Magicians are not the only ones cutting women. Advertisers do it in a more subtle way, persuading them to do it by themselves.

Once upon a time, magazines and newspapers were used to print coloured “paper dolls” – elegant silhouettes to be cut out of paper with separate clothes, also made of paper.

Not all of the figures were close to anorexia. The beloved Holly Hobbie sported soft and generous hips, avoiding to hide herself behind suffocating slimming sheath.

The implicit rule was to cut out the figures along the edges. Today, the norm is no longer valid. The sizes of a chubby woman are intolerable, and the new paper dolls spread the message. Two days ago, Il venerdì di Repubblica magazine has offered this silhouette to be cut out:

“Overweight and obesity: current problem? Many Italians have this problem.”

Don’t worry, women: where scissors will fail, the advertised dietary product will do the work.

But I am horrified at insinuating the need to reduce the sizes of the (already) beautiful girl in green. shutterstock website agrees with my aesthetic, having titled the photo (1)  of the Russian model “Portrait of beautiful plus size curly young blond woman posing on pink with sweet pastry.” (2) 

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