Single, Taken, at the Gym: What this shaming bag says about self care
Another day, another body shaming slogan to get irked by.
Cropping up on Living Social is a tote bag with a message that's less than positive about the way we choose to take care of our physiques.
With over 20,000,000 results for the slogan to be found in a Google search, it's clearly a popular turn of phrase.
However, what does the context of the phrase really say about the way we view self care.
To be single or taken doesn't define us as people – and that's a positive message to instil.
But to then declare the third option as being 'at the gym' rather than caring about your love life, suggests that the only way to better yourself and the worthiest consumer of your time is to improve your body through exercise.
'Let everyone know you’re focusing on you with a statement slogan tote bag,' reads the product description.
'First you were single, next you were in a relationship, and now… you’re focusing on you.'
Ultimately, there are many ways to personally express self care, and I firmly do not believe that weight loss is one that needs to be promoted.
We cannot say we're impressed, as it perpetuates a societal expectation that to be worthy is to be slim.
Yes, working out is therapeutic, and if you have the right intentions with your gym time, then amazing, but this tote is just another example of the assumption that thin equals healthy, and it uses body shaming to do this through the slogan.
That being said, if someone chooses to devote their time to the process of augmenting their bodies through responsible exercise control, then more power to them, but to highlight weight loss as a focal point of self improvement is not what we're about.
Thin, fat, muscular, curvy, all bodies are good bodies and this tote forgets that.
