I would consider myself a Marvel fan.  I've watched tons of their movies, and am eagerly awaiting the newest Spider-Man movie (NOTE 12/19/21: I watched it!  It was very good).  In November, I got the chance to watch Marvel's newest movie Eternals, with a few of my friends.  It was exciting to watch one of Marvel's most diverse movies to date, featuring Asian American protagonists, a deaf protagonist, and a gay protagonist.  One of the casting decisions I was most excited about was the fact that they had cast realistic-looking male actors- not all men with chiseled features and six-pack abs, but men who represent the people we see in our everyday lives. 

However, if you turn to the female superheros in this story, you see a drastically different picture- all slim bodies and silky hair, they are America's ideal woman, sexy and slender.

What's wrong with this picture?

Representation of normal-looking bodies has come a long way since the media's beginning.  Across America, people are calling for models who look like them, actors who look like them, and influencers who look like them.  However, it's not perfect yet.  After severe mental health struggles last year, I have finally realized what a huge impact the media has on my self-image. The unattainable standard presented to me as a young child fuels my low self esteem, and makes me and others feel awful about themselves on a daily basis.  I rarely use TikTok, Instagram, or other forms of social media, and yet my warped idea of the perfect female body has to have come from somewhere.  And that's where television comes in.

Take a look at some of your favorite TV shows and movies.  Fat characters, characters with acne, characters with tiny breasts- how many of them are there, and what roles do they play?  Often, "fat" or "ugly" characters are cast as villains, sidekicks, or comic relief, obviously unlikeable because of their imperfect bodies.  In contrast, the hero is slender yet muscular, with clear skin and luscious hair.  This problematic casting is damaging to everyone- the actors and the viewers, especially younger viewers whose brains and thinking skills are not fully developed.  Negative core beliefs are formed in childhood, and if the shows and movies a child watches are consistently telling them that they are not good enough, that they are not skinny enough or not pretty enough, this most often leads to low self esteem that can last for the rest of their life.  Self esteem impacts mental health severely, and low self esteem can lead to problems like depression and eating disorders, among others.

So what do you want to see onscreen- people who look like you and boost your confidence, or people who have unattainable physiques that make you feel like crap about yourself?  Accurate representation of all bodies matters onscreen, and I urge Marvel Studios to think about revising their casting choices to represent America's entire, imperfect, beautiful population.
 

(Note:  I know that there is no way this one essay can encompass everyone's experiences, and I want people to know that although my ultimate goal is inclusion for every single one of use, this piece of writing doesn't present every side of the issue. I am only one person, and this essay is based off of my personal experiences.  However, I want this essay to represent all of us out there who don't see themselves reflected on the big screen, so if you have suggestions or comments please share them!