Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2008.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2007.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2007.

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Published in Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine (Australia), 2006.

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Published in Ministry Magazine, 2003.

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Did you watch Glee on Tuesday night? I did, but I almost wish I hadn’t. It was an episode I feel was long overdue, but unfortunately, left me feeling underwhelmed.

In case you missed it, I’m talking about season one, episode seventeen. Mercedes is ordered to lose ten pounds in order to keep her place on the Cheerios and embarks on a dieting mission from Hell. By the end of the episode, though, all is right in the world again as Mercedes regains her self respect and belts out a rendition of Christina Aguilera’s song, Beautiful.

Mercedes was the wrong character to deliver this message. As Quinn says during the episode, she’s always been so comfortable in her body. It seemed out of character for a strong, self-aware girl like Mercedes to let the likes of Sue Sylvester unravel her self-esteem, especially when she has track record of standing up for herself and what she believes in. Using Mercedes as a platform to deal with this issue was superficial and, I thought, very un-Gleelike.

This issue of self-respect and loving oneself has enjoyed much coverage by the media in recent years, and I always thought that could only be a good thing. But now I’m not so sure. When the size zero epidemic crash-landed in Hollywood a few years ago, people started pointing fingers at the media, blaming it for a causing a global self-esteem crisis in women. It’s true, instances of eating disorders among women are at an all time high, but whether the media is actually to blame isn’t something that can be determined lightly. Certainly not by me in one single blog post.

Around the same time that size zero became a household term in the Western World, the media started responding with zeal. Talk shows began challenging doctored images, and advertisements and campaigns supporting the notion of inner beauty began popping up everywhere.

While it can only be a good thing that women are at least talking about their self-esteem problems, if the media is going to weigh in on these issues, they need to afford consumers enough respect to deliver honest information. We all heard about the scandal surrounding the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.

This is what Glee did last night. They gave us a half-truth. Mercedes was an easy example because she’s African American and she’s a bigger girl, but the image doesn’t match up with the package. She fits the stereotype, just not the truth. There are other characters on that show that I believe would have provided a much stronger, more realistic example of the issue.

Don’t get me wrong, as a woman who has always struggled with my appearance and self-esteem, I’m glad that society is beginning to address the issue. However consumers of media today are much smarter than we’re given credit for, and we see the holes. If you want us to believe in your message, stop contradicting yourself and give us the truth. We’re strong; we can handle it. What’s more, we’re ready for it.