The Stripped Project

Link Roundup: February 2012

2012-02-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

Seriously. Look at this. David Jay's SCAR project will make you cry.
What clever commentary! Classic nudes get the Photoshop treatment in Anna Utopia Giordano's Venus Project.

Strippeed #55

2011-12-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

A Confesssion (Warning: Possible E.D. Trigger)

2011-09-29T09:55:00.002-04:00

Hi guys! I have something to tell you. This is why my posting has been so sparse lately.

When I started Stripped, I was taking a year off from school because of illness. I had a lot of free time to devote to this project. But when I started school again for my junior year, things got a little (read: insanely) busy. However, now as a senior, I find myself with a measure of uncommited time again (yay!).That's not why I've been AWOL, though. A contributing factor, but not the main reason.

Let me say now that I'm fortunate enough to have wonderful, positive people in my life who tell me every day that I am beautiful and valuable. And a lot of the time I believe it. Heck, I even have strangers stop me on the street all the time to tell me how attractive I am. I believe these people maybe a good 70% of the time.

But here's the deal. That 30% of unbelief is pretty feirce. I deal with a lot of my own body-hate every day. Over the last year I've changed sizes multiples times and gotten (even!) taller. I am a stranger in my own body right now. I've always had the feeling (the fear, really) of being a kind of brute, some kind of hulking she-monster. I was always taller and bigger than everyone I knew. I was able to pick up my teachers with one arm when I was in middle school (yes, I tried it, to their dismay). I was taller than all the girls, and taller than all the boys too.

Society says that girls (and women and "ladies") are supposed to be dainty. I'm not dainty at all. A lipstick-loving super-femme, yes, but not tiny and precious and pocket-sized. And that makes me feel really bad some times. Bad enough that I skip meals and obsess over calories. Bad enough that I want to sit down and cry. Sometimes bad enought that I really want to die, because I feel completely helpless and hopless and estranged from my body.

And then I think about all these beautiful bodies I've photographed over the last two years, how brave and wonderful all these people are. How I'm suppsosed to stand for something with this project. I'm not saying I don't belive my ideals. I really, truly believe that all bodies are beautiful.. But some times I simply can't believe it about myself, no matter how hard I try.
And...It makes me feel like a hypocrite.

Really, it comes down to this: how can I reconcile my feelings of insecurity with my pro-body stance?

I wish that I was some super-person who never felt any negativity towards her own body, but I'm not. I'm just as fragile and insecure as the next person. I love you all, and I'm going to keep this project going no matter what. I just wanted to get that off my chest (pun, maybe?).

Stripped #54

2011-08-03T09:21:00.000-04:00

Stripped #53

2011-08-03T09:18:00.000-04:00

Stripped #52

2011-08-03T09:16:00.000-04:00

I don't want you to think that I'm dead, guys.

2011-05-27T15:18:00.001-04:00

Because I'm not. Neither is this site. STRIPPED WILL NEVER DIE!

I've just been ~~kind of~~ really, super busy. Like, multiple-brushes-with-death kind of busy.

However, summer's coming up, which means I'll have some free time (i.e. time to update the site)!

Of course, as always, I'm taking online submissions. And if you get lonely, you can always take my survey.

- G

Survey Says...Day 4

2011-03-21T00:20:00.000-04:00

Friends have affected me the most in body image. Listening to them complement themselves or put themselves down makes me instinctively compare myself to them.
My negative feelings about my body come from the media and cruel people. I have learned to love my body on my own and with the help of those closest to me who see my body as it is and love it.
Family.
My parents were generally good about my appearance but sometimes would make stupid comments about "do you really need to eat that?" I've gotten both more insecure and more resolved to be healthy after forming friendships with a lot of people recovering from eating disorders. When they complain about their (beautiful) bodies it is hard to stay rational and remember that just because you are bigger than them doesn't mean you're less attractive. But seeing how insane their EDs have made them, and the warped way they view the world, made me only want to stay healthy and avoid falling into that trap.
I was severely underweight as a child and young adult, so I never had a "masculine" body at any point in my life.
Definitely the media. It took me a long time to learn that almost nobody looks like women in magazines, and more importantly, if I was doing a photoshoot they would photoshop me until I looked that perfect! That doesn't just apply to me, I mean they can pretty much make anyone "ideally" beautiful with a lot of makeup, lighting and photoshop. My friends have been all different sizes and as I've gotten older I've realized how quirky all our bodies are! Aside from icky friends who tell me that I'm underweight or I have ugly hair, my opinion about my body has been shaped positively by my social life. My family is very conflicted; my dad believes that a healthy body is all that counts while my mom believes that being heavy is worth feeling guilty over. In general, though, I would definitely have to say that the media has given me the most information about how I should look.
All of the above! My nana thought I didn't eat enough. I'm really into fashion and politics. And we know there are a lot of hidden messages there.
I think it's the media; all the images floating around.
I am constantly bombarded with negative (and sometimes positive) thoughts and feelings about my body based on the media. It's hard not to compare myself to other moms I know.
Older brother use to pick on me and caused some low self esteem. Not much other than that.

Head on over and give the survey a whirl.

