10 minute read
In-Depth: The truth behind the posts
from Issue 3, March 22
by SLP Echo
Alicia Margalli, freshman
Photo: Molly Schochet Post this: Park students describe what they love about themselves on post-it notes March 12. Social Media and
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The truth behind the posts
Jacob Khabie, Andy Melear & Jayde Clausmann
jacobkhabie@slpecho.com andymelear@slpecho.com jaydeclausmann@slpecho.com
Understanding the movement
Although her club focuses on empowering speci cally women, junior and co-president of Girls United Ella Roether said the body-positivity movement still has a long way to go to ensure inclusive representation for all.
“A big part of it is (making sure) that all body types and skin colors and genders are represented,” Roether said. “It’s important to recognize that it’s not just women, and it’s not just made for bigger women. Everyone can participate in it, and it’s not just for white women. I think that it’s important to make sure that the movement is intersectional.” e body-positivity movement started to gain popularity around 2012, and the original idea behind the movement was to confront the senseless beauty standards placed on women.
For junior Symone Morrison, the body-positivity movement is about empowering people of all shapes and sizes.
“It’s something that we really needed as a society,” Morrison said. “For years, we put people down for what they looked like because it’s not what you see in magazines and on prints.” rough her experiences providing clothes for others, Cat Polivoda, a self-identi ed fat-liberation activist and plus-sized clothing store owner, said she has been able to spread bodypositivity through her work.
“I’m sure fashion is fun, but what I really care about is people being comfortable and con dent in their bodies,” Polivoda said. “I found that clothes are a really good way into those conversations with people.” Body-positive social media in uencer Brianna Tam has amassed over 4 million likes on TikTok. While her success rose because of her outspoken advocacy for self-love, Tam said her role in the community is still uctuating.
“It’s a community that I’m a part of and trying to strengthen and bring attention to, but also I’m still learning from other people,” Tam said.
Women are not the only ones who have faced unrealistic beauty standards. Health teacher Amy Pieper-Berchem said men
The truth behind the posts
have as well, but they aren’t advocated for as frequently.
“It’s not only (a ecting) women. It’s also (a ecting) men, or people who fall anywhere really on the gender spectrum that are falling into these ideas of needing to look a certain way to be accepted,” Pieper-Bercham said. “Instead of getting better, it seems like now it’s crossing over where that pressure is really hitting more on the male gender, and it’s getting worse on this side.”
While the majority of her experiences have been positive when using social media, Tam said some people use their platforms to spread negativity due to ignorance.
“(Social media) has really helped the movement but also with social media there is hate and you’re opening up yourself to be commented on by people who don’t understand the movement,” Tam said. “It does breed toxicity because some people are seeing ‘oh I can comment whatever I want because this person can’t see me and I can try to tear them down.’” e ability to self-curate her social media feeds has led Polivoda to silence hate and have an overall positive experience on most platforms.
“ ere’s a lot of gross (stu ) on the internet or really fatphobic stu or things that pretend they’re body positive but are really just damaging messages,” Polivoda said. “I have no qualms about silencing that, unfollowing, turning it o , reporting it whatever. I think because I take that strategy, I’ve had a really positive interaction with social media.”
While Morrison feels like the movement has been resonating with people, traditional beauty standards are still ingrained in our perception of ourselves. Additionally, while the movement may reject an old body standard, it can o en adopt new ones that are enforced in the community.
“With the whole movement, I feel like it’s nally starting to upli people, but at the same time there’s always that one standard that people will initially hold you to. Because we have that, not everyone’s perfect and we still judge ourselves o of that one initial thought,” Morrison said.
Social media has developed into a space that only showcases highlight reels of others’ lives, which can cause unrealistic body and lifestyle expectations, according to Roether.
“ e main part of social media is that it only shows the good parts of people’s lives and the perfect things. Posts are edited and use Facetune lters, so it’s not realistic in any way,” Roether said. “It’s still hard to see those things and also recognize those people don’t have a perfect life.”
For Tam, social media has allowed her to present a version of herself that is more true to who she really is.
“I’ve started to show my authentic body, unedited, stretch marks, all of that because I want other people to feel more comfortable doing that,” Tam said. “It comes with an individual responsibility to make it more casual, more authentic and make social media what it was intended for which was to show your authentic life to other people.”
Although Morrison said things are on the right track, advocacy for the movement can still be improved.
“I feel like we preach it more than we actually show it, and try to improve. You rst have to start with yourself and then you can love others and show others that their body is perfect just the way they are,” Morrison said. “ ere’s a lot of improvement to do, but we’re heading toward the right direction.” e body-positivity movement is still struggling with representing marginalized groups within the greater community, according to Polivoda.
