I have been absent for a while for various reasons, so to make my re-debut I think I will be annoyed.
We hear a lot about body shaming these days. The evils of promoting thigh gaps, or sexualizing the bodies of tween girls, or how every body is bikini ready. All of this is great, we should draw attention to the problem. In fact, I read about this wonderful woman just this morning, but there is another form I would like to point out: freckle shaming.
I was clicking through the photo gallery of a French chateau that is currently being renovated and an obligatory ad popped up. It featured a gorgeous woman with red hair and freckles as it touted a dark spot removal service as though this woman (and by extension every freckled lady) has anything to be embarrassed about with regards to her appearance.
I have freckles, and I am quite proud of them. I’ve actually pondered the merits of cosmetic facial tattoos so I can have more. Sure, that is a little extreme, but no more so than a boob or nose job. I digress, we were talking about body shaming. In case you don’t know, there is a difference between freckles and dark/sun spots. The most notable being that freckles are often hereditary and will appear no matter how much you hide from the sun. They are not something that requires treatment (though most people assume that is what freckled folks want), they are not evidence of skin damage, they are not ugly. They are simply a part of some people, like the color of their eyes, or the shape of their face, and as such are just as beautiful as every other part of them.
Thank you for your patience. I will subsequently return to books, movies, and the like.
