Repeat after me:

• Janice Dickinson is not the route of all size evil.

• Janice Dickinson is extreamly insecure with her shape and body.

• Janice Dickinson loves attention. Good or bad.

• Janice Dickinson had model fame and proceeded to snort most of it up her nose, and she lost the plot at one point. (Hey, she’s human, we all can lose the plot at some point)

• Janice Dickinson is petrified of growing old.

• Janice Dickinson has a sensitity chip missing partly due to the fact that she had a relationship with her father that wasn’t healthy in any fashion (read her books)

• Janice Dickinson in real life does not look like this.

Now if you read it, and read it again, you’ll now be totally confused as to why me, Vanessa, someone who has been paid to model (sans catwalk) and is classed plus-sized but in the fashion world I’m actually very fat and cant be used in many European mainstream things because *shock* I have an extra roll around the back and a belly; why would I tell everyone plus-size or not to CHILL OUT when this woman opens her mouth about plus-size models and her distain for them.

First of all let’s break every element down.

Janice is not the route of all size evil.

No she’s not. Although people have said she is because on her last series of Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency she threw a fit when a few plus-size models were brought into the show. She said there was no place in the modeling world for them. What she meant was that unless you’re trying to cause controversy like Jean Paul Gualiter and have Velvet strut down the catwalk there is still a huge resistance by designers to design and showcase plus-size women in haute coutour fashion. Well, who wears Haute Courture unless you have millions or flavor of the moment to get free clothes?  The fact remains Ms Dickinson is simply a very loud mouth piece for a very dated (in terms of thinking) industry.

Until more designers actually start designing consistantly for different body shapes don’t expect curvy girls on the run way very soon. Fashion and media work hand in hand, and it’s those things that determin how people view and feel about body shape.

Janice Dickinson is extreamly insecure with her shape and body.

Ms Dickinson is just like a teenager who constantly worries if she’s looks good in the clique of perfect girls. Ms Dickinson’s click is a mixture of current celebrity and the memories of her past when she was the hottest model in town.  She has proven her insecurity by A) Getting her lips plumped significantly B) Getting a face lift B) Getting breast implants – I could go on.  Now I am not going to knock any woman who wants these things done – more power to them if they can stand the discomfort. But see this for what it is – someone desparately trying to cling onto youth, instead of embracing herself as she is.  Who is she really to tell me I’m not good enough to be in her ‘her world’ when her world is false as the day is long? She is no one to me? No one I respect to give me a balanced opinion. I leave that to the women who are aging beautifully, wrinkles and all.

Janice Dickinson loves attention. Good or bad.

Really? How else do you need that explained? Celebrities do and say anything to gain attention. Janice is not the only woman out there trying to say stuff that’s controversial to bring the spotlight on her or anything she’s selling.  Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. But saying something against plus-size people in fashion is going to get the masses angry and therefore bring her show more PR.  For those of you that did get angry, don’t worry, she opens her mouth and its easily done. Trick is to grin and do your own thing, because the chances of Janice Dickinson being a credible spokesperson for the fashion world is slim to none. I’ve got more chance of being a model for Guess Jeans than she has of being credible.

Janice Dickinson had model fame and proceeded to snort most of it up her nose, and she lost the plot at one point. (Hey, she’s human, we all can lose the plot at some point)

Well lots of models were doing that and in high fashion they STILL do that. Make no mistake, all sorts of crazy crap goes on behind the scenes of fashion. It’s very easy when you’re older  and wiser to look back and think you should never of done half the things you did, but life has a funny way of grounding us. And Ms Dickinson was grounded by failed relationships and years of obscurity when the real Supermodels started to be featured in George Micheal videos.

Has she learned her lesson? No, not really. She still trying to keep up with the pretty young things of Hollwyood and comes out with no more respect. There may have been a glimer of hope with her modeling agency reality thingie but nope she’s blown that pretty much with her opinions which hold no weight because of her mental imbalance. So off to the jungle she goes with all the other Z-D-listers.

Janice Dickinson is petrified of growing old.

Do we need to go over how much plastic surgery she’s had. No? Well good because I can’t be bothered to write it again.

Janice Dickinson has a sensitity chip missing partly due to the fact that she had a relationship with her father wasn’t healthy in any fashion (read her books)

If you don’t know about Mr Dickinson and her father then google it or read her book. Make no mistake this woman has been deeply traumatized and every time she tries to belittle someone or a group in society this is the first thing I think of. There is no way to make light of it at all. It was a terrible violation and the ramafications of the  mental bullying he put her through as a small child show every time that woman opens her mouth in objection.