Survey says... Day #3

2011-03-21T00:09:00.001-04:00

What do other people think about your body?:

I really don't know. I know my husband likes it.
No idea. I never ask and people never tell me.
They think I'm small, with a big butt. But not deathly small. Not big either. Just right!
I think most people would approve of it. My friends are really accepting of nudity, they've basically taught me that everyone has their bodily "flaws" and when you're all naked together you're all pretty equal! I think my family is okay with my body because I am not outwardly unhealthy (as in, being overweight, or another visible problem). I get looked at by guys fairly often so I think I have a desirable body.
They like it.
I think they think I'm too skinny sometimes, but usually healthy, just small? I don't know.
That I'm thin and pretty, I'm told
People usually have two opinions of it. Some absolutely love it while others absolutely hate it and call me fat. Those who do almost always love the size of my chest. I really hate it when people call me fat just because I am several sizes bigger than a skinny girl. Then again fuck them they are missing out on the coziness.
I've been told I'm sexy, pretty, cute, ect. The rebound is whether or not someone is interested in me because I have big boobs.
They always wonder how I stay thin. I usually tell them my secret is to eat a wide variety of foods, and don't stop moving.

If you want to contribute, click the link and make your voice heard.

Stripped #51

2011-03-21T00:07:00.000-04:00

Stripped #50

2011-03-12T02:26:00.000-05:00

Stripped #49

2011-03-01T21:53:00.001-05:00

Survey Says... Day #2

2011-02-20T21:11:00.004-05:00

How do you feel about your body?:


My feelings about my body yo-yo from one day to the next. Some days I feel great about it, and others I just feel so fat. I'm a middle-age man. I'm slim, but my body has some flaws, so sometimes I wish I had a "better version" of a body I guess. That depends on the day, but usually pretty okay. I do worry about my squishiness time to time, but I've gain 15 lbs and I still think I can fuck anyone. I'm kind of ambivalent. On the one hand, I am thin and I think I have a pretty face. On the other hand, I am kind of "bulgy" in some places and I feel like I have "problem areas". I am also kind of annoyed at my body, because it turns out I have autoimmune problems. So, I'm not too attached to it (figuratively speaking, of course). I really don't feel like it defines me but I think I'm very fortunate to be skinny, because it is much easier for me to get favors and positive attention than a bigger girl. I wish it were not that way, but I KNOW that there is a serious bias against big women in our culture. I feel lucky that I'm not on the "other side", but if I could get rid of that bias on my own I would do it in an instant. I would love for it to be healthier looking, i.e., more athletic, but it's not, so I am exploring ways to become more interested in it. Most days, I like my body. I've gained and lost weight in the last few months, and at one point I was the heaviest I'd ever been, but I got nothing but positive feedback about looking healthy. But then my anxiety got worse and I lost the weight again, and now I feel like I look spindly and not as pretty, plus I know I was healthier at the other weight. But I still feel weird about not "appreciating" my weight loss. It's complicated. But I have also been appreciating my body in a different way, recently, through yoga. I know how thin I am and that I'm pretty but I want to be thinner and prettier. Most of the time I find my body beautiful. It's curvaceous and plump. I do not have a slim figure at all, I love how my body has character. At times I do find myself bummed that I cannot fit into the clothes that other slim people look so chic in but then again they will never look the way I do in the clothes that fit my shape so its a give and take. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and almost always proclaim "Damn, I am really fucking pretty." I feel that I am okay. I'm pretty, but not anything remarkable. Has it's flaws like everyone else, but on the surface, I look a hell of a lot better than 2 of my younger brothers. 5 Years younger. Head over to the survey to contribute.

Survey says... Day #1

2011-02-20T20:57:00.002-05:00

Time for the results from my SURVEY!

I asked readers "What is beauty?" and they replied:

I think beauty is being confidant in yourself.
It really depends. One definition is "healthy," but when you see a patient fighting to survive you can't say s/he is not beautiful.
That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you look at something.
That's a really good question. I think it's something that someone possesses. I feel like I either think someone is beautiful, or I don't. I definitely am not talking about looks alone, I mean the "whole package".
Stillness.
Beauty only counts to the beholder, and it's something that makes you happy. That's why we see beauty in the eyes and looks of the people we love, no matter what they look like.
Highly subjective yet very culturally ingrained as one ideal.
Beauty is what you perceive as being pleasurable to you . The quote "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" definitely says it all. It varies from person to person.
I don't even know how to begin answering this.
Personality first. Higher sense of compassion 2nd. 3rd would have to be a killer body.

If you want to contribute, click the link and make your voice heard.

Stripped #48

2011-02-20T20:44:00.000-05:00

Stripped #47

2011-02-20T20:42:00.000-05:00

2011-02-15T02:40:00.000-05:00

Is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me.

- J.K. Rowling, The Daily Mail (5/12/06)

Guest Post: Suzanne Willis

2011-02-10T13:36:00.001-05:00

So after a long day at work, I was quite excited to come home and relax and just watch TV. Now since my lovely Pittsburgh Penguins had been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, I had no choice but to scroll through the channels of my TV and try and find something else. Well low and behold, on NBC, The Miss USA pageant was on. After careful consideration, this is what I have decided.
REASONS WHY I WILL NEVER BE MISS USA:

1) I am not a size 0. This program began with these young women basically gyrating across the stage in their bikinis. Not one girl was the size of the average American women. So, seeing as how I am not a twig, I cannot compete.

2) Now let’s just say I am able to twig down, and I decide I want to run for Miss USA, I still won’t make it because I cannot acquire the right “mermaid” esque dress, or the right “accentuate the positives dress.” When the young women were doing their walk across the stage, they were asked why they picked the dress that they wore. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT DEFINES A WOMAN. So seeing as how I do not know the difference between an A-line and a Sweetheart style, I will never be Miss America.

