Meredith Herald
Volume XI, Issue 7 October 5, 1994 Raleigh, North Carolina
Convocation speaker addresses advertising and women's health
by Shannon Smith
Dr. Susan Bordo, professor of phi
losophy and bolder of the Singletary
Chair of Humanities at the Univeisity
of Kentucky, was the guest speaker of
the Honors Convocation and TRANSI
TIONS on Oct 3.
The title of her leaure was “Mind
ing the Ekxty: Interpreting the Cult of
Slenderness,’ io which she discussed
in detail the obsession America has
with slenderness. Bordo spoke on the
effect of advertising’s fixation with
having incredibly thin models.
BAM (Boycott Anorexic Marketing)
argues that advertisements with thin
models influence youi^ women to
starve themselves in order to imime
these models. Bordo agrees with BAM,
but does not all together support their
reasoning beause she thinks that ‘no
one gets sick fix>m just looking at a
picture.” It goes much deeper than
that.
Society’s changing view of women
places a strain on the average woman's
by Kimbeily Zucker
The executive council for MCA is
headed this year by jtmior, Jan Yow.
Yow is a Teaching Fellow majoring in
math and gening her certification in
secondary education. She loves
Meredith and enjoys being involved in
all activities, especially MCA. Her big
gest concern this year is how to get
MCA to better serve the students.
Most of the former members of
MCA graduated, so there are many
new feces in the group. The other
officers are as follows: Jan McNeil,
vice-president; Ashley McCormick,
secr«aty; Amy Johnson, treasurer, and
Susan Matthews, worship chair.
MCA leads worship and
UnwincUngs. Worship is every Wednes
day morning at 10:00, and lasts for
about 45 minutes. Each week there are
different speakers and it is a time that
students can go to relax and replenish
themselves. There is no worship ser-
perception of herself. What was con
sidered “appeaUng" in a full-busted
woman of the 60s is now considered
'full figured.’
Bordo showedslidesofgreat pieces
of art that focus on vdiqjtuous women
as their subjects. In contrast to these
images, the Twiggy look of the 60s
was presented as a celebration of the
TOif look: large eyes, solemn expres
sion and skin and bones appearance.
Such topics as supermodel Kate
Moss with her skeleton body, and
eating disorders—anorexia and
bulimia—were addressed.
Eating in public was a topic elabo-
ratedonby^rdo. Menareinooway
condemned for their hearty appetites.
vice on Sundays because MCA ^^ts
students to get involved in the Raleigh
churches.
Aside from worship, there is
Unwindings, which takes place at 8
p.m. every Thursday. They do a range
of different activities: bible study,
games, speakers, and even lip sync
contests.
Yow has not finished planning all
the other events for MCA because she
is holding a forum first. The first one is
Wednesday, Oa. 12 at 6:30 p.m in
the Oak Room The second is Friday,
Oa. 7 at 10 a.m in Kresge Audito
rium.
MCA is having two different fo
rums so that hopefully students will
find at least one they can attend. They
really want people to come because
without student's input, MCA cannot
serve Meredith.
One event Yow is sure will be
different this year is ReUgious Empha-
Women are allowed to have appetites
only when they are pregnant. This mis
conception and unparallelism of
women to men encourages anorexia
and/or binging in private with a follow-
up of purging.
Propoganda for ice cream desserts
and chocolate are endorsed by women
who “nibble” on tiny portions, never
the big helpings that the men get.
Women’s cravings are considered to be
a “dirty seaet,” said Bordo.
“Women of today seem to think
that if they can control their bodies,
they can control theirlives,’ saidBordo.
“They wnt to shape it the way they
want to."
Family or everyday problems can
sis Week. Bands will be coming in to
play, and different activities will be
held each day. Yow said that MCA
wants to be sure that something they
do pertains to everyone.
‘My main goal this year is to better
serve the student bo^. 1 think the
Forum is the best way to get input to
see what the students want," Yow said,
"^e have an enthusiastic group, and a
lot can be accomplished when we ail
work together.”
Unwindings;
Thursdays 8 p.m.
Chapel Commons Room
Worship;
Wednesdays 10 a.m.
Cahpel
V y
whirlwind around a woman and cause
stress and lack of control on certain
subjects. Women feel triumphant if
they can contrd what that they eat and
succeed at weight loss.
Currently, the class bias of eating
disorders is breaking down. It is on the
rise in all socio-economic groups. Men
are even having more pressure to diet
and be thin, said Bordo.
‘Fashion is not about reality, but
about ideas and ^sion,” said ^rdo.
‘People must see the difference be
tween the vision and what is right for
themselves,"
Society worships not only tender
ness, but flablessness. With the advent
of the Gutbuster tummy toners and the
Fatbusterdiet teas, people are looking
for a quick weight fix, said Bordo.
“You need the right equipment to have
the right body,"
“Women are encouraged not to be
like their mothers,” said Bordo. “Ad
vertisers sell the firm and powerful
woman image, in contrast to the soft,
fertile, maternal goddess.”
Inside the Heraldx
Editorial
2
Opinion Poll
Sophomore
3
re-elections
4
Profile
4
Campus Focus
5
Derby Days
5
Internships
6
Restaurant Review 8
MCA helping Meredith to unwind
"Women th^nk that by cootrolUng'. their bodies,
they can contol tbelr lives."
-Dr. Susan Bordo