I see it, because occasionally I do it too. Childhood trauma can do that – rage and more rage.  The trick is to learn to control it better.

If she ever had therapy she should be suing because they did a crappy job. There is one thing to speak your mind, but to belittle someone or a group because you have issues you’ve never dealt with properly about looks, size, human interaction and compassion is not really the best way to live your life.

Janice Dickinson in real life does not look like this —-> See picture above.

And nor do I, but with the wonders of photoshop!!!

You see, even that well toned look and perfect skin Ms Dickinson is showing is not real. None of what you see in magazines or ad pictures is real. The pictures are taken, granted, in the best light and make-up. They are then edited by the editing department that has not only photoshop but other image programs to enhance features and the editor sees them through all these processes. Often lbs are shed in the process.

Remember when Kate Winslet kicked up a storm because she had been grossly over photoshopped regarding her size. She made a statement quick smart : ‘Ladies, this is NOT how I really look.’ Good for Kate.

Ladies, we love illusions so why is it that when we’re faced with an illusion and realize it’s not all it’s cracked up to be with moan?

Is it me or does my head look bigger in the pic above? Meh!

Some people were meant to be slim. Some weren’t. I think Ms Dickinson was, but even super thin people have that tiny belly/back roll. You can’t fight gravity in its raw form – only by photo manipulation. Remember that.  P>S Yes that’s a terrible photoshop jobbie, but I was doing it quickly!

So… let think about all of this rationally.

Janice Dickinson’s opinion is her own. She is entitled to it. Her reasons for dis-appreciating plus-size models is a reflection of the majority of high end fashion, which does not cater for plus-size people in any way. It also stems from her distain (although she won’t admit it) of anyone who’s not standard model size to be accepted into a world which is elite. It’s almost like she is thinking, ‘Why should those plus-size girls model when there are some of us who need to work out and possibly get extra ribs removed to be a part of this elite world?’ She probably throws her teddy out the pram as she says it.

She’s not the only person in the world who thinks that. Don’t you just hate it when people say to you, ‘Fat is unhealthy’, when what they really want to say is, ‘You being fat disgusts me’. I could also say, ‘That having all that collegen pumped into your lips is not healthy.’ But what I really mean is, ‘ Trout lips are disgusting to look at.’  You see how it works? The false justification game.

To any one who reads this and is thinking that Ms Dickinson’s word is law, think on. There are opportunities to model when you’re plus-sized. You have to seek those opportunities out and WANT them. If you have to ask if you want something you’re not ready to want it. Many plus-size women ask for validation or approval. Why? Because we’re plus-sized. No, you just have to be ready and want to model. You have to want to show off. Only you can want that in your life. If you don’t, then stick to dreaming.  Although it wouldn’t hurt to have a lot more designers on the high end designing for plus-size woman; there are so many other avenues you can showcase your ability to model other than the catwork.

You are your only barrier towards modeling in mainstream, not the Janice Dickinsons of this world! Never forget that.

Vanessa Reece

Proud Professional Plus-size Model.

Coments welcome.

Mia Tyler Tribute

One of the greatest Mia Tyler videos ever made! YES!!! Do I need to say much more?  Nope. I think not.
But I will say I’m so excited about where this woman is going in life.
Liberation, inspiration, motivation! She’s living it!

Mia’s myspace Join it right now
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The Official 1228 Website! Bookmark it – yep like right now!

Hi Vansters,

I’ve had a testing evening, last night as you may know from my twitter. I had a burst radiator pipe in my lounge and some poor guy had to come and fix it at 10pm and then an hour after one of my fave fish passed away.

But I turned on my yahoo and found two offline messages from my friend, T-Devil. His little thank you to me made me smile. You are welcome T-Devil. x

T-Devil is just one of the most up front writers about weight issues amongst other things, that I know. He’s very honest and cuts to the bone with his words. I don’t always whole heatedly agree with everything he says but the way for us to move forward in this life and understand other people is to take on board other people’s opinions, even if we disagree or don’t fully support their point of view.  We still need to listen.

I want to introduce you to his blog and hope you will bookmark it and visit it often. I’m glad he’s followed my advice and decided to keep it going because he wasn’t sure whether to.