3) I love America. I love being from the United States. That being said, I do not feel the need to hype up Amuuuuuuuuurica every two seconds. So When this next young lady (and the future winner who bears a striking resemblance to Kim Kardashian, who again represents the average American woman obviously) was asked about competing in this pageant, and how she wasn’t going to let finances be an issue, she began to talk about how she was going to sell her car, which was a Ford, because, “we buy everything American.” Well I guess me and my Honda can’t compete with the winner of Miss USA. So because I do not own an American car, I can’t be Miss USA

4) I fail at pretty poses. At the end of this two hour debacle, they had the women pose so the judges could get one last look. THEY STOOD THEIR AND MADE DIFFERENT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ALL THE WHILE WEARING A RITZY DITZY BALL GOWN. So seeing as how I lack the poise and balance to stand prettily, I will never be Miss USA.

5) I am not a Victoria’s Secret model. On the Website for Miss USA, they had all 50 contestants pose in lingerie. They also had it so that the girls could be rated on a scale of 1 to 5. I want to point out that most of these girls averaged a 2 or a 3. I am wondering what a 4 or a 5 looks like. These women claim that they want to inspire young women. Inspire them to what I ask? Pose in their underwear? The Winner of last year’s pageant talked about how she was so glad that she was able to inspire young women to dream big. Since when did “Dreaming Big” become about winning a beauty pageant? What happened to wanting to a doctor, or a lawyer, president or even just accomplishing what your heart desires? Why does your future have to be based on your looks?

Finally, I would just like to say that it sickens me how much the media and music and television promote that women have to look a certain way. It makes me so sad that women think their worth is based on their looks. Be happy with yourself. Do not let someone or something define you and make you feel inferior. If there is something about yourself that you don’t like then go change it, but don’t risk your health or your sanity for vanity. Being a woman rocks. I may not be entirely comfortable with myself, but I am okay with not being Miss USA.

Stripped #46

2011-02-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

Tell Me Your Body's Story

2011-01-30T16:08:00.001-05:00

Click here to take survey

Guest Post: Mary Mauney

2011-01-23T16:03:00.001-05:00

* Thanks Mary for this great post!*

- - - - - - - -

“I don’t know why girls want to be skinny and anorexic-looking. I like curvy girls.”

“Guys like girls with curves.”

“Being TOO skinny isn’t attractive to men.”

“Girls need a little junk in the trunk.”

“You should eat, a little meat on your bones looks good.”

I keep hearing this from men. It comes up every time the issue of body acceptance occurs in any way, or even seemingly out of the blue. They seem to think that they’re ‘helping’ in some way by making these statements, that they deserve pats on the backs or cookies for such an ‘enlightened’ view. They seem to expect me just about gush about how RIGHT they are and how GREAT it is to hear a guy say that.

Know why I don’t?

Because it’s not about what men want. Dear guys, I know this flies in the face of everything society tells you about the goals and motivations of women, but it is not about you. The issues of body acceptance--for ALL bodies, not just the ones YOU find attractive, whether those are skinny or curvy or whatever--cannot be boiled down to ‘girls just want guys to like them so they try to be skinny’ and definitely should not be followed, which it usually is, with the additional statement that men like “curvy” women to begin with. There’s a whole lot of fallacy packed into this. Firstly, not all women are attracted to men. Secondly, not all men are attracted to women. Thirdly, those men that are attracted to women are not all attracted to the same body type. And fourthly, thanks for the implication that eating disorders and body image issues is all just our own fault being ~*silly*~ and must be just us poor clueless womenfolk not realizing we already have the body to please men--or at least the male speaker. Yup, this is just about women wanting to please men and getting mixed up about how to do it! But now we’re saved, because a man has assured that he likes curves! Hallelujah!

Oh my god, shut up.

There are a million fucking things that go in to anorexia and bulimia than the idea that men want thin women and we should answer that call. I would say that’s NOT part of it--it definitely is, and we are definitely told that we need a man and don’t deserve one if we aren’t pretty (read: thin) enough. But it’s also that the ‘average’ women we are presented with in our shows, our magazines, every ounce of media we are bombarded with every day, is someone who is being presented as normal yet is, by societal standards, incredibly gorgeous and extraordinarily slim. Take a look at your favorite shows. How do the female characters look? How do the male characters look? Which gender gets to be old, to be fat, to have a facial scar? I love Law & Order SVU, but Olivia could not get away with being Munce’s age and expect to be a regular character on that show. If Danny DeVito and Jack Black were women, they would not, in all likelihood, have been able to make it where they are today, even with twice the talent, and if they had, their bodies, and their worth as human beings, would be judged mercilessly by the public eye. Fat men are seen as having failed at fitness, but fat women are seen as having failed at being people.

And sometimes it’s not even about being thin. Sometimes its about wanting some control over your life or your body in a world where both have been taken out of your hands. Sometimes it about wanting some kind of agency over your body after someone took that agency away by force. Sometimes it’s about punishing your body for having been what that someone used to hurt you. Sometimes it’s about trying to make your outside look as frail and fragile as you feel inside because that is the only way you feel allowed to convey your feelings. Sometimes, dear men, it is not about what you and your cock want from us. And when it is, the solution is NOT to assure women that they are fine the way they are because YOU like them. That just maintains the idea that we need approval for our bodies at all, that the way we feel about our bodies should be dependent on how much they please other people instead of if they’re healthy, not to mention the idea that women should be striving for the approval for men in particular.

