When I told my friend that I was writing an opinion article on thigh gaps for the newspaper, she quickly responded, “That is literally why I go to the gym at school.” That was when I realized how dangerously relevant this topic truly is.
These days, the image of a ‘beautiful woman,’ as defined by images in magazines and on websites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram, is getting out of hand. There was once a time when there was just fat and skinny, but that time was so long ago that girls are not sure what they are “supposed” to look like anymore.
Many guys may not know what the newly sought-after thigh gap even is, but I can assure you that most every girl walking around the Fairfield campus not only knows what this is, but it is on their radar to keep an eye on. For those of you who do not know what this is, it is exactly what it sounds like. A thigh gap is a triangular gap between the tops of your thighs that has been declared a sign of beauty by the media. Essentially, a thigh gap is a complete lack of thighs, and girls are being told this is what they are supposed to look like.
Sitting in the library, swamped with work, we have all caught ourselves stalking people’s Facebook profiles. I think I can speak for all girls when I say that as we look at these albums on Facebook, we can’t help but sometimes wish we looked like some of them. The girls we envy are for the most part, tiny girls with six packs and of course, the thigh gap.
Life and Style came out with an article on Thigh Gaps and the fashion editor of the magazine stated, “This culture has encouraged women to infantilize themselves. When you are so fixated on approval for what you look like, you are a little girl: you haven’t grown up.” This remark hit home for me. Think about models on the runway. They look like children. Some are underweight and malnourished, and the natural curves of a woman’s body are absent.
Girls fail to understand, however, that the photos we see of severe thigh gaps on Instagram and Twitter are, a lot of the time, illusions.
No matter your body type, every person can position their body to make it seem like they have a thigh gap, but then when their bodies are positioned another way, the thigh gap is gone. If you stand with your legs apart and your butt pushed outward, a gap in your legs appears, but you simply cannot walk around in that position forever.
Model Robyn Lawley was recently called a “pig” and “hefty” for the sole reason that her thighs were touching in a picture. Due to craziness like this, girls are under the impression that no boy would want to date a girl whose legs touch. What does this even mean? For most people, it is physically and biologically impossible for their legs to not touch when standing and walking normally.
Naturally, people’s thighs are simply too close together, so as hard as one may try to achieve a thigh gap, it is utterly impossible. You cannot change the way your body was built, so instead of stressing over how to change it, embrace it.
Whether this topic is discussed at the level of famous models or girls at Fairfield, it is still the same issue. Girls such as my friend, who told me that the sole reason she goes to the gym at school is to create a thigh gap, only have that mindset due to social media. “67 Things I Wish I Knew at 18” stated on Total Sorority Move, “It’s okay if your thighs touch and your tummy isn’t perfectly toned. You’re still beautiful.” Thigh gap or no thigh gap, flabby stomach or washboard abs, tall or short, your body is your own and makes you the unique human being that you are, no matter what media say.
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