His newest post is regarding Kirstie Alley. I’m torn about it because I think Kirstie has a beautiful spirit and she’s vocal about how she feels about herself and her weight loss and gain. Even if it is negative where weight gain is concerned.

However, T-Devil says that her constant airing of her negative views towards her weight gain gives the impression she really hates herself being fat and THAT as a public figure is not great because what it does is give a negative impression of weight for anyone who’s bigger and solidifies majority opinion that ‘fat people are pigs, ugly, lacking sexiness’. Of course some people will think that, but it would be nice if famous folk didn’t promote that general feeling as soon as they lose a vast amount of weight and refer to themselves when they were bigger as ‘a pig’. Pigs are sweet animals – but they are just that – animals; not human beings.

I follow Kirstie on Twitter. I think she’s a good person who loves her friends and speaks her mind. However, I do think that T-Devil has a point and just like Kirstie he shoots from the hip.

I’m may write a peice about Kirstie after I’ve watched ‘Fat Actress’ from front to back.  But before that I want to say I think she’s beautiful. I’m not even ass kissing arse because I didn’t think something of her I wouldn’t follow her on twitter.  But seriously I think she rocks, I’m just not sure how much she realizes that when she’s at a weight she doesn’t like.

Vanessa x

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• Kirstie Alley Takes Our Advice (perezhilton.com)
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• Kirstie Alley – Fat Again (fitnesstipsforlife.com)

Oprah Winfrey with Mary J Blige Image by Getty Images via Daylife

BITE BACK: Is where I air my views about things that have annoyed me in a subject pertaining to all things plus-size.
Comments are most welcome.

BITE BACK: Anne Wintour and Oprah Winfrey.

Original Article: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/vogues-anna-wintour-tells-oprah-winfrey-to-lose-weight/22691

This is my own personal opinion and also gives people and idea of the BS  models face whether they be plus-size or not.

This article has been mentioned on Dimensions Magazine forum and people have plenty to say on there.

In regards to the article. Anna Wintour is a women who stands at the forefront of the fashion industry, deciding what styles should make it onto Vogue (often considered the fashion bible) and which fashion doesn’t. She stands in front of camera dripping with real fur, tired looking face and lips that scream, ‘I love collagen.’  According to this article she told Oprah Winfrey (who stands before us as an established entertainment persona, rich entrepreneur and public speaker as well as fine actress who has risen through the ranks of obscurity despite many set backs in her life to build a powerful empire) to lose weight to grace the cover of Vogue.

Like her or not, Oprah is a women you have to respect because of her amazing journey. Her openness about her struggles with family, her weight and other issues.

I had two main thoughts : Who does Anna Wintour think she is in the grand scheme of things to demand someone like Oprah to lose weight and secondly, WHY did Oprah feel this was a good idea?

I can only think that Wintour locked into Winfrey’s one main weakness as a woman and that is, her lack of self belief in the beauty of her body as it should be – personally to her. Her own genetic make-up. If Oprah feels at any time her well being would benefit weight loss then that is all good but to lose weight to fit into someone’s perception is not good.

Yes she’s over eaten and dieted and may have had success to a point, but just like many of us who have gone down the diet route, few of us have been able to maintain the weight we thought we should be.

I know I will never be slim again and if I do happen to lose weight it won’t be due to a diet, nor will it be for life.

I have had many, many times where I thought I would get more work if I slimmed down or maybe some guy would think I was cuter if I wasn’t a plus-size. I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. The simple answer was: I wanted to please other people in their perceptions on beauty.
I can’t tell you when and where I wised up, but I did and and it’s a personal thing. No one can tell you when and where. It will just happen like a lightening bolt that says to you, ‘I love me for me, and if others don’t – fine.’

Wintour later claims in the article she that she wants to bring  to the forefront of peoples minds the importance of eating well. I call PR BS. This is nothing about Anna Wintour caring about people’s well being and their souls. This is about Anna Wintour observing fat people with the perception that fat is ugly. This is her own perception which indeed some people share – but not everyone. She’s justifying her personal disgust with throwing the health card out there.