You like curvy women? Great. You wanna say what you like? Great. But when you phrase it as if it’s the fucking answer to all anorexia ever, you need to sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up, and get some fucking perspective about just what you’re implying when you basically say that because you prize this body type, women should have it, no matter WHAT that body type is. Don’t tell me shit about what my body “should” have, whether it’s curves or a big butt or a little belly or zero percent body fat. I didn’t ask you. I don’t need your permission. I don’t need your advice. I don’t need your approval. I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK AND IT PISSES ME OFF YOU SEEM SO SURE THAT I AND MY VAGINA DO.

(Oh yeah--and some of us don’t have curves because that’s how we are. I really appreciate all the implications that we’re undesirable or only have these bodies because we MUST be sick and starving ourselves. Fuck you again, my “womanliness” (whatever the hell that is) is not defined by my hips being wide anymore than it is by the number on the scale being low.)

READ ME: The Stripped Project is now taking submissions!

2011-01-04T16:13:00.004-05:00

The title says it all. . .almost. Here are some ground rules about the blog's new policy.

By sending me your photograph, you are certifying:

That this is your photo and you own the rights to it.
That you are giving me the rights to use this photo however I see fit.
Most importantly, you are legally certifying that you are OVER 18.

Photographs should be .jpg images in the site's format: taken from the neck-down with one picture of the front, and one of the back. You can pose however you want, and with as many people as you want, as long as it's not obscene. Use common sense. I've found the best photos (the ones that are the most expressive and compelling) are usually the ones of people standing naturally, letting their body language do the talking.

Isn't this exciting? Oh goodie! Now quick, strip!

Email you submissions to Strippeddame@gmail.com

Redefining "HEALTH"

2011-01-04T04:08:00.000-05:00

I recently heard through the grapevine that a distant acquaintance of mine had expressed absolute horror over this blog, because she believed that I was promoting, glorifying even, an "unhealthy" lifestyle and "unhealthy" bodies. But what exactly is health? Let's take a look.

If you think that fat people are disgusting, and should be excluded from media in favor of thinner, more "attractive" people, that's unhealthy.

If you think "fat" is an insult, that's unhealthy.

If you live on a diet of cottage cheese and yams to maintain your weight, that's unhealthy.

If you feel jealous and embittered every time you see a skinny girl, that's unhealthy.

If you assume that all fat people eat their feelings, are lazy, smelly, or any other fat-phobic stereotype, that's unhealthy.

If you assume that all skinny people are starving themselves, anorexic, or using drugs, that's unhealthy.

If you fixate on your "flaws," that's unhealthy.

If you hate when people compliment your body, that's unhealthy.

If you hate looking at your body, that's unhealthy.

If you feel anything but love and acceptance for you body, that's unhealthy.

What our culture defines as "health" is unhealthy. It is an empty, evil, insane cycle that keeps people too busy to actually think. How many people do you know that are the "perfect" size but still unhappy? "Perfect" at what cost? Heck, celebrities (you know, the people who are supposed to embody the ideal? the ones on the covers of the magazines that we compare ourselves to?) are infamous for being miserably unhappy and self-destructive. I'm not promoting any particular body shape on this blog. I'm promoting body love. Because trust me: you can fix the outside a lot easier than the inside.

Tell me, dear readers: how do you define health?

Submissions?

2010-11-21T16:36:00.001-05:00

I got my first emailed submission today. My little heart is fluttering. I have been hesitant to have volunteers mail in their photos...but it's not like I was going to say no! I think that's the absolute bravest thing. And it's got me thinking.

So...should I take photo submissions? It would allow me to do a kind of Post-Secret style blog...which would be neat, and it would also allow me to get photos of people from all around the country (and the world!) instead of just Atlanta. However I'm worried about the legal stuff -- making sure everyone's over 18, etc. Maybe I could get a real (non-blog) website...but those cost money...hmmm...

Tell me guys...WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"Why I Stripped" #45

2010-11-21T16:30:00.001-05:00

1) Did you strip for political or personal reasons? Explain.

I stripped more for political reasons. Everywhere I go I am surrounded by genuinely gorgeous people of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Only a minute fraction of those people are embraced as being attractive and I want that to change. I know that my body is lovely but I did not always think that. I want everyone to know how empowering it is to show off their natural beauty and embrace it.

2) Did you strip to learn something about yourself or to show something about yourself? Explain.

To show that a body with loose skin, scars and stretch marks is not a freak abnormality, nor disgusting. Instead it is often a natural part of life and truly awesome.

3) Put into words the message that your body communicated by the act of stripping.

I will not conform, I will stand tall and proud for this is who I am, and I love it.

Stripped #45

2010-11-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

Link Roundup -11/14/10

2010-11-14T23:31:00.010-05:00

Tell me, guys, would you take a Fat Studies class?

So, apparently there's a computer program called MovieReshape, which is basically the movie version of Photoshop. The program allows you to thin out, bulk up, and basically mold an actor's body to the desired form. Is this horrible, or what? What do you think?

Here's something fun from the NY Times: Model-Morphoses, which allows you to play with shots of models before and after they've been made up.

Stripped #44

2010-11-14T17:25:00.001-05:00

Stripped #43

2010-11-14T17:23:00.002-05:00

Stripped #42

2010-11-14T17:22:00.000-05:00

Survey

2010-11-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

I've tried a lot of methods in trying to get my models' opinons, and very few of them have generated a response (which is probably my fault). So, since I'm trying to streamline this opinon-sharing process, I've made a survey for my volunteers. If you've participated, please please PLEASE take this survey:

Click here to take the survey.

Oh my goodness!

2010-10-10T05:02:00.000-04:00

Apparently there's a feature on Blogger called "Stats" that allows you to see who's been checking out your blog . . . lots of people have found Stripped! Wow!

