mandythompson.com

← 7.5 days without touching a computer NMFAPIMWLC: i think they think i think i’m fat →

whitney thompson - america’s next top model

May 19, 2008 · 45 Comments

dang if she didn’t win.

i jumped up and down with drew’s family and cheered at the TV when Tyra (in true Tyra form) dramatically announced Drew’s cousin as America’s Next Top Model.

she’ll be on the cover of Seventeen Mag in June.

and she already has her own wikipedia page.

this is what she said in the NY Post on May 15th:

“I’m not going to lose 50 pounds - if someone asks me to do that, I’ll go to another [modeling] agency,” she says. “I’ve already heard online from boys and girls all over the world who are dealing with eating disorders.

“They’re thanking me for standing up and saying, ‘I am a plus-size model and I am beautiful.’

“This is what people should look like,” she says, referring to herself, “rather than skin-and-bones, which is disgusting and sends a bad message to people everywhere.”

yay for full-figured healthy modeling!

maybe this will turn the tide of our culture’s definition of beauty.

maybe now we’ll get to find out what these clothes will look like on a NORMAL female frame.

maybe we should stop buying clothes from designers that employ size-two, under-weight, bone-framed bodies as human clothes hangers.

i’m just sayin’

what do you think? what makes a woman beautiful?

Categories: beauty · family · fashion · health · husband · my world · news · people · television · vacation · women · world
Tagged: , , , , ,

45 responses so far ↓

  • TheNorEaster // May 19, 2008 at 2:18 pm

    “What makes a woman beautiful?”

    There is a woman at my church who is starting her fourth round of treatment for cancer. She is skinny because of the affects of past treatments. She looks much older than her actual age of 66. She has lost her hair. She can’t get around like she used to. She freely admits to struggling with the toll the disease has taken on her body and on her attitude. The last time I saw her at church–which was not his past Sunday, but last week–I spent more time talking to her than to anyone else. Me and another woman helped her to her seat, going at her pace so that she is comfortable and feels welcome (at least, that’s what I was hoping to do). And after the service, I kept talking to her and giving her hugs and kissing her cheeks and just listening to her.

    I’m a little younger than 66, but I can’t explain it. I just think she’s one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. (No offense to Drew’s cousin.)

  • Heather // May 19, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    Congrats to her!!

  • Mark // May 19, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    She’s gorgeous, congrats to her.

    Hopefully your cousin will be the influence the girls who read Seventeen need to have. She has an amazing opportunity, and from her quotes, it sounds like she realizes that. More power to her.

  • Brian Alexander // May 19, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    Good, with a daughter, I don’t want paper thin people being role models. So I am glad she is not falling to the skinny is everything mind set

    BA

  • Heather // May 19, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    I had to come back and comment. I hope girls really will see her as a role model. After the segment I heard on GMA this morning (post on my blog) I’m terrified to have a girl! I don’t want my little girl to see all the superficial things out there that can “make” her beautiful … I want her to see herself as beautiful just because of who she is. May God help me as we try to mold this little girl as she grows! I love that Drew’s cousin is not willing to lose weight because someone else says that will make her beautiful … she is beautiful and love the fact that she can see that about herself without having to be altered to fit someone elses mold!

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 3:25 pm

    heather. loved your post. yes. amen sister.

  • cathi stegall // May 19, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    We’re bringing sexy back!
    Let’s make a “member’s only” jacket so all those size 2 people feel just as we did…I’m brainstorming our slogan now…

  • libbymyrin // May 19, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    I love it!!!!!!

  • edfromct // May 19, 2008 at 3:45 pm

    A beautiful women is any women who makes me think of the word beautiful when I see her. I have seen beautiful women who were, short, tall, curvy, thin, young and old. I think having a sexy appearance is different from being beautiful. I think being beautiful is more a reflection of the personality a women projects then the shape of her body. A womens eyes, her smile, the way she carries herself are the most important elements in beauty for me. All of the beautiful women I can think of have a great smile, positive personality and joyful laugh.

    I don’t know where my standards fall, but I personally fall in love about four or five times a day. :)

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 3:58 pm

    i just laugh when i’m in my shorts and tank top trying to soak up every rare ray of summer sunshine on our campus, while the korean wives/children are wearing long sleeves and sun visors to keep the sun away.

    they want to be white like me and i want to be dark like them.

    how crazy is that?!?

