This month in Australia, body shaming has sadly once again hit the headlines — and model and author Emily Ratajkowski has given a bleak reason as to why.
In less than 24 hours, not one but two incidents took place in Australia. Brisbane Broncos winger Julia Robinson took to Instagram to share some of the vile comments she’d received about her body, with strangers telling her she looks too muscular to be a woman. That same day, at the House of the Dragon premiere in Sydney, Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany described Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke as a “short, dumpy girl”. (Foxtel later apologised on his behalf, saying the comments were meant to be “self-deprecating”.)
“I think it’s pretty shocking that people are still in a place where they don’t catch themselves and realise what they’re saying and what they’re playing into,” Ratajkowski told marie claire Australia, in an interview ahead of her headline appearance at self love festival BODFest in October.
Ratajkowski, who shot to fame by starring in the Blurred Lines music video before making millions as a model and actress, explored the confusing relationships between modelling, feminism, power, social media and femininity in her best-selling book of essays, My Body.
“I think so much of women’s value — whether you’re an actress or an athlete, or even work in a field where your body isn’t necessarily supposed to be a part of your job — your body and your image around your body is still a huge part of who you are, and how the world values women,” she continued.
“You know, you can be any age, any profession, and you’re thinking about your body image. I think that’s how we consume media as well. As a culture, we’re looking at bodies, and we’re judging them. And that’s part of the intrigue of social media. It’s awful that that’s true.”
She says that until we have a “really large, cultural shift” about how we think about women’s bodies — not as objects, but as part of a person (what a radical thought!) — then “we’re going to continue to see comments like this forever”.
They’re lessons she’s hoping to teach to her son, Sylvester, a now 18-month-old toddler she shares with Sebastian Bear-McCloud.
“You can start talking about sexism and power at a very early,” she says. “You can introduce him to prejudice and, what those things are, what justice is, and what your position is in the world as a white boy, and how you help those or consider other people who don’t have the same kind of power and privilege that you do.”
She continues: “But I ultimately just really believe that it comes down to teaching your child ethics.”
Emily Ratajkowski is set to appear at BODFest on October 8, speaking alongside women including TikTok star Remi Bader, Khadija Gbla, Maria Thattill, Moana Hope, Jules Robinson, Brianna Creenaune, Samantha X, Vanessa Haldane, Dani Adriana, and more.
Tickets are on sale now — grab yours here.