So . . . all you mysterious people . . . one tiny request:

PLEASE COMMENT!

I want to hear what you think: about the photos, about the articles, about everything. Because I love you.

Stripped #40 and #41

2010-10-10T04:55:00.003-04:00

This is true friendship.

Slouch Conspiracy

2010-09-14T15:49:00.003-04:00

Go here. That's right. Go to UrbanOutfitters.com. Now, download their "Late Fall" Catalog.

I promise I'm not selling anything. Look through the pictures. Look at the women. What's wrong here?

They're all hunched over or slouching, like ragdolls. Look at those vacant faces. They look really uncomfortable. Or maybe dead. Now turn to page 15. *GASP!* You can see a hiiiint of breast-curve on the girl in the pink shirt!

Why are these girls posed so awkwardly? And why don't we see curves anywhere else in the ENTIRE CATALOG? Because the models are posed to disguise their curves.

So, for your reading pleasure, I've compiled my very own How To Model for Urban Outfitters guide:

Hunch. Posture is for confident people. You need to take up as little space as possible.
Dip your clavicles forward so that you look extra frail and bony.
Layers, layers, layers. Giant scarves, oversized shirts, big collars = absolute musts. We want the clothes to wear you.
Think like Eve and cover your lascivious, sinful female body with your hair.
Strategically place your hands near your face so your arms cover your chest. This move has the added bonus of communicating insecurity because it looks like nervous fidgeting.
"Artful" poses and awkward action shots are essential to help hide those disgusting fleshbags dangling from your chest.

Once you start to look for it, you'll see it everywhere. I call it the "slouch conspiracy."

Women and Other Endangered Animals

2010-09-14T06:22:00.007-04:00

This photo is disgusting. It confronts you, like good art should. It's not a new concept, but is is done quite well here. It's awfully significant that Gaga's "bits" are covered by meat. Her nudity is a consumable product. The meat is just a symbol for what's underneath it. But of course, that concept somehow escaped the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals:

"No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal," PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement. "Meat represents bloody violence and suffering, so if that's the look they were going for, they achieved it."

Look kids, I have a serious beef with PETA (No pun intended. Okay, well, maybe). I have my reasons, but my primary issues are that they lay women out like slabs of meat, exploit their sexuality, romanticize violence against women, and butcher their images... you know, to help the animals.

(They also make bad puns and suck at Photoshop.)

There are literally hundreds of examples of PETA's sexist and objectifying advertising. One of their major spokespeople is Pamela Anderson who is, of course, best known for her massive ~~tits~~ intellect. I'm just saying, it wasn't witty remarks that were bouncing on the intro to Baywatch. Amiright?

Don't get me wrong. I love animals. I am deeply considering becoming a vegetarian, because I think the meat industry is cruel and evil. But between the whole "I'd rather go naked" shtick (and by "naked" apparently they mean Photoshopped to hell...) and the "Vegetarians have better sex" video, I think enough is enough. It's cheap and stupid to advance the agenda of one oppressed group at the expense of another. Says (my new bestie) Carol J. Adams in her introduction to The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory: "Honoring animals but not women is like separating theory from practice, the word from the flesh." Pot, meet kettle.

So please, PETA, let's talk. Put down the airbrush. Stop using shock tactics that undermine the legitimacy of your message.

(And if still don't see what I'm talking about, guys, just watch this.)

Stripped #39

2010-09-12T19:47:00.004-04:00

Stripped #38

2010-09-12T19:45:00.004-04:00

Stripped #37

2010-09-12T19:36:00.001-04:00

Men's Sizing Sham!

2010-09-12T19:15:00.002-04:00

Ho ho! Designers are biased in menswear too...

Ways of Seeing -- The Female Nude

2010-08-11T10:38:00.002-04:00

Link Roundup

2010-08-11T05:43:00.002-04:00

This Hierarchy of Food Needs really helps explain why some of us make the choices in diet we do (HINT: It's because there is no other choice.)
Is there such thing as gender-neutral clothing? This has been on my mind ever since I read an article in the NY Times about how androgyny is "in." And its true, companies like American Apparel and I Don't Like Mondays are selling more and more unisex clothes. It's a neat idea -- blurring the lines of the gender binary and all that.

Can I get an "amen?"

2010-08-07T04:25:00.000-04:00

This is shallow, pathetic, and angering.

2010-08-05T06:26:00.011-04:00

Well look at these elitist so-and-sos. They're apparently the spawn of of a message board called Get Thin or Die Trying and related to the "End Discrimination Against Thin People" group, which crows "Most (girl) members in this group are US 0-4." Cos Goodness knows it's so damned hard being deemed attractive and acceptable by society.

Some choice bits to seethe over: "This group is not just for skinny jeans, but for people who agree that fashion including skinny jeans are meant for thin, fit, and healthy people. No more of this "overweight is healthy" mentality that America has developed. It's for people against the new rule in Spain that models have to be a certain weight (NOTE: You mean the one that was made to keep anorexic models from dropping dead on the runway? That one?!).We do NOT want to see fat asses walking the catwalk in clothing meant for thin people. We see enough of that in the streets. ALL clothing looks better on people who are thin, and healthy. "

This is how that makes me feel:

So, you bet your furry ass I reported this group to Facebook for hate speech. That kind of bullshit is not acceptable. Remember kids, skinny won't keep you from being having ugly insides. Being an awesome, nice person will.

Very sexy.

2010-08-04T23:46:00.012-04:00

Sweet Jeezus, that woman is attractive. Seriously, guys. She has an actual form. . .like, places where her body interacts with itself (beneath her armpit, her sides) instead of looking like some kind of sexless crystalline structure.

