Australian model Jennifer Hawkins has championed “natural body image” by appearing “untouched” and nude in the current issue of Marie Claire but media pundits have questioned the cover’s effectiveness in promoting healthy and attainable body image standards.
Spruiking the magazine’s sans-Photoshop policy the 26 year old Myer ambassador explained “I’m not a stick figure – I thought it would be great to tell women to just be themselves and be confident”. What Hawkins fails to realize however, is that compared to average Australian women of an average body type she is a stick figure composed entirely of genetic dumb luck, providence and wishful thinking. It also doesn’t help that Hawkins, a supposed barometer for natural body image, once held the title Miss Universe. Miss. Universe. Is the median female body type capable of making Donald Trump’s static, synthetic hair stand on end? Probably not.
The Magazine’s most vocal detractor, radio host Bianca Dye, argues that Hawkins “Was born beautiful. She has not had to go through any stress to look like that.”
Dye then went on to say that Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Jackie Frank “is one of the most respected editors in the country and I am in shock that they would say Jennifer Hawkins is a natural role model. Its like we’ve taken 20 steps backwards.”
To Marie Claire’s credit, the unedited cover is a step toward more realistic portrayals of women in fashion media while the magazine also plans to donate funds to The Butterfly Foundation – a group dedicated to supporting Australians with eating disorders. Check out the picture below…
Title Image by Scott Barbour via Getty
