The internet has been especially insufferable lately. I mean, I woke up and the first thing I saw was that Trump wanted to change the name of New Mexico to New America. That is where we are in the world. A disgusting thumb of a man degrading women and calling them whores on SNL, the complete invalid who was Press Secretary for 72 hours, the Cornwall 7... I could go on. I am really trying to practice restraint, as I am of a certain age and shouldn't be entering troll territory. But the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was this weekend, and I feel the need to tear some people to shreds. Maturity is the ability to look at a situation and refrain from stooping to other people's level, but having common sense and critical thinking is also a thing, and sometimes you have to let people know.
I'm sorry, ladies, this one is going to be directed at you. Before that vein in your forehead pops out, let me clarify that most of the content degrading women is coming FROM women. Men, especially white men, are somewhere below the surface of hell right now, but in this particular situation, men are pervs and will enjoy seeing pretty much any woman in lingerie.
I saw a post from a popular (?) account featuring Alex Consani at the VS show with the text, "Would I let my 6 and 9 year old children watch the show? NO." The poster then launched into a rant about how the show isn't child friendly, followed by a lecture about how she doesn't approve of the messaging around women's body image. FIRST OF ALL, the show is not a children's program. It is not marketed toward children, it is not on the Disney Channel, and, with all due respect, I don't care about your kids. Me, an adult without children, am constantly having to deal with your demon children. Crying on planes, acting chaotic in the grocery store, existing in a restaurant, etc., etc. If I had children, I wouldn't be worried about them watching confident women on a catwalk. I'd be worried about them seeing the president of the United States bullying people on primetime TV, or worse, being sexually assaulted by someone in the Republican Party. That is where I would focus my attention.
Second, the show featured women (and mothers) of different ages, ethnicities, and body types, which is new for the program and should be celebrated. You went on to say these older women were giving unrealistic body standards and that you weren't alone and that you were seeing the same discourse all over your socials. THAT is the funny part, because that is the algorithm, you idiot. It shows you what it thinks you will like. That says a whole lot more about who you are as a person than it does about the content at hand. I fear what you are teaching your children... I learned that all bodies are different and all are beautiful and comparing is not healthy. But you are a grown adult with children who can't grasp that concept. Sad.
The girlies were not aligned because I also saw a lot of white women being mad that the models had lost their aspirational qualities. One take I saw was along the lines of, "Men idolize athletes, and VS is where women should be inspired. Seeing fat girls they could see at Trader Joe's is not inspirational." First of all, every model on the 2026 runway was STUNNING. Their size has absolutely nothing to do with their beauty. Your toxic, archaic beauty standards are the problem, babe. -And you didn't get booked so what does that say about you?
Next, I have to discuss the Romee Strijd of it all. A lot of (again fried blonde hair) white women online are standing ten toes down on the idea that a blonde white woman, Romee, had her angel wings clipped because her spot was stolen to check the diversity box and handed to an influencer. Where do I even begin? To be completely silent on the major issues of the world, including blatant racism, homophobia, etc., etc., but then make your big stand over a white woman losing her spot to a woman of color is WILLLLLD.
Here is something the MAGA mother at the local Applebee's might not know: when you choose to be a model, you are choosing to get torn apart daily, get rejected daily, and have your schedule held for a client, meaning you can't take other jobs that day in case they decide they want to use you, only to be released at the last minute. In some cases, even on the day of the job. As a model of 17 years, Romee should be well versed in that. Taking to her platform to pull the pity card was unprofessional and made her look like a sore loser.
Romee also pulled the mother card, mentioning that she has two kids and how much she sacrificed to get her body ready for the show. Now, she didn't explicitly say she neglected her children to do so, that was my interpretation, but the whole narrative (working out 8 hours a day for an unrealistic body) plays into the exact archaic Victoria's Secret stereotype they are trying to get away from. There were 16 mothers who walked the show (I may be wrong, I got that number online). Furthermore, her spot wasn't taken by some random "influencer." Romee has 7.7 MILLION followers on Instagram. She IS an influencer. She just didn't get picked. And if you think her spot was taken by a woman of color simply because of her race, then, you might want to examine your own biases.
Lastly, the Kylie Jenner of it all. So many people are losing their marbles over her wearing the multi-million dollar bra. -Keep being mad… She is one of the few woman who could actual afford to buy it. So keep being poor.
To my female readers, I hope I didn’t lose you in this rant, but I have to report that I have been a fucking keyboard warrior in the comment section saying all bodies, race, sex, gender is beautiful to these nasty trolls so fear not I am fighting the good fight for you all.
Here is an actual angel…