Sorry I've been gone so long, darlings. Summer school has been eating my soul a little bit. Also, I've had to take a bit of a break. I've just been feeling a little scared about this project...I mean, what happens if this doesn't go anywhere? Or what if it does? Also, it was getting to the point that every time I saw an example of lookism, I wanted to kill someone. So, you know. . . needed to cool down some. Much better now.

So, here's some good news: it looks like Marc Jacobs might at a size 18 to the label. Fabulous, no?

I've got to get back to comparing the ways that Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Sylvia Plath subvert the patriarchy in their narratives (for an American Lit final), but I'll be posting some more nudie photos soon!

via FabSugar.

Just so you know...

2010-07-26T01:52:00.003-04:00

I'm not dead. I'm just thinking. Good stuff, don't worry.

(If you really want to know:
I'm writing a book proposal for the Project. Yay!)

- G

That F***ing Looks Like Comedy!

2010-06-14T05:24:00.000-04:00

Chelsea Peretti at the Laugh Factory from the Axe Twisted Humor Tour - watch more funny videos

I thought this was hilarious.

Oh Snap!

2010-06-13T16:10:00.002-04:00

The Stripped Project is featured over at The Shape of a Mother! Go check it out!

Celeb-Bodies: You Decide

2010-06-10T13:35:00.002-04:00

Over at Elle you can vote on which one of these ladies has the "most inspiring" body. I don't know if that squicks me out or if it's a positive thing. What do you think? And why is Heidi Montag on this list?

A letter

2010-06-09T13:26:00.002-04:00

I just started summer school and I've been soooo busy! It's so hard trying to juggle all the aspects of school, home life, and art! Poor me, being privileged enough to get an education! (That was sarcasm.) I finally checked me email and I received this wonderful letter:

"I came across your site today, and it was thrilling. I've always been kind of fascinated by the beauty of the human body, and for a long time, that's all I would draw. Despite that, I've had an eating disorder for the past 12 years. For some reason my own body was never good enough. Seeing your site really gave me a boost. To be endlessly hounded with Victoria's Secret models, plastic celebs (many of which are only that skinny because of drugs), and airbrushed EVERYTHING.... it's wearing to look a yourself and see the circles under your eyes, the scars on your skin, the cellulite on your thighs. In our society we have somehow made everything that is physically feminine the ENEMY and we embrace bones. We hate and attempt to discard everything that makes us look like women. I've found that when I needed inspiration to diet or workout or even just stay healthy-- looking at the GQ or Maxim models was so depressing it was like, "Why even bother? I'll never look like that." Starving myself for so long never made me look like that. My body got bony on top and my lower half stubbornly clung to the last lingering vestiges of feminine trait. I found a picture of Aphrodite/Venus, sculptures/paintings/etc and I just felt the beauty of the woman shining through. I want to look like that, now.
I know men don't have it much easier. I honestly find the uber-muscled male models to be kind of sickening. They're just as plastic as the female models.

Thank you for starting this project."

This kind of feedback is why I do this project.

Help Your Kids

2010-05-22T15:51:00.000-04:00

A WebMD article on boosting girl's body image. And something to make you smile:

Let's keep our daughters this full of life forever, okay?

"Why I Stripped" #1

2010-05-16T21:03:00.005-04:00

(I created a wee survey to make it easier for my volunteers.)

1) Did you strip for political or personal reasons? Explain.

I stripped for personal reasons. I have had a history of eating disorders and low self-esteem, and only recently have I realized that I am, in fact, beautiful.

2) Did you strip to learn something about yourself or to show something about yourself? Explain.

I wanted to prove that I could! To show the world and myself that I could confidently have nude photographs taken.

3) Put into words the message that your body communicated by the act of stripping.

I am a strong, attractive woman with self-confidence and sex appeal.

Irony. (Thanks Dale!)

2010-05-16T20:18:00.001-04:00

Stripped #36

2010-05-14T20:41:00.004-04:00

Stripped #35

2010-05-14T18:01:00.003-04:00

Demystifying "Fat"

2010-05-07T07:37:00.002-04:00

I use the word "fat." I use that word because that's what people are: they're fat. They're not bulky; they're not large, chunky, hefty or plump. And they're not big-boned. Dinosaurs were big-boned. These people are not overweight: this term somehow implies there is some correct weight. There is no correct weight. Heavy is also a misleading term. An aircraft carrier is heavy; it's not fat. Only people are fat, and that's what fat people are! They're fat!
--George Carlin

Stripped #34 : (I like that the cat turned around too)

2010-05-03T15:18:00.000-04:00

Stripped #33

2010-05-02T15:15:00.001-04:00

Stripped #32

2010-05-01T15:13:00.003-04:00

Stripped #31

2010-05-01T15:08:00.008-04:00

"Stripping is kind of fun and seems more fun when it's with others that aren't naked, so I don't mind doing it. Lots of people make the mistake that it's all about sex and that's not true at all. Gone to nude beach many times and that's very relaxing, so guess this was as close as we could get here...even though was just a few seconds.

I guess part of the reason I did this was to see others' reactions, if any. Since this was an art project, people often comment on "the art" so I was curious to see any comments on my "art". Of course I'm always ready to do it again!"

Fatshion For Everybody!

2010-04-25T02:38:00.013-04:00

For my lovely fat lady readers, here's some links to some fab plus-sized fashion sites*:

*(I'll add more to the list as I come across them. Links originally from Refinery29.)

