Look, I’m going to be honest, here, I was unreasonably giddy when I saw Cindy Crawford’s unretouched photo the other day.
C’mon, tell me you didn’t hear a little collective sigh of female relief (and male disappointment) when an un-photoshopped pic of Cindy, looking like an actual human, almost 49 year old woman, surfaced on the internet. Imagine the shock (and comfort) of finding that the super model who has stared at us from a trillion magazine covers, looking, well perfect, has a stomach that more resembles my own, than the flat abs she’s become known for. What with the fifty shades of snow outside my door (which I can barely get out of) and the upcoming dread brought on by the yearly publication of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, seeing Cindy’s unretouched photo was like hearing Boston would stop getting hammered with the white stuff.
It’s just kind of nice to see that someone who has been a cultural icon of female beauty is doing what the rest of us are doing–getting older. And maybe with this photo, she’s doing it better than I am, because by showing her bare tummy, in less than taut shape, she seems to be saying she accepts it.
As Nora Ephron said, “Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was twenty-six. If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini, and don’t take it off until you’re thirty-four.” Cindy pretty much did that, now that I come to think of it. I wish I had.
Some women are good at accepting their maturing bodies, but I have to say, I don’t know any of them. Most of the women I know wish they had a smaller this, and a bigger that. Most think they should exercise more and eat less. Most feel shame about not looking more like a retouched version of themselves.
So, like, a big freaking thank you to Cindy for keeping it real. We should send that woman flowers, for the guts to show off her almost 49 year old stomach. I guarantee it’s helped oodles of women feel a little better about how their bodies are naturally aging. I upgrade Cindy from a model to a role model. Ms. Crawford, I give you the “pretty inside and out” award. Thanks for making this miserable February a little more tolerable.
*the gratitude-a-thon 