...In which our heroine addresses the elephant.

That's Crystal Renn, my obsession of the moment. She is so naturalistically beautiful - the hair, the lips, the eyes. She's a plus size model now, at 165 pounds, 5"9, but entered the industry at 95 pounds:

Yeah...I don't think there's a question on what looks better. She's just written a book called Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves, which I've yet to pick up. Renn says she gets more work now as a plus-size model, worked for Dolce and Gabbana, and even closed a Jean-Paul Gaultier show in Paris last year.

For me, seeing her do this is a revelation. It marks a slight change I've noticed in the fashion industry in accepting more normal body sizes - not that 5"9, 165, is normal, but it is an improvement. It makes me feel great that young girls who aren't a size XS can have someone to look to up to. I look at Renn, and say "hey, my thighs look like that too!"

I've written and re-written this post about a thousand times because I never know how to say exactly what it is I want to. I've come to terms with a lot of issues about my body this first year of college. Maybe it's being out of the bubble of high school, and maybe it's not being sixteen, but for the first time in my life I can say I love my body. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with this, that'll my Applachian-bred hips will never fit a size four, that yes models have cellulite too, it just gets airbrushed away.

Growing up, I had absolutely no positive role models of women who were curvy, plus-sized, fat, whatever, in the media. No one. My family was always making sly comments about "could I just cut back a little," and my mom, as much as I love her, has always compared me to her, if I would just eat fewer carbs and smoke two packs a day, I could be just like her. I remember seeing Real Women Have Curves in seventh grade and for once finally feeling like I wasn't alone. I can't help but think more positive images of women in the media - and I'm not even talking plus-sized, I'm talking more womanly, like Christina Hendricks, Liv Tyler, America Ferrara, or Kim Kardashian, would have made me accept my body and all of its wonderful flaws sooner.

In the past couple years, I've noticed more and more big girls getting exposure in the media - aside from Renn, I've seen Mia Tyler, Kate Dillon, and Lizzie Miller all in print ads recently. Glamour, praise them, ran a story recently about how they are going to try and portray more realistic images of women in their magazine. To this photo from the issue, I say bravo.

It is simply ridiculous to think the size zero, airbrushed and photoshopped like there's no tomorrow women that permeate the media are reality. I really hope that this trend continues. I hope more stores like Torrid or Forever 21's new plus sized line, Faith 21, pop up that give girls options to stay fashionable. I know it would've helped me.

I get bothered by the fact that fat really is that last taboo. In my Culture, Race, and Media class and we were talking about that stupid More to Love plus-sized dating show. I made a comment about hating watching the poor fat girls cry because I've learned being a fat girl and crying about it does not make you more attractive to men. People fumbled in their desks. My teacher changed the subject. It's the elephant in the room - I'm fat, let's talk about it.

I lost a bunch of weight the summer after seventh grade - when my diet consisted of McDonald's and candy bars, going from a very unhealthy 225 to 190, and the goal then was a size 10. Right now, I'm a size 12, thin as I've been, since no joke, third grade, probably as I ever will be. I realized one day that I could lose weight, exercise more, eat better, but who couldn't? If I wasn't fat, I simply wouldn't be me. I look exactly like the women on my dad's side of the family - dark-haired, fat arms and hips meant for child wrangling - and I've learned to take pride in this. I'm never going to be as skinny as a lot of my peers, but the average sized woman is now a size 16, so what is normal anymore?

I wish someone would have instilled in me that I was beautiful just as I was at an earlier age, or that I would've had women in the media to look up to. Hopefully, with models like Crystal Renn and the trend of more realistic beauty, girls entering adolescence today won't have to sigh and fret as much as I did.

I was shopping with Emily at Forever 21 today and she told me that she loves how I accept my body and dress it well, without trying to be something I'm not. Still, I laughed because Forever 21's clothes rarely fit me: my boobs are too big. Hey, there's one fantastic benefit of being a curvy girl. It took me a long time to find my confidence, and there are still times when I get looked at and think 'is he really checking me out," and those days when nothing in my closet looks good on me, but I've learned to love myself, and for that, I am thankful.

It's also Katydid in the City's 200th post, so I thought I'd get personal. Happy blogging milestone and sheer geekery!

As if I could write about real women and their curves with showcasing the delightful Joan Holloway, who was FINALLY back in fine form in last night's episode.

...In which our heroine has seconds.

There are sites and blogs I check everyday - things like / Film, The A.V. Club, Time Magazine, and all of my delightful gossip sites. But there are unsung heroes, things I still enjoy but don't read everyday. In case you're curious:

Cake Wrecks: Sometimes cakes don't turn out so well. Here, they get their time to shine.

Food Porn Daily: I'm trying to be a better cook. The dishes on here make me want to work harder. Click, and something else awesome appears.

This is Why You're Fat: Most of the stuff on here is inedible, but when it works, like bacon ice cream, it really works.

That Obscure Object: Just a bunch of photos of wonderful celebrity things, like Christina Hendricks, the Goonies, and old photos. Lots of pretty ladies.

JBlyth: I don't even know what to call this one. It's just a lot of cool photos that change from black and white to color and generally fit a theme - tattoos, nudes, animals, whatever.

The Frisky: A fun and varied sex blog, written mostly by women who talk about more things than 101 Ways to Spice Up Your Love Life! which I'm pretty sure is in every issue of Cosmo ever.

Savage Love: Ah, Dan Savage. I remember when I felt like quite the scandal for reading this. Now I mostly just think it's made up, but it's still a weekly read. I have to settle since Tristan Taormino quit doing Pucker Up.

I Did it for Science: Nerve can be pretentious, but these are lots of fun.

Sci-Fi Squad: An offshoot of / Film, it covers all things sci-fi.

Horror Squad: See above. Yes, I am indeed female.