  • bransblahg // May 19, 2008 at 4:33 pm

    I watched online the next day just to see. I couldn’t remember what her name was but I remembered you said plus size, so I figured the NORMAL looking one had to be her. ;-)

    AWESOME!

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    BRANDYYYYY!!!!
    i just sat down to email you - did you get your bloglines working?

  • Heidi // May 19, 2008 at 5:26 pm

    When you are mesmerized by the beauty of the conversation and personality and completely forget about the looks.

    Your cousin is stunning.

  • Brandy // May 19, 2008 at 5:28 pm

    Nope. :( I need to sit down and figure it out w/o kids around. Maybe next week when Jake isn’t working nights. ;-)

    A girl across the street came over today to invite me to a makeup party on Friday night. She saw we had just moved in. I’m glad she came over b/c she has three girls, all the same ages as my boys (roughly). I need to go over to her house though and APOLOGIZE b/c the boys went HAYWIRE when she was here. They were so excited a new face was in the house. :shock: :neutral:

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 5:30 pm

    Heidi: yes…. when you forget about the looks - i love that.

    Brandy: see - they will come. :)

  • tam // May 19, 2008 at 5:48 pm

    what a makes a woman beautiful?

    being real. I absolutely LOVE that! that will catch my attention immediately. It gives me the opportunity to see who they really are and I think that is simply beautiful! Beauty for me has rarely been physical…

  • Leslie Brooke // May 19, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    I love Whitney! ANTM is one of the “reality” shows I’m hopelessly addicted to. You just feel like you get to know those gals - whether that’s good or bad, who knows! Anyway, I was so happy to see her win, y’all must be proud!

  • tam // May 19, 2008 at 5:50 pm

    “Beauty for me has rarely been physical”

    i meant Beauty IMO is rarely physical.

    HA!

  • Megan // May 19, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    whoa! that’s way exciting, she is so gorgeous. i love love love her quote! It makes me sick at what “beautiful” has been defined to the younger generations. I’ve heard that when the Sweet Valley High book series is reintroduced one is going from a size 6 in the originals to a size 2. Not sure how accurate that is, but it really doesn’t shock me too much if they do. Breaks my heart.

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    Brooke: well… i’m not gonna go into details, but after talking to whitney about the show during christmas, i don’t think reality shows are as “real” as we think they are… hope i don’t burst your bubble! xxoo

  • Kevin E. // May 19, 2008 at 7:13 pm

    How old is she ;)
    haha

    Seriously that is awesome though! Congrads to her!

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 7:58 pm

    hehehe!!!
    20, but she’s not your type.

  • Natalie Witcher // May 19, 2008 at 9:03 pm

    She’s purdy.

  • Kevin E. // May 19, 2008 at 9:32 pm

    Haha. I really didn’t think she would be but thought it was worth a shot. lol.

    Btw. I am goin to 2 ALT Braves games tomorrow :) Just wanted to make you jealous!

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 9:43 pm

    Jealous??? listen - you go to a Red Sox game & THEN tell me who should be jealous! ;)

  • mandythompson // May 19, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    Nat: i can hear your “accent” in that! LOL!!!

  • Becca // May 19, 2008 at 10:32 pm

    That’s wonderful.
    She is gorgeous. And confident.
    Beauty is(sincere)genuity shown on the face. In the eyes, in the eyebrows.

  • gchyayles // May 19, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    Aww congrats to her! She is beautiful and I am glad that the modeling industry is moving away from the superficial-ness of deciding who is model material and looking at beauty with a much more healthier and realistic perspective.