But here’s the thing. I could say I find Wintour unsightly aesthetically. I could say that and I could say, Anna please lose the fur rug coat, stop pumping your lips with collagen or whatever you use, get a good nights sleep or three and possibly get a new haircut. You look old and haggered. You look like a the house that fell on the wicked witch of the west; wooden, beat up and old.
But you know that all seems to, gosh how do I say, immature for me to mud sling like that (even though that is exactly what you have done with your quote Ms Wintour)

So I’ll put it this way: The truth is Anna, dear (patronizing treacle smile – you know the one you give people) I do not like your soul. I do not like your ulterior motives toward this issue we speak of. It makes you seem shallow as a person.  Your hurtful perceptions are damaging to people’s health because some poor girl in a house in Minnesota is biting her nails and crying in her room because she is being bullied about her weight. She looks on the internet and sees what you have supposedly said and her mental state is worsened by the very notion that she is not the picture of a beauty queen you ram down people’s throats on a daily basis.
Look at Donatella Versace’s daughter – the extreme end of anorexic and I bet you will never address that in your ‘eat healthy article.’  Take a look in your mirror and tell the world what you really are as a human being. Then we’ll have something honest to discuss. Not this crap your spinning in your over priced fashion bible for overpriced clothes.

Let me tell you, the readers, a fact. You’re gonna die. It’s inevitable. We are on a journey through life from birth to tomb. There is no stopping it. It does not matter how much you weigh but you will die at some point. Maybe you will die naturally and maybe you will unfortunately succumb to a disease, but one day you will take your last breath and you will leave this life.

It is how you live your life and what your heart sang whilst here that will be your legacy and the measure of you as a person. Not a person of any size, color or religion but of YOU as PERSON.

In my past experience in the health care world I have watched many people die. Some died holding my hand – It is a surreal experience to watch someone pass from this life to the next, but it’s also a telling tale that you can die, anytime from anything. It does not have to be fat related.

Heart disease is a killer. No two ways about it. But so are Cancer and Aids amongst others. I’m not going to sugar coat that. I know my life mortality rate is lower statistically than someone who doesn’t smoke and doesn’t have a high sugar/fat diet. The shocking thing is, when I go for my yearly health check they say, ‘Miss Reece you’re fit as a fiddle BUT we suggest you lose a few pounds.’  That’s fair enough for them to say and they would not be doctors if they didn’t tell me that.
Occasionally I’ve tried only to find I’m a grumpy unhappy little witch. Is that the legacy and the measure of me I want people to be left with when I leave this world?
Nope, I’ll stick to plump, happy and opinionated any day. And if I die of a disease related to my weight or lifestyle I’ll say, ‘O.K fair enough, but the good times rolled in my life and I loved it, let me know when I have to leave and say howdy to the big guy upstairs.’

Losing weight is your personal choice. Do it if you want to for YOU and you alone. I know when my weight goes up and it becomes uncomfortable. It’s when my back starts to ache a lot. I then go out and step up my power walking or yoga, scale down my sugar intake and I’m good. I enjoy it but I do it for me, not because someone tells me too, and I don’t beat myself up if I don’t do a power walk session or eat a candy bar. No, no and no. I refuse now at this point in my life to do the guilt trip thing. It wastes time when I could be having fun.

I’m in tune with my body and know when and how to just make it feel right.
But the point is, I now do this for ME and not for someone who says I should or don’t look the way they want me too.

I think Oprah looks good. She always did, but she had moments where she was uncomfortable with herself and that’s never flattering to behold. But while she stands tall and makes the most of what she has then she is a formidable and beautiful human being and to be honest someone like Anna Wintour could only hope to be as powerful as Oprah is.

The legacy of Oprah will leave is that her heart was good, she may have screwed up but she showed the world that she was a human being who had issues she made journeys to understand better and learn from. And when all was said and done she loved people and people loved her.

The legacy of Anna Wintour at this point would be that she was a woman with power in the fashion industry which is fickle at best, and that she was appalled by people who were fat. Oh, and she dripped in real fur and had rubber looking lips.

Sorry Ms Wintour am I being too mean to you? Well karma comes and karma does.

I’ll take my flab, cellulite and shimmy off with my head held high. I bet I have more fans that you because I’m keeping it real. And I bet Oprah has more fans that both of us put together so why do we hail her as an amazing inspirational human being?

But this is how fashion works. They call jump and we say how high and for how much?

A few years ago I was involved in a photo shoot with a well known fashion guru and let me tell you many of us who took part in that were made to feel unworthy in some way due to how we looked. Maybe this so called guru didn’t mean to offend, but once a champion of showcasing a women’s body and loving you for you, something changed in the Guru’s mind set that said, ‘less fat looking people makes for a happier world.’ What they really meant was, ‘I used to be fat, and I find it kind of gross now and I can’t bear to see it on anyone, so let’s suck it in, let’s hide it.’

