Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. curvy (adj.) [kur-vee] – having a rounder or fuller body shape
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. curvy (adj.) [kur-vee] – having a rounder or fuller body shape
Example: The dress fit her
very well and showed off her curvy figure.
2. retouch (v.) [ree-tuhch] – to change or to improve the appearance
of something or someone with artificial methods (e.g., with make-up or computer
editing)
Example: The staff retouched the actress’ make-up by adding more color.
Example: The staff retouched the actress’ make-up by adding more color.
3. plumping (n.) [pluhmp-ing] – the act of making something or someone fatter or fuller
Example: To look younger, actresses
pay doctors for facial or lip plumping.
4. slimming (n.)
[slim-ming] – the act of making something or someone thinner
Example: Slimming is part of most women’s New Year’s Resolutions.
5. body image (n.) [bod-ee im-ij] – the way a person thinks or feels about his/her body
Example: Many young teenagers
have poor body image.
Article
Read the text below.
For years, magazines have been editing digital images to make models look thin. Recently, however, the opposite is being done as models are now being made to look curvy.
Famous curvy women
like Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian have set a trend of plump body figures, bigger breasts, and
fuller faces.
To catch-up with
the trend, many magazine editors retouch
photos of skinny models to make them look healthier. The practice, called “reverse
retouching,” has been done even by health and fitness magazines like Healthy
and SELF.
Editors of fashion
and lifestyle magazines Cosmopolitan and British Vogue also admit to reverse
retouching.
The trend has also found
its way to the movie industry. Keira Knightley, a famously slender British
actress, expressed displeasure when photo editors made her bust look bigger
in the poster for the movie “King Arthur.”
Although the trend may
seem positive because it promotes healthier figures, some experts on body
image say digital plumping is no
different from digital slimming.
In both cases, media is promoting an unreal body image as the standard of beauty.
Jena la Flamme, founder
of a weight loss program, says consumers might start comparing their own bodies
with the fake bodies in the edited photos.
According to body
image expert Sarah Maria, the fashion and entertainment industry will, of
course, do whatever it takes to earn profit, and right now plump is popular. Former
model Nicole Clark says, on the other hand, that it would probably be easier to
just hire healthier models in the first place.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Why do you think
many women, men, and even children struggle with poor body image?
·
How can we help
make people view their bodies in a more positive way?
Discussion B
·
What is your
idea of a beautiful person?
·
How do you think
media affect the way we define beauty?