Maria Kang, otherwise known as "Fit Mom," is a perfect example of someone who relies on social media to bully and shame other women. Well, she's back, and you won't believe what she's saying now on her obnoxious Facebook and Instagram pages. Keep reading so you can see the full image.
Read more ¿Qué más?: "Fit Mom" Maria Kang is back & shaming curvy girls
I often bemoan the fact that the soaring popularity of Instagram and Facebook have spawned a society of relentlessly self-absorbed, voyeuristic, narcissistic braggarts. It's one thing to want to share bits and pieces of your life with others but, more often than not, these feeds feel like thinly veiled attempts at grandstanding. With every photo of a gourmet meal, an exotic tropical locale, a washboard stomach and chiseled arms, the message seems to be, "My life is more fabulous than yours," or "I'm hotter than you are." Rarely are these posts meant to create a sense of community–if anything, they're meant to chip away at others' self-esteem. Case in point? Fit Mom.
Whenever Kang's not working out, the fitness enthusiast and mother of three is posting photos of herself at the gym or in front of a mirror–wearing next to nothing so everyone can admire her flat stomach and her cellulite-free thighs–on Facebook and Instagram. But these actions just make her a run-of-the-mill attention seeker. What makes Fit Mom's posturing so infuriating is that she seems to revel in shaming women who aren't as thin as her. She's made offensive remarks against "nearly obese" women, suggesting that they shouldn't take pride in their figures. She's posted photos of herself with her three children, the tagline, "What's Your Excuse" at the top of the picture, suggesting that all women with children should log in countless hours at the gym so that they, too, can look like her.
Kang's latest self-aggrandizing photo, part of an effort to jumpstart a so-called "fitness movement" via her newly launched website NoExcuseMom.com, is already eliciting reactions ranging from approving cheers to disgruntled eye rolls and vehement condemnations. In the picture, Kang is shown wearing a sports bra and teeny Spandex shorts, her body dissected and labeled, the phrases "Works 8hr+days," "Limited Sleep," and "No Nanny or Chef" hovering above her head; "Gave birth to sons in 2009, 2010 & 2011" printed next to her abdominal region; and "Strong not Skinny" shown next to her thighs.
The photo once again imposes judgment on women and perpetuates yet another oppressive notion of beauty. After all, the "strong not skinny" movement is absolute hogwash since every woman shown in a photo with that motto is, in fact, skinny. And good health is never really the ultimate message Kang tries to convey–instead, her brand of publicity is one centered on superficial notions of beauty, on the outward physique.
It's a free country, and if Fit Mom wants to value herself based on the flatness of her abs, then that's her prerogative. But let's not celebrate this woman as a role model when she's perpetuating long-standing body image issues and teaching impressionable young women that, unless they look like the women in Nike ads, they're somehow unattractive, undisciplined or hiding behind excuses.
Image via Maria Kang/Facebook