Well Guru, those were your issues not mine. I will take my fat booty off and work with someone else, regardless of their celebrity standing or not who appreciates all women of all shapes and sizes.  You are not on my important enough list.

Maybe I actually don’t want to be an A-list drone? Maybe I want to have my little part of the world where I’m respected for being me and not what some stylist, director, photographer wants me to look like.

Understand here and now why people throw the health card or the, ‘fashion looks best on slim’ card and you will slowly start to not give a crap what people think. But only yourself. Love you for you. If you feel you need to make a change to enrich yourself or get what you want out of life, do it because you want to, not because others say its best. These people don’t care about your health, they care only of themselves and what they like the aesthetics of a person.

That is not a person I want in my life, for business nor pleasure. If you can’t look deep within a person and enjoy what they have to offer from their heart and soul then you are as shallow as shallow can be.

Be empowered by you, and your legacy will be that you lived your life your way; and your way was the best way for you as a person.

I’m going to tweet this to Oprah and maybe she or one of her people will read it one day. I hope so and hope she knows she never has to lose weight to leave an amazing legacy as a person.

Leave your comments, she or her people may even read them. Don’t forget to tweet, tweet, tweet to your own followers.
Vanessa Reece

Well a good old fashioned shit storm brewed up over at Perez Hilton‘s site the other day when he showcased the cover of new magazine, Love with none other than the fat and fabulous Beth Ditto on the front.

It wasn’t the fact that Beth Ditto was naked on the cover that caused comment frenzy overload. Anyone, including me knows only too well that many people pull the ‘fat isn’t healthy’ card out of the bag when bigger women start showing flesh. I’m possibly the only person in the fat world who readily admits that fat isn’t healthy. I’m honest about it because there is no point being dishonest. But I’m a rebel and I don’t want to spend my life calorie counting or spending money on diets that will keep me in a circle of yo-yo dieting. I do my power walking to maintain my curves and not add more, plus give me energy. I do my thing and don’t expect everyone to the same as me. Live your life the way you want to.
I still think people NEED to start accepting people as they come NOT the way they wish people to come. I also think there are some amazingly beautiful women who are fat and fabulous. Rock on!!!

Their energy, their confidence and their sheer vigor for life make me think – they are living their life their way and to hell with it. You are only here once – make it count.
I smoke for instance, like many people in the entertainment industry – but I receive more negative comments about my weight than I do about my smoking – which will probably end up killing me quicker than my weight will. That’s raw honesty for you. Hey, as Freddie Mercury once sang – Who wants to live forever? Not me baby.

In terms of honesty I’d wager that’s why a lot of people who aren’t fat have a problem with us sexy hot fatties. They think we are in denial – and a few of you are. But when all is said and done – do you work it like you own it? If you do then you are in the Beth Ditto fat fabulous camp! Welcome!

Anyway, back to the shit storm. Perez was hauled over hot coals for calling Beth ‘HAWT‘ but also he has made comments about Jessica Simpson putting on a few pounds and the comments weren’t exactly nice.
What everyone needs to chill the hell out about is Perez likes a shit storm. I truley believe that he does have favourites and he’s as catty as hell about people he doesn’t like but has all sorts of time for people who he does like – even if it means they are fat.

Now here is the clincher – Beth Ditto has kept it real since the get go – Jessica Simpson can’t really make the same claim. And while I agree that Jessica looked fine in the recent pictures of her I can totally understand why Perez would attack her – because when all is said and done she’s seen, by some people, as someone not worthy of being a celebrity. Therefore she is an easy target.

I have to admit I never used to totally get Perez, but as I work up the show biz ladder I appreciate the fact he shows what is in all of us. We all contradict weather we like to admit it or not.
I think deep down Perez is a good person – but he plays the fame game and he’s got where he is by causing contraversy. Psycology is a wonderful thing where celebrity is concerned, but even in real life its interesting that peoples motives for being nice or cruel when talking about how someone looks shouldn’t always be taken at face value. There is always a deeper meaning – and that’s why we should not be so quick to get upset.

Interesting to note that Perez doesn’t delete hateful comments directed to him. If he’s gonna give it he knows he has to take it. So from now on he’s my new muse. I just hope he doesn’t lose too much weight – keep something to cuddle, hey Perez.

http://perezhilton.com/?p=44066&cp=1#comments

Vanessa Reece x