During the course of this past year, my roommate looked at me and remarked, "Wow, you actually have huge boobs," after I had traded in one of my loose, comfy sweaters for a tight t-shirt. But that was the idea, she had affirmed everything I was trying to accomplish. I was trying to hide the fact that I had a larger chest from the world.
That's because society has taught me that if I want to be respected, that if I want to be seen as the smart, Honors College student that I am, I need to cover up. So I purchased loose fitted clothing and shirts with high necklines so that I wouldn't feel naked, exposed, or like a sexual object. And I listened to what society was telling me, I fell victim to the stereotype by adhering to these ideas.
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But you know who doesn't? And who gets an awful lot of hate for it? Ariel Winter (aka Alex Dunphy) on the popular television show, Modern Family. Her character on the show is a girl who is awfully similar to the girl I am today. She's smart, attends an almost ivy league university, and dresses as modestly as possible (so modestly, her "hotter" and "dumber" older sister on the show makes fun of it).
Yet the girl behind the character refuses to hide the fact that she's curvy. Recently, she posted this photo of herself from her high school graduation party.
Instead of celebrating her success (I mean, come on, she earned her high school degree while being a super famous actress) or acknowledging the fact that she's going to a nationally-accredited university (UCLA here she comes!), the internet wanted to focus on one thing- her dress. Inappropriate comments were made about her chest size, her age, and if her college major was "stripping." Instead of focusing on the sweet caption that was under this photo (she seems to be a grateful, loving daughter and sister), people wanted to make assumptions about her character due to her confidence with her body.
Personally, I was disgusted. Ariel Winter has proven to be an advocate for loving the skin you're born with. She's even spoken out about how girls naturally born with larger chests have felt the need to undergo breast reduction surgery in order to live a normal life (she is actually one of them and flaunts her scars proudly). She has become a role model for girls built like me and an example that you can be sexy, smart, and successful all at the same time.
So instead of bashing her for her physical characteristics or judging her because she's not afraid to show them off, we need to start treating Ariel Winter like the real inspiration that she is. She's not a size two and she may have a larger bra size, but that has nothing to do with the dedication and drive she has to be successful. She's in the midst of shooting a new movie (which let's her show off her body even more along with a few fake tattoos) all while getting ready to attend college and she should be celebrated, not criticized.
You go girl.