    BTW, I’m a size 2 but it’s not necc by choice. I was anorexic looking in HS and hated it. I put on some weight in college but was always so conscious of not having a butt. All my friends had one! My sister called me chicken legs when I was growing up which wasn’t very nice and my ex-boyfriend told me I was ugly because I had “no booty” lol. But anyway, I don’t boast about being a 2 in fact for me it was difficult up until 2 years ago I learned to accept myself the way I am because that is how God made me–beautiful in His sight–fearfully and wonderfully made. But on a side note, it’s a little disturbing to me that yall hate people who are size 2’s [or less] so much!!! It’s not all green grass on this side either….:)

  • gchyayles // May 19, 2008 at 10:47 pm

    Sorry I went off topic beauty to me is within. It’s how God sees you. On a physical level, if God gave you freckles then freckles is beautiful. If God gave you dark brown/deep eyes then dark brown/deep eyes are beautiful. If God gave you dark skin then dark skin is beautiful. Long legs? Long legs are beautiful! On an internal level, if God gave you a heart to help the needy then helping the needy is beautiful. If God gave you a heart to bless people financially then blessing people financially is beautiful! etc etc

    Learning to look at yourself and others with God’s eyes it not always easy but such an awesome way to look at ourselves and people. I believe it does and will continue to eliminate the need to compete with each other or be envious of what the other may have which is clearly a peace-stealer according to God’s Word.

  • Brandy // May 19, 2008 at 11:54 pm

    we don’t hate size 2’s…..secretly we’re jealous! :lol: ;-)

  • hislifeformine // May 20, 2008 at 12:26 am

    I just have to say “congratulations”! Yeehaw! So exciting to see this change.

  • Kristiapplesauce // May 20, 2008 at 1:09 am

    She is totally pin-up in that picture. Beautiful.

  • lori // May 20, 2008 at 6:52 am

    I gotta say, Nor’Easter’s post really got to me. The image of beauty described there…wow.

    Since I don’t see beauty in me, I have a hard time seeing it in others, at least that I can call beauty (i’ve kind of closed that door completely) There are characteristics of people that draw my attention, such as authenticity, compassion, honesty…

    I see beauty in nature; in the flight of a hawk, or waves crashing on the rocks. To me there is tremendous beauty in the power there. I see beauty in music, when the combination of music and lyric really grabs me and takes me to another place…

  • mandythompson // May 20, 2008 at 8:05 am

    gchyayles: i wouldn’t say that i hate size 2s either. some of my favorite people are that small… what i would like to see change is the pervading mindset that beauty is found in a type of frame that is not healthy for most women to reflect. some are built small enough to naturally and healthily be a size 2 - and to be significantly larger than that would be overweight and unhealthy for them. but, these natural size 2s are the exception, not the rule. most healthy women fall somewhere between 4 and 12, but our culture’s representation of “beauty” is far short of that average healthy body size.
    and the mental/physical repercussions of young women who are unnaturally trying to represent this body frame are unfortunate, to say the least.

  • Teri // May 20, 2008 at 10:14 am

    My question is…since when is size 10 “plus” size? I thought size 10 was pretty normal in America.

  • mandythompson // May 20, 2008 at 10:47 am

    Teri: ah huh. my sentiments exactly…

  • Joe Louthan // May 20, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    I live by the rule nobody is beautiful until you can see their heart.

  • hislifeformine // May 20, 2008 at 5:25 pm

    Joe - what a wise way to see.

  • mandythompson // May 20, 2008 at 5:57 pm

    Joe: well said!!!!

  • touchofglory // May 20, 2008 at 11:05 pm

    Congrats to her! And my Lord - if she’s plus-size, then I’m morbidly obese!

  • alece // May 21, 2008 at 12:17 am

    SHE is considered plus-size?! holy crow. she’s gorgeous. and perfectly proportioned!

    i’m just sayin…

  • alece // May 21, 2008 at 12:18 am

    (and now i really need your autograph… you’re the cousin-by-marriage of a wikipedia entry!)

  • mandythompson // May 21, 2008 at 2:13 pm

    touchofglory: most models are just morbidly underweight

    Alece: you meet me halfway & i’ll give you my autograph! ;)

  • Melissa H. // May 21, 2008 at 9:18 pm

    You’re right. I recently received a forwarded e-mail with pictures of models walking the runway. They were sickeningly skinny. And by this I mean you could see bones sticking out everywhere! It’s horrible what some of these girls do to themselves!!!!

  • cbgrace // May 28, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    This woman is NOT a plus size…she would have to be a 16 or something. What is she a 8 or 10? Maybe more curvy figures are “coming back in style”.

Leave a Comment