Awesome

I love this picture. For so many reasons, I love this picture. First of all, context. I found it on the site girlcameramirror, which is exactly what it sounds like: girls taking pictures of themselves in various states of undress. Mostly the girls are young, skinny, and making that face girls make that I think is supposed to look like a kissy face but instead comes off more like “this is what I will look like when I get my lips done.” Also they show their boobs, which I like a lot.

It would be disingenuous of me to say I like those picture ironically. I do not; I like them because they are pictures of naked girls. But I also recognize that there is something kind of sad and troubling about girls posting pictures of themselves without their clothes on for no discernible reason other than the fact that girls have a biological compulsion to make boys salivate, and boys have a biological compulsion to do so, and then masturbate.

Girls want to be seen as pretty. Boys want to see pretty girls. (Plus, in my experience, girls want to see pretty girls too.)

Needless to say, somebody would have to feel pretty good about her body to post such a picture. The girls who tend to feel this way tend to have slamming bodies. So this picture is an anomaly on the site, a photo of two girls, obviously overweight, obviously good friends, with their shirts off, and apparently feeling very happy about themselves. That’s the context. And it made me feel good.

Second, there are the details. And the details are just as awesome as the context. The matching bathing polka dot bathing suit tops. That in itself is curious enough to warrant a thumbs up from me. Why are they wearing matching tops? Did they buy them together? Did one of them have both? Did they put them on specifically for the photo or are they on their way to some event where they are expected to wear matching polka dot bathing suits? (Bras?)

The goofy expression on the one girl’s face. To me, it is a face that says, “This is for fun.” What I read from her expression is simple: “Look how stupid I’m being with my friend,” the kind of face everybody makes for the camera now and again when she is having fun and wanting to record the memory. The face seems to harbor no resentment, no irony, no dismissiveness, nothing to suggest that she is making any kind of larger statement with this photo than she is being silly. I am a big fan of silliness. Plus she’s got a tongue stud.

Her friend’s expression is almost serene. Resting her head on her friend’s shoulder, she is absorbed in the image she’s creating. Her face holds no come hither look, no kissy face, no “I’m hot and I know it,” or even “I wish I was hot.” It’s just “girl with goofy friend.” She looks pretty. She looks happy.

Then there’s the post-photo decision to send the picture in to girlcameramirror. Why? What is the purpose? Why set yourself up like that? I don’t think it’s a political statement on their part. If I felt like it was, I think I would like the picture less. I choose to interpret it as, “we like this picture, we like the site, let’s send our picture to the site.” I think it’s as simple as that. I hope it is. I want these girls to be well-adjusted, happy BFFs with huge tits and matching polka dot bathing suits. Yes, they’re fat, and that’s part of the appeal of the picture. The image would be meaningless to me if they weren’t. I don’t even want to say I think they’re proud of being fat. I don’t think they are. I have no reason to think they’re proud; I think (at least in this moment) they are indifferent, which is better than pride. They are caught in a moment of unselfconscious happiness on a site which is all about the exact opposite of that, and that is awesome.

Comments

[Courtney]

Can you please post a picture of yourself in a polka dot bathing suit??? Puh-lease???

THAT would be awesome!

[Kat Nove]

My entire weekend sucked until I read this post. I feel better now. Thanks!

[Ivette]

WOW! I am even more happy and proud that the mother of one of the ladies wrote about her being proud of her girls! Isn't it amazing? I am half their size and my mom scorns me and constantly bugs me about loosing weight. I just want to feel good with where I am! Kuddos to the girls and the mom that helped them be comfortable in their own skin. :D

[Buddy]

I think they look unhealthy, being so overweight, and that's just not attractive. It's not attractive in the same way that overly skinny girls look unhealthy as well. The only women who have a valid reason to be proud of their bodies are the normal ones, at a healthy weight.

[jennxsomething]

thats not a bathing suit top. those are bras.

[Peter Bryenton]

The evolutionary facts of life: men are genetically driven to plant their seeds; women are genetically driven to win the best seed planters.

[Substantia Jones]

Michael Ian Black. I saw you on the subway once, long ago. State-era. You were inches away, and I had that weird thing where your brain automatically calculates the pros and cons of "accidentally" brushing against the celebrity's crotch. I'd never actually do such a thing, but my idle subway brain sometimes thinks surreptitious frotteurism is an on-the-table activity. But even my naughty runaway brain couldn't entertain the thought for long. Too much pesky respect. It's as if I knew you'd someday make a blog post as wonderful as this.

[Chase]

Mr. Ian Black.

I have always admired the chubby girl. Maybe it's their sense of self-confidence that others don't have. Maybe it's the fact that, in my opinion, they give the best b/j's. And Maybe, just maybe, it's the fact that I do like more cushion for the pushin'.

But I've never really looked at pictures like this in the way you have portrayed it. I've never thought about all of these other girls being exactly the same. Sure they're still nice to look at, but they're all...boring. These two girls are unique, fun, and self-confident.

And, from this day forth, I will admire any girl who feels this way.

[Larissa]

Michael Ian Black, you have just won over the hearts of women everywhere. You're honest and intelligent... which is rarely found in society... I think I may be in love with you. : ) Okay, not really, but this article is refreshing and unorthodox. I love it.

[Vladimir Bundalo]

Big boobs is all that I like XD

[Brooke Eads]

So, after my nice, but rushed conversation with you earlier tonight, I decided to read this again at your suggestion. I also read the comments. I did interpret this the wrong way upon my first reading. You were right. Thanks for rubbing me the right way, yo.

[Heidi]

Thank you for this.

Really. It was wonderfully refreshing and kind.

[michelle]

You could have mentioned it was a pay site :/
I do think this picture is a great statement for all the reasons you stated, but then I was like, "Awesome, naked self shots of girls" and went to the site and got shut down when it asked for money.

Anyway, keep doing what you do.

[nyaomix]

I love this post.

[xanadugirl6]

I. Love. You.

PS. Big thumbs up to Emily&Meg!

[NickyPorkins]

Oh hey there Micheal Ian black, can I call you Men Ian Black? Good. This picture that you posted it provokes a smile out of my face. I'm just happy that their happy.

God Bless our pets.

[Jenny]

Yep. I love you.

[Ava]

This is an awesome picture.

[Adam]

MIB, you rock. Emily, you are HOT. That. Is. All.

[sadie]

I would argue that the girls who usually post on a site like that are craving attention, not that they have extreme confidence in their bodies. By posting their pictures, they're opening themselves up to praise and admiration, which they need to feel good.

My interpretation of this is that these two have more confidence in themselves than any skinny girl who posts their picture. They're saying 'we don't fit into the standard definition of beauty and we're proud of it. we're fine like this'. They don't want or need any approval for themselves, and knows they won't get it and don't care.

[Ben]

Sometimes you comment out of appreciation and by you I mean me. Enjoyed it.

[Air Jordan]

To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kinda scary. I've wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad.

[Makk]

damn shame that site went down.

[Alger]

To me, it is a face that says, “This is for fun.” What I read from her expression is simple

[Air Yeezys]

Such a good writing, or by I saw for the first time. I'm quite happy, you are a good writer