The music industry, among all others concerning the media, has changed
                   dramatically in recent times. People want to be like their favorite
                   musicians... unfortunately, the quality of music has changed. What is
                   desirable has changed. People want an image, and a hit.

                   The Beatles are partly responsible for this. They sold images and hits.
                   However, The Beatles were in a different time. Their music obviously still
                   means a lot more than "Hit Me Baby One More Time." This is partly
                   because of the time that they showed up in, and partly because their
                   music explored new things that nobody else had thought of (such as the
                   introduction of Eastern music).

                   In The Beatles' time, women's roles were different than they are now.
                   They were also changing. What was on TV pre-Beatles time were also
                   thin women, but it wasn't a big deal. It was more about what kind of
                   vacuum they used, or what clothing they wore. It was about selling
                   things, and selling suburbia. If you take a look at the Woodstock footage
                   and the Woodstock generation (which The Fab Four no doubt helped
                   define), you'll see a variety of people. Although many activists of their
                   time were actually upper middle class youth, diversity became completely
                   acceptable. While it was probably still nice to have a good body, it didn't
                   have to be thin and it didn't have to be like 'Twiggy.' What was most
                   important was the freedom of thought- that's what could define the
                   attractiveness of a woman.

                   Today, the media (which most likely reflects society) is telling is that
                   curves are coming back in style. They refer to the charming Drew
                   Barrymore. While Drew isn't skinny, she is most definitely not heavy. I am
                   an average sized, but she weighs less than me and wears a smaller size.
                   She is also much taller. I believe these standards are to blame.

                   Look also at clothing labels. As much as I don't like The Gap for reasons of
                   personal style, one thing that is appealing about their clothing is the size
                   labels- they 'run large.' A size 8 in that store is a size 12 in most others.

                   It's impossible to blame the media. It's impossible to blame men. When I
                   see my boyfriend admire the bodies of thin celebrities and feel fat
                   because I'm not like them, it's my own (albiet societal) flaw for feeling
                   that way. Obviously he is happy with me, and just because I think Paul
                   McCartney was sexy at age 30 doesn't mean I expect or want my
                   boyfriend to look like Paul when he turns 30. I must admit that part of me
                   was relieved to avoid a bathing suit this season.

                   The image is most exemplified in music-- while it has always been
                   acceptable for anyone of any age to dig The Beatles, Billy Joel, or Bob
                   Dylan, it's quite a stereotype to mark yourself as a Britney Spears fan.
                   While Britney speaks out for doing what she wants, she's really just
                   conforming to the image that marketers want her to portray. Where has
                   that time gone, the time when The Beatles could break out the love
                   beads and say "this is who we are," and then, "we are individuals?" It's
                   past, unfortunately, replaced by a generation that only sees thin all
                   around.

                   In prep school, I was the only huge Beatles fan. I was also one of the
                   heaviest people in that school. While I'm not thin, I'm definitely not
                   obese. Everyone else was thin, and everyone else listened to what was
                   'in.' My senior prom was pitiful- it was comprised of barely there dresses
                   accentuating bony back bones, and mindless music that meant nothing to
                   anyone.

                   One of my best friends has always been skinny. She consantly watches
                   her weight. She listens to a variety of music, but sometimes equates real
                   life with Real World and other MTV/Trend TV events. It hurt, one day,
                   when she called a girl on TV fat. The girl was a lot thinner than I was. I
                   can't say I've gone to a movie since without feeling guilty for being as
                   thin as the women in it.

                   I'm not quite sure where the 'image' comes from, but we are definitely
                   more conscious of it now. It is most definitely mass marketed by the
                   music industry. Could you imagine Mama Cass, with her beautiful voice
                   and large figure, getting anywhere close to famous now if she were alive
                   today, no matter who else was in her band? I most definitely can not. I'm
                   far beyond asking where the flowers have gone. Now, I simply have to ask
                   "Where has the spirit of The Beatles' quality music gone?" Perhaps that
                   would answer many questions.
 

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