A Question for The Blushing Ladies Journal

A Question for The Blushing Ladies Journal
Inside Jolie's Head - 6/24/2007

Hello there, my name is Stan. I thought you might have some good insight on this issue. I met a really attractive and intelligent woman at a party a few weeks ago. It was a public event at an art gallery. We had been talking for a good half hour and really seemed to be hitting it off. Then, things suddenly went downhill. I commented that she had a nice, full, hourglass figure. I thought she would take it as a compliment. Instead, she became deeply offended. She snapped, "Oh really....well perhaps I should do some plus size modeling!", and then she slapped my face and walked away. Needless to say, it was not my proudest moment.

She had the classic figure of a 50's pinup - large bust, narrow waist, shapely hips/legs. I guess she had interpreted "hourglass" as meaning big/overweight/full figured. I just thought it meant shapely and well proportioned. Also, I'm wondering if she may have been hypersensitive about her figure to begin with. She was part Vietnamese and most women of that ethnic background tend to be petite. She may have always felt awkward about being so voluptuous.

My buddies had watched the scene unfold and were laughing hysterically. When I told them what I had said they shook their heads and said it was never a good idea to comment on a woman's figure, even if I thought it was complimentary. What are your thoughts on this?

Here is Jolie's opinion:

You don't say in what country this happened, but in American society, these days, skinny or thin is the ideal. The shapely Marilyn Monroe physique of the 50's was erased with the emaciated Twiggy look of the 60's. The ideal look grew healthier with the Cindy Crawford look of the 80's, but returned to the anorexic look of a Kate Moss in the 90's. Today, in 2007, the ideal has not gotten much fatter.

Look at the number of female celebrities, Angelina Jolie being the latest victim, who have chosen to starve their bodies. Today there is enormous pressure on women to be thin, at all costs.

I've fallen victim to this trap myself. Everyone tells me I'm thin, but I don't always feel that way. It's crazy.

So, your friends are right. If you're going to compliment a woman's body, be very careful with what you say. Many women are very comfortable in their bodies and would not take offense at what you said, but many more, like that woman, would.

Jolie du Pre is a writer of lesbian erotica and erotic romance

Music for blogging - Pink