Friday, January 11, 2008

REVIEW: HOW TO LOOK GOOD NAKED

"How to Look Good Naked," the new Lifetime reality show with former Queer Eye Carson Kressley, is a culmination of several recent, irritating, cultural trends: “love your body” gimmicks featured in every women’s magazine, Dr. Phil pop psychology, unscripted filler makeover shows, gay man as fairy godmother archetype (fairy god stylist, as Kressley himself says), shopping as panacea and rah-rah feminism lite. And man, is it fantastic.

90 percent of the half-hour show features a short, heavy woman in her underwear. Along the way, she learns how to wear a bra that fits, how she misperceives her own body shape, and how pedestrians respond to the 30-food projected image of her on the side of the building. The whole thing culminates with a tasteful nude photo shoot.

The description makes the show sound horrific. And vapid. And exploitive. And maybe it is. Still there’s something so endearing about seeing the show’s subject feeling so attractive in her new bra and panties set that she walks out of the dressing room to show it off in the store.

Compare that with the horror show a few channels down on MTV’s "Made." That show gives high schoolers six weeks and the help of a coach to reach a transformative goal – the drama nerd wants to complete a triathlon, the girlie girl wants to learn to breakdance. In a recent episode, a Goth girl wanted to transform into a beauty queen – and had a full on meltdown when faced with the prospect of modeling her swimsuit. “I just don’t want people to laugh at me!” she choked out between sobs, cowering half naked in a department store dressing room. Her self-loathing and body hatred were so palatable it was painful to watch.

On "How to Look Good Naked," have Kressley asks a woman to point out her flaws. Gently as can be, he then tells her why she’s over-reacting, while pointing out her stronger assets. “Are you perfect?” he asks. “No. Are you beautiful? Yes.” When was the last time women and girls got 30 minutes of that message? This is by far the least mean-spirited of all the body-focused makeover shows. While that may be a low mark to shoot for, it shouldn’t downplay how sweet and positive and enjoyable it is to watch.

Yes, the “big is beautiful” ethos still celebrates superficial beauty and sexuality in women. Yes, it changes the emphasis from unattainable weight loss standards to attainable beauty care of MasterCard, where all one needs to love oneself is a day at the spa and super expensive undergarments. (And if you don’t shell out, you don’t respect yourself). And yes, the show’s cutesy body-positive message is broken up with cutesy weigh loss commercials.

But what’s wrong with feeling good in your own skin, with deriving both power and bride from your body, and with not wanting to cry when faced with a dressing room mirror?

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