Feminism and Bodybuilders

01.02.2016

A healthy body image is depicted as being mentally and physically stable for self-sufficiency. Roxanne a 5’3” 130 pound bodybuilder believes that pushing ones limit to become physically “peeled” is her ideal healthy body image, but also being able to still maintain her femininity.

Almost hearing more-or-less half the interview, my curiosity of how Roxanne actually looks like. I was impressed with her dedication and her overall body. Every vein and muscle was so distinctive that it even inspired me to hit the gym. Both Roxanne and the article The Language of the Body by Kathy Acker both would agree that the process of bodybuilding is a never-ending process of trail and error to reach success. Success would be the non-existing goal the no one would ever reach.

When she stated that she let body, “talk for itself,” it inevitable made everyone voice their opinion either vocally or through their body language. Roxanne mentioned either people, love or hate how her body is portrayed. I, on-the-other hand, admire her passion for bodybuilding.  The fact that she acknowledges the loss of her breasts, to me, is pure dedication. As she mention, many people believe that one’s femininity is expressed through breasts with soft bodily features. She expressed how femininity shouldn’t be a set standard for all women to have, i.e. breast, curves, gluteus, petite frame, etc.

“I know some very unique looking women, all across the spectrum, and when I say unique looking women I mean unique women period. Drag queens, transvestites, and bodybuilders, you name it, the whole gamut and they are quite elegant and just amazingly feminine without having to have not one breast amongst them.”

I admired the way she values her femininity in a non-traditional way. She rejects that femininity that she must have breasts but even then society believes that all women must have them to be categorized. In the images of Roxanne, she wears feminine apparel and accessories i.e. hoop earrings, bracelets, dresses, heels and bikinis. At first most people would look past the minor details but as you listen to her interview, the images seems to stand out as she mentions femininity. Roxanne’s confidence about the subjects makes me want to root for her and her beliefs. The passion she has for bodybuilding is exerted in “You’re gonna be a magnificent human being!” if you continue or start the path.  Which reminds me of The Language of the Body by Kathy Acker’s difficulty in expressing how much of an impact it has for her. For Kathy, it means an entire new world that she would want everyone to be enlightened by it, in ways that she and Roxanne have.

Overall, Roxanne’s ideal of herself reaches out of the ordinary and grab people’s attention through her work of her body, beliefs, and femininity. She challenges the norm of what society depicts womanhood and feminism as, in addition of applauding others who aren't biologically female but admirers. Hearing from someone who has a different standpoint about femininity made me appreciate others and my own more.