular weight." But with lyrics about not eating pie or songs titled "Thin!" and "Skinny Jeans," how can this not be the case?
Comments
This is disgusting IMHO
Um, yeah, because we don't hear this enough. I don't think *anyone* has ever told me how nice it is to be thin and how bad it is to eat pie. Really, this is just a PSA set to a catchy beat.
;)
what baffles me is that lots of women (from everywoman to fitness bloggers) have jumped on this cd's bandwagon.
are we THAT looking for a panacea or is it simply about making moneymoney by preying on other people's insecurities.
I guess given those choices Id opt for the former.
M.
(great point charlotte)
Hi Leslie!
New to your blog, and love it so far. I've read some of your freelance work in various popular magazines. Speaking of music, do you have any favorite workout tunes? If so, can you please post in a future thread? I'm anxious for some new songs on the ipod. Thanks!
They pitched me too, and I was intrigued, but like you I started to read the lyrics and the thinspiration tone didn't jive with me at all. Even the skinny jeans song was more like an anthem to the jeans ;( I think they could improve by focusing on a more overall strive for healthiness and loving of your body.
