Eating Disorders

As I skim through the site reports of my blog from the last few weeks, I'm shocked that my entry on anorexia and pro-ana/mia sites has grabbed quite a bit of attention. Aside from the few emails I received, about 50% of my recent viewers have come from searching for various things about eating disorders, including images (which I had several of). I'm interested in doing more entries on similar things, but I'm hesitant considering this was started with the intent of staying quirky. I don't mind doing a mixture of things, though, so we'll see.

I wasn't sure about even mentioning the traffic that was brought here because of that entry. A few minutes ago, though, I was reading the blog Remaindered Random Musings and the writer listed his top 5 songs of 2006. I was surprised to see Stupid Girls by Pink there. I'd quite forgotten about the song, although at the time, I was impressed by the bluntness of it, and passed it to several people. I suppose it was more the video that caught my attention than it was the song itself, because I wouldn't have noticed half of the messages in it had I not been forced to watch the video by someone else (I didn't used to watch many videos, and still don't do it unless someone passes them to me). If you haven't seen it before, watch it now, please....and if you have, you might want to see it again anyway. (Kinda of graphic in a few places....shock value at its best)



It amazes me how Pink has always gone against the standards of the music industry. During one of my journalism classes, we were asked to analyze the lyrics of a couple songs. One of mine was Pink's "Don't Let Me Get Me" and even at that time, she was talking about how she didn't want to be compared to Britney Spears and how she wasn't going to change everything about herself, just to make it in the industry. With Stupid Girls, she set the bar even higher. Although I wasn't too fond of the little blurb about borrowing toothbrush, and the song may have even lost a bit of credibility because of it (or maybe it gained it...I don't know), it was still an eye opener for many. I'm not sure if it's more saddening...or sickening....to see how obsessed the female population seems to be with body image.
Yes, it happens to men, too. And yes, there are cultures where the image is different or where it's not as extreme. But you know what I'm talking about.....you've seen it....you may have even experienced it. For both genders, I'm sure the majority of you, at one point or another, have fretted over your thighs being too large, your abs not being tight enough, your arms being flabby, your weight going up and down, etc, etc, etc. And it's hard to miss the obsession of models to be stick thin.....or celebrities....or even everyday people who think they have to look a certain way to be desired. Worse yet, though, is when it's not about image at all. It's about control and being able to do something other people aren't able to.
But ya know, of all the research I've done....all the reports I've written.....all the people I've talked to about it....it's still not enough. I don't know if anything will ever 'be enough' to cut down the problem.....the problem that so many don't even acknowledge. I have a friend who almost died from her eating disorder, and likely would have had some of us not stepped in to get her help. She's one of the few that I've lost contact with, and I don't even know if she's living right now. She'll always struggle with it and it scares the hell out of me that she isn't surrounded by the same people who loved her so dearly and tried to help her before. As I skimmed pro-ana/mia sites a couple months ago, it was even scarier to see how many people not only knew 'exactly' what they were doing, but how many didn't realize it either........and how the majority of them had people in their lives who were absolutely clueless about what they were doing.
But before I turn this into a speech or go off into a long-winded ramble that no one will read, I'll stop here. I'll post the lyrics of Pink's song considering that's what prompted me to start this post anyway. Don't be surprised if you see more info about this sort of stuff in the future....but no worries, you'll still get all the not-so-serious quirks from me, too. Here ya go:

"Stupid Girls"

Aha, aha

Stupid girl, stupid girls, stupid girls

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl

Go to Fred Segal, you'll find them there
Laughing loud so all the little people stare
Looking for a daddy to pay for the champagne
(Drop a name)
What happened to the dreams of a girl president
She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent
They travel in packs of two or three
With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees
Where, oh where, have the smart people gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl

(Break it down now)
Disease's growing, it's epidemic
I'm scared that there ain't a cure
The world believes it and I'm going crazy
I cannot take any more
I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
That will never be me
Outcasts and girls with ambition
That's what I wanna see
(Come on)
Disasters all around
World despaired
Your only concern
Will it fuck up my hair

Maybe if I act like that (do like this), that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that (Oh, Oh-Oh, Do you think?), flipping my blond hair back (Do you think?)
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl (Yeah, yeah)

(Do ya think? Do ya think? Do ya think?)
(I like this, like this, like this)
Pretty will you fuck me girl, silly I'm so lucky girl
Pull my head and suck it girl, stupid girl!
Pretty would you fuck me girl, silly I'm so lucky girl
Pull my head and suck it girl, stupid girl!

(Baby) Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
(Baby if I) Push up my bra like that, stupid girl!

Maybe if I act like that (maybe if I act like that), that guy will call me back (that guy will call me back)
Porno Paparazzi girl (Porno Paparazzi girl), I don't wanna be a stupid girl (stupid girl)
Baby if I act like that (maybe if I act like that), flipping my blond hair back (flipping my blond hair back)
Push up my bra like that (push up my bra like that), I don't wanna be a stupid girl (stupid girl)

["stupid girl" throughout:]
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that,
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Stupid girl

(And some of the pictures were taken from Face the Issue. They have some basic information if you're interested. And don't be afraid to reach out to someone you think may be in trouble...or vice versa.)