Beyonce and her FUPA
When Beyonce talks the world listens and last week saw this iconic woman talk to US Vogue about her FUPA and about body acceptance, among other things in her latest interview with US Vogue. For all of those who were equally as perplexed by the acronym as me, a FUPA stands for the fatty upper pubic area (I had to look it up). Otherwise known as the mum tum or a muffin top.
My feeling on hearing the news that the world’s biggest pop star has been sharing her vulnerabilities publicly was elation, the Who's Runs the World megastar, someone most women look up to, is being body positive -hallelujah. Beyonce has always been known and loved for her curvier figure since she burst into our conscious in the 1990’s. For women like me with mixed heritage, she’s has been a role model, someone to admire who has a caribbean butt and curves for days, and I don’t remember her speaking so openly about her body before.
I’ve always felt that the big celebrities could and should be doing more about talking about body image. And it seems they really are now, last week Lena Dunham posted on Instagram about how different her interior/ exterior state is in fat/thin pics, and Serena Williams opened up about the emotional impact of her post-baby bod and it contributing to one of her biggest defeats ever. I’m a very small drop in the ocean of body positivity, it's so refreshing to see the big guns getting in on it and opening up dialogue on this huge issue that affects most, if not all women. The perpetual narrative that skinny is the most revered and admired trait as well as being beautiful is something that I’m incredibly passionate about. It needs women like Beyonce and the Kardashians to be more vocal so the world and the millions of their hang-of-their-every-word loyal followers will listen and stop trying to hate on themselves or thinking that they aren’t ever enough. Hopefully the recent appetite suppressant lolly saga has taught us all a lesson, including the most influential.
It’s a HUGE step in the right direction, hopefully it opens the door for more and more celebrities to do similar, to stop photo shopping their pictures to within an inch of their life, acknowledge that being flawsome is actually ok. Whilst we can’t all be 100% proud and happy with our bodies, and focus more on what our bodies actually do rather than how they look. We can use our influence to support others to not just focus on their perceived flaws and actually celebrate them instead of trying to hide them. If women like Beyonce, Lena, and Serena can lead the way and show how they are on the road to accepting their bodies in all their perfectly imperfect glory then so can we.
Nat x