Speakers urge students to ‘rock what they’ve got’

Katherine Schwarzenegger is perhaps best known as the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger — the outgoing governor of California, famous body builder and Terminator — and Maria Shriver, an award-winning journalist and philanthropist.

But people might not know that Katherine Schwarzenegger is also an undergraduate student in Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and the author of recently released book, Rock What You’ve Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who’s Been There and Back.

Schwarzenegger sat down in the Nazarian Pavilion with Lois Banner, a professor of gender studies in the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences on Tuesday evening, to discuss her book as well as body image issues that girls and women face today as a result of the changing culture and media.

Schwarzenegger said she first became interested in the importance of having a healthy body image when she interned for Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which then inspired her to take a class about the media’s effects on women’s self-image.

To Schwarzenegger, it was both “shocking and disturbing” to discover how much pressure is put on young women to be thin and  how over-sexualized  they are at a young age.

“The majority of 8-year-olds in America are either on diets or have been on diets,” she said.

Although many people might think Schwarzenegger has lived a charmed life given her background,  she  said she too has dealt with bullies. In fourth grade, she said, she was made fun of for having big teeth and was called “Beaver Bucktooth.”

“The issue of body image is something that affects girls at age eight or age five but also at age 70,” Schwarzenegger said.

Her book, she said, was written as a “reference guide” for young women, a way for them to discover things on their own but also something to be used as a point of discussion.

“I think a lot of women in high school don’t think it’s an appropriate subject to talk about because they are embarrassed … but why not talk about it?” she said. “We’ve all experienced this. Why are we tearing each other down? We should build each other up.”

For Schwarzenegger, the media is one of the main culprits in creating unrealistic and unattainable beauty and body images through the extensive use of photoshopping and airbrushing.

Schwarzenegger and Banner also discussed the recent change in body concern and sexualization in the media and marketing, specifically how the age for these campaigns has become younger.

“You look at the Bratz dolls and you see they’re dressed like little baby hookers,” Schwarzenegger said.

The topic shifted to Banner’s history in the field of gender studies and how a feminist ideology can overcome the all-too-perfect, glamorous and overachieving Barbie doll.

Schwarzenegger also discussed some of the more positive outcomes of the change in media’s re-construction of women’s role in society.

“Women are more aware of how much they can achieve and that they can be independent on their own and not need to marry a man in order to be complete,” she said.

Still, Schwarzenegger discussed the importance of having a boyfriend or partner who is respectful.

“You should have the door opened for you. You should have the chair pulled out for you,” she said. “And I think it’s very important for every young woman to know that they deserve that.”

Returning to her original topic of coming to peace with one’s body, Schwarzenegger addressed the fear many women have of managing calories and dealing with the indulgence of sweets.

“I really encourage girls to have fun with food — be able to eat food,” she said.

Schwarzenegger also stressed the importance of exercising and having a healthy lifestyle.

“[Exercising] is not only good for your body, but it’s good for your mind,” she said.

Although Schwarzenegger said she believes having a poor body image is still a serious problem, she is hopeful about the future.

“You see more celebrities and people coming out in the media that are celebrating their curves and talking about how important it is to celebrate womanly features,” she said.

Concluding the discussion, Banner opened the floor for questions from the audience. In response to one question that asked for advice, Schwarzenegger gave tips to young women and anyone who feels unhappy with his or her body.

Sharing a piece of advice that her father gave her, she said to look at yourself as a glass half full, rather than a glass half empty.

Schwarzenegger also urged those in the audience to stop pointing out their flaws and instead to focus on what they liked about themselves.