Don’t Use The T Word, Please

Have you seen pics of Shiloh Pitts? I had to go look her up, not having really noticed who is who among the Pitt-Jolie clan.
In case you didn’t know, she has a short cut and wears comfortable clothes – which, to no woman’s surprise, happen to be little boy clothes. But that is enough to get the celeb mags a talking. People magazine (http://www.people.com/people/celebritybabies/gallery/0,,20346681_20745397,00.html)

has a 7 picture spread chronicling her fashion disasters, but in a nice way, of course.
Based on her appearance and dress, People magazine labels her a tomboy. That’s actually the nicest label of the bunch. Some not so nice folks are instead suggesting three-year-old Shiloh is bisexual. Because this three-year-old girl happens to prefer her hair short, and more comfortable loose-fitting clothes to tutus and tiaras, she must be a lesbian in training. Seriously?

What does this have to do with eating disorders?

As a culture, we continue to demand that girls look like girls. And our culture currently decrees that to look like a girl, you should have long hair, feminine, flowing clothes in pastel colors and have feminine features. The older you get, the more you better fit into our idea of what beautiful is. Even if “girly” clothes are too restrictive or uncomfortable to be physically active and healthy, you’d better look the part. No matter what.