Amy BoughnerI am overweight. I don’t wear makeup. I don’t style my hair. I don’t dress up most days. I wear glasses.
In high school I didn’t have a boyfriend and by the end of my last year I assumed that I never would.
I am media literate. I know about the Photoshopping that goes one. When I was a teenager I watched all those movies where the mousy girl with bad clothes, brown hair and glasses got a makeover where they took out the ponytail and gave her contacts and suddenly she meant something and I got angry every time.
My husband tells me I’m beautiful and I don’t believe him.
I believe that I am beautiful in his eyes, but he sees me through filters.
I believe that sometimes people don’t hear what I’m saying or how smart I am because of the way I look.
I believe that my appearance and how I feel about myself will hold me back from doing things I want to do.
I don’t fit into an image.
As I write this I’m watching Miss Representation for the first time. Next week, I’m very excited to be going to see the Writer/Director of the documentary. Things need to change. We need to change them.