And here's a really awesome inspiring quote from Marilyn Wann of Fat!So? Zine:

"FAT!SO? invites YOU to be a fabulous fatso! Everybody: Size 6 to 16. Size 26 to 56. Because fat or thin, straight or gay, male or female, we have all at some point wasted our precious moments on the planet worrying about how we look. Fuck that! Just say the magic words: "Yes, I am a fatso!" With these words, you create revolution. You turn fat hatred back on itself. As a fatso, you possess the ultimate weapon against fatphobia, body prejudice, and size oppression: fat pride!"

What a Doll

2010-04-19T04:28:00.001-04:00

via.

Check it Out: Girldrive

2010-04-17T03:23:00.002-04:00

Oh boy! You can see my post here.

The Body Is the Place Where Society Writes Its Messages

2010-04-16T02:22:00.020-04:00

"At a time when increasing numbers of women were demanding the right to take up more space in the world, it is no surprise that they'd be hit with the opposite message from a culture that was (and still is) deeply committed to its traditional power structures. Women get psychically larger, and they're told to grow physically smaller. Women begin to play active roles in realms once dominated by men (schools, universities, athletic fields, the workplace, the bedroom), and they're countered with images of femininity that infantilize them, render them passive and frail and non-threatening.

'The female body is the place where this society writes its messages,' writes Rosalind Coward in Female Desires, and its response to feminism was etched with increasing clarity on the whittled-down silhouette of the average American model : Don't get too hungry, don't overstep your bounds."

- Appetites by the late Caroline Knapp, pg 31

Image via.

Stripped #29

2010-04-15T01:08:00.000-04:00

Flyer #2

2010-04-14T08:54:00.003-04:00

Stripped #28

2010-04-12T01:06:00.000-04:00

Stripped #27

2010-04-11T01:04:00.000-04:00

Stripped #26

2010-04-10T01:01:00.003-04:00

Stripped #25

2010-04-09T00:40:00.001-04:00

"I guess saying I stripped for personal reasons would be the most accurate answer. I've never been satisfied with the narrow definition of beauty in our culture. I see so many beautiful people every day and I hate to think that other people don't find them beautiful as well. I used to have major self-esteem issues, but at some point in high school, I just started to realize that I was beautiful. I felt it, I felt it in a way that I knew had to be true, no matter what other people seemed to think. I am comfortable naked. When I'm alone, or at home with my family, or when I was with my lovers, I was always more comfortable being naked. I feel more like me when I don't have to think about what I'm wearing, and I wanted a picture taken of the 'me' I feel most like."

Twiggy Wanted to Be Curvy

2010-04-02T13:26:00.001-04:00

“Whether you’re thin, fat, small, dark, blond, redhead, you wanna be something else. I wanted a fairy godmother to make me look like Marilyn Monroe. I had no boobs, no hips, and I wanted it desperately.”

via The Frisky.

Stripped #24

2010-03-29T02:19:00.005-04:00

"Why I Strippped" #18

2010-03-26T12:54:00.001-04:00

"I stripped because I'm tired of naked bodies being viewed solely in sexual terms. Once we start seeing nudity in contexts besides the bedroom more often, maybe we'll begin to appreciate people's entire bodies for what they are- beautifully designed machines made of trillions and trillions of molecules that make up cells that work together so efficiently in mind-blowingly spontaneously functional, interlocking systems. It's so fucked up that people get hung up on whether a few extra pounds diminishes their attractiveness, when the fact that their bodies are a miracle evolutionarily and anatomically speaking.

Get naked people! All the damn time! Go outside naked as much as you can (except for running shoes, very legally beneficial as far as evading security guards goes!) Let your lady-bits and man-meat get as much breathing space as possible! Feel the wind in your pubes!"

Stripped #23

2010-03-23T02:54:00.003-04:00

Stripped #22

2010-03-13T18:25:00.003-05:00

Making a Difference.

2010-02-20T05:16:00.006-05:00

This is an email I received a few days ago. It really thrilled me to hear that this project is changing minds.

You know my brother. I don't know how, but you do. I guess he does have a social life.

I'm a camera whore and want to model for Stripped. Maybe model isn't the right word, but you know what I mean. Should I just take my own pictures? I can, they will just be shitty. I see you live in Atlanta, that's where my entire family is from and we go down there for vacations. If I happened to be down there at any point, could you take them? I don't really know anyone up here who I could just say "Hey! Wanna take a picture of me naked?"

Anyways, the project actually has helped me out. I'm a very vain person, and I really think that vanity has affected me. I date very "beautiful" girls, but will always find something about them to pick apart. My last girlfriend was not commonly beautiful but still gorgeous, and I really had some mental roadblocks to get over with some of her physicalities which weren't even that bad! I mean, I'm no Adonis by any means, and I don't know why I expect my women to be flawless when I am far from it.

Anyways, if you don't think I'm psycho after this letter THAT'S amazing. Get at me if you have the time, and we'll see what's good with this strippedness.

Also, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week begins today. For more info, head over to the Association's site.

Stripped # 21

2010-02-19T17:00:00.008-05:00

"I've always been self conscious about my body. I've always had a hard time accepting my large chest and thighs. My goal for myself was to take care of my body but also accept it for the way it was. I wanted to strip because I wanted to show myself that I could be proud of my body and not be ashamed. Once I saw the pictures.....man I look good. What the hell was I worrying about??"

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T13:07:00.004-05:00

Don't forget to love yourself!*

* I didn't mean it that way, pervs.

