Why We Shouldn't Self-Compare in the Age of Social Media
Graphic by Angela Cheng. Image via Shutterstock
Following the Met Gala, social media sites were buzzing with hype over the looks, the couples, and most controversially, the bodies of the celebrity attendees – particularly Emily Ratajkowski. Pictures of model and actress Ratajkowski were a massive subject of conversation, especially on Twitter, for weeks following the Gala.
Image via Shuttershock
And for a good reason – her stunning red carpet photo could make anyone feel body conscious. I mean, look at it. When I saw videos of her walking down the red carpet, I of course wondered about her typical workout regime. As my Twitter feed refreshed with more updates from the Met Gala, I quickly realized I was not the only one.
Among several tweets following the same theme, this one gained the most popularity in the week following the Gala:
My new lockscreen 🥴 pic.twitter.com/7vOCnvRCvi
— Gen THE DRAMATIC ass bitch (@Gencyclopediax) May 7, 2019
I think almost every girl on the planet can relate to this tweet. I laughed out loud when I saw it. However, if you take a step back and think about the gross self-comparison women on Twitter put themselves through by setting their lockscreens as this picture, it’s a little disheartening.
Although Emily Ratajkowski is the latest subject in this self-comparison trend, she’s far from the first. Other gorgeous female celebrities including Blake Lively, Bella Hadid (or any of the Hadids, tbh), Kim Kardashian, and an unendable list of others have been topics of discussion when it comes to self-body shaming. It can be difficult for us to see these women in the spotlight that look so seemingly perfect when we think that we look so average. However, one twitter user started looking at Ratajkowski’s pictures in a different light.
Also don’t forget: her knowing her angles because she’s a model. lighting. most likely surgery. customized meal plan/personal chef. personal trainer. it’s her JOB to be insanely gorgeous. don’t get down on yourself for not looking like this. https://t.co/oFXI46xSoG
— ally (@allyalv_) May 8, 2019
What we tend to forget about celebrities when we see them at events like this is that it is literally their job to look good – especially in the case of Ratajkowski. I mean, she’s a professional model. Above, we can see that the picture that essentially broke the internet was Ratajkowski knowing and using her angles, flexing, and posing in her favor. We also have to remember that she most likely has a dietician, personal trainer, and a slew of other people assisting her so that she can look that good. For the average person to aim to look like her and settle for nothing less would cause immeasurable amounts of unhappiness – the average person is not a model with a team of specialists at their disposal!
Self-comparison is hard to avoid, especially on social media. However, it is refreshing to see people fighting against the toxic idea that women should aim for the perfection presented to them by celebrities. For one, these celebrities have more resources than imaginable to look good. Additionally, as seen in the differences between the two Ratajkowski photos that were taken just minutes apart, they know how to work a camera. So while we can admire this photo of Ratajkowski, let’s remember that it is a photo of her looking her absolute best, posed with her best angles, and she is not, nor is anyone else, as perfect as they may seem.