“ ere’s a lot of people still le out. We are replacing beauty standards but if you look at the face of body positivity right now in this moment, it is a lot of white women or maybe women of color with lighter skin tones who maybe are a little bit curvy or maybe a plus size, but in a ‘curves in the right places’ kind of way,” Polivoda said.
Standing up for someone can be a simple act that can cause people to be mindful of their actions Pieper-Berchem said.
“ e biggest thing is to step in and to step up. It doesn’t have to be a big huge thing, but just one simple little comment and walk away. Just to make the person aware of what they’re doing,” Pieper-Berchem said.
Polivoda said a great way to take action is to use critical thinking and apply it to everyday scenarios when encountering the body-positive movement.
“Question what’s around you,” Polivoda said. “If someone shares a really compelling Instagram post or when someone is talking about anything, think about who’s making money from this? Who is this speaking to? And why?”
@curvynyome
Nyome Nicholas - Williams Model
@kai__wes
Kai Wes Mix Media Artist/ Actor
@dietitiananna
Anna Sweeney MS, RDN, CEDRD-S
Infographic Molly Schochet Source people who fall anywhere really on the gender spectrum that are falling into these ideas of needing to look a certain way to be accepted.”
Teacher
Room to grow
@curvy_roamer Lauren Talulah Entrepreneur
@rossmcclure_ Ross McClure Digital creator
@denisemmercedes
Denise Mercedes
Infographic Molly Schochet Source
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Junior’s article highlighted in Star Tribune’s Criminal Justice Opinion Essay contest
Semona Robel Junior
What made you want to participate in the contest?
A lot of it just stemmed from anger. I was really mad at the world and the current state of American politics and the Minneapolis police department. I took it upon myself to write the essay. I saw an opportunity and took it.
Amazing. It was just an honor to be chosen among the thousands of essays the Star Tribune received. It felt so great to nally get my voice out there and just be heard.
It continues to shed light on an issue that wasn’t really talked about until George Floyd’s murder. It’s really important for people to hear my story not only as a person who goes to St. Louis Park, but as a Black woman. It serves to educate and make people aware of what’s going on through more of an interpersonal lens.
It was the video (of George Floyd being murdered). It’s one thing to hear about the murder of a black man due to excessive force by the police on the news, it’s another thing to just be scrolling on Instagram and see a Black man very obviously being choked to death. It felt very personal to me because George Floyd lived in St. Louis Park. He was killed seven minutes away from where I live. Being able to not only see the video, but knowing that George Floyd was a part of my community really took it to the next level for me.
I have been getting a lot of support overall. Nothing negative. People have been learning a lot more about the militarization of the police and the 1033 Program. Maybe not everyone agrees with what I wrote, but people are de nitely learning.
What did it feel like to have your essay showcased?
How do you think your story is impacting the community?
inspired you to write this piece?
What feedback have you recieved on the writing?
Photo Molly Schochet Jazz hands: Senior Carly Joseph follows choreographer Julianne Mundales instruction. Joseph is a waitress in the upcoming spring musical.
Photo Molly Schochet Rehearsals for the Simba: Sophomore Gwen Rockler-Gladen rehearses. The musical ‘Working’ features interviews from working Americans. musical begin during hybrid
roles for actors
Molly Schochet
mollyschochet@slpecho. com
As the audition period for the spring musical has ended and each role has been cast, actors started learning choreography March 5.
Apart from looking forward to playing the waitress Dolores, senior Carly Joseph said she is excited for her fellow castmates.
“Everybody has a speci c role in the show, which is nice, because everybody gets an opportunity to have a moment on stage,” Joseph said.
e musical — “Working” — features a compilation of interviews from Americans talking about their jobs. Freshman Avery Cournya said she is very excited for the opening number “All e LiveLong Day.”
“(‘Working’ has) a really nice intro song and it tells you a lot about the story,” Cournya said.
Besides wearing masks, choreographer Julianne Mundale said she has had to do things a little di erently than she normally would in order to stay safe from COVID-19.
“I'm spacing kids out and transitioning so that everyone is obviously remaining six feet apart,” Mundale said. “It puts limitations, unfortunately, with some things that I'd maybe like to do physically.”
“Working” was written by multiple composers, which makes the musical very unique, according to Joseph.
“Usually musicals are written by a single composer, but this was written by ve di erent famous composers so it's kind of a compilation of a bunch of di erent styles of music,” Joseph said.
Mundale said she is excited to keep teaching choreography and countinue working toward the nal product with the cast and crew.
“(I love) the teaching of choreography and how it works with the vocals and the music,” Mundale said. “Obviously still remaining safe during COVID, but yet challenging the kids and being able to tell these really cool stories that are in the show.”
role in the
Carly Joseph,
senior
Senior cast members
Ben Sanford
As ... Delores Denice, waitress
As ... Rose Ho man, teacher
As ... Freddy Rodriquez, worker
Lily Strathman
As ... Kate Rushton, housewife