**Also, isn't this button-eyed, glossy-lipped little "boy" (read: android) terrifying?

"Why I Stripped" # 5

2010-02-13T01:23:00.001-05:00

"I stripped because I am tired of people telling me what attractive is. Have your own opinion, feel good in your skin! I was also the heaviest I have ever been at the time, and I had to relearn how to be comfortable with myself and my body."

Stripped # 20

2010-02-11T12:55:00.000-05:00

"Why I Stripped" #12:

2010-02-10T11:18:00.001-05:00

"I'm not entirely sure why I stripped. I don't think it was so much a reason for doing it as it was being myself. That doesn't mean I'm a stripper. I am just saying that I am the type of person who, when given the chance to be entertaining, will. I took my clothes off in front of several people more or less for the hell of it. [My friend]'s dad laughed at my butt hair; [one friend] laughed at my pubic hair; [one of my girl friends] laughed at my penis... or at the fact that she saw it the first day we met. But it was ok. I just enjoyed it. I know you're not here for advice, but I think you should take your clothes off and have nude pictures of yourself put on the internet too!"

More Hard Facts

2010-02-10T01:25:00.007-05:00

"30% of women chose an ideal body shape that is 20% underweight and an additional 44% chose an ideal body shape that is 10% underweight."

"The average U.S. woman is 5’4” and weighs 140 pounds whereas the average U.S. model is 5’11” and weighs 117 pounds."

"After viewing images of female fashion models, 7 out of 10 women felt more depressed and angry than prior to viewing the images."

via University of Colorado.

Stripped # 19

2010-02-09T12:52:00.015-05:00

It's like she's dancing.

"The political is personal when you're a woman and a queer. My body became a battleground the second the chromosomes were aligned. But as much as I would like to say this was a statement, I really just did it for fun, however, I do fully support and endorse and FREAKING CHEER ON the actual aim of the project in regards to body diversity, beauty fascism, etc.

I've always hated photos of me and have only begun to like my picture being taken in the last year or two, and then only by me with a webcam where I can control everything. I expected to be terrified about this. I wasn't. It was pretty awesome. And I get to feel like I'm helping!"

Stripped # 18

2010-02-08T23:09:00.004-05:00

Some Hard Facts

2010-02-05T05:30:00.008-05:00

Here's some numbers I came across about teen girls and body image from a poll by Girl Scouts of America. It's absolutely heartbreaking; nine out of ten girls (aged thirteen to seventeen) felt pressured by the media to be thin. Over a third of the participants had known someone with an eating disorder.

One hopeful fact: "More than 80 percent of teen girls said they would rather see natural photos of models rather than pictures that had been digitally altered or enhanced."

I would love to see the numbers about teen boys and how much effect the media has on their self-image.

Read the whole story here.

Stripped #17

2010-01-30T12:38:00.008-05:00

Lovely.

2009-11-20T19:37:00.006-05:00

from: Indexed

Stripped Project Flyer

2009-11-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

Stripped #16

2009-11-13T18:42:00.000-05:00

Stripped #14

2009-11-11T18:33:00.000-05:00

Stripped #15

2009-11-09T18:37:00.000-05:00

Stripped #13

2009-11-08T18:30:00.007-05:00

Stripped #12

2009-11-07T10:40:00.010-05:00

FAQs (Under Construction)

2009-09-19T00:38:00.002-04:00

Who are you?
My name is Gabrielle Loisel. I was raised by wolves. I am currently majoring in French and Creative Writing at Agnes Scott College. I've been taking photos for as long as I can remember. I like bees, tea, leather shoes, feminism, afternoon sunlight, my cello, bathtubs, red lipstick, cupcakes, and knitting. Oh yeah, and naked people.

Is this for school?
Nope. This is my own independent project.

How do you choose your models?
I don't, really. They choose me. I take whoever volunteers.

Do you tell your models how to pose?
Nope. I let them stand however they want. I think it alows their personalities to come through.

Why aren't these photos pretty?
Aren't they?

Are these photos Photoshopped or in any way photo-manipulated?
No. I think these bodies are perfect the way they are.

Why the poor lighting/photographic quality/etc. . . ?
I'm really just not that interested in making glossy images. I think that the subjects stand alone and don't need any extra bells and whistles to enhance them. . . One day I may have a lovely studio and an expensive camera, but right now, I have Eugene and I have my dorm room.

Who's Eugene?
He's my camera. I name my electronics.

So, basically you're taking full-body mugshots?
I'm trying to represent what's in front of me, right now, with the tools I have. Things are kind of on the fly.

Where can I find your regular portfolio?
Why, it's right here!

(SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO STRIPPEDDAME@GMAIL.COM!)

Stripped #11

2009-09-16T21:36:00.004-04:00

Stripped #10

2009-09-16T21:32:00.004-04:00

Stripped #9

2009-09-15T23:08:00.000-04:00

Stripped #8

2009-09-15T22:54:00.009-04:00

This first shot (the one from behind) is my favorite so far. Usually I crop the photos, but this sweet lady did such an excellent job of filling the space with her presence. She was so excited to pose for me, saying that she found posing nude liberating, and I think that her confidence really comes across.

Stripped #7

2009-09-08T22:15:00.005-04:00

Stripped #6

2009-09-06T22:58:00.007-04:00

"I stripped because I agree with the premise of the blog, I don't think the idea of beauty as defined by the media should stand as the norm. I hope that the blog will continue to grow and re-define beauty. I am honored to be a part of it."

Stripped #5

2009-09-03T20:24:00.008-04:00

"It was more of a test for myself. I was never confident with my body until recently. I told myself that if I could do this then I really was happy with myself, inside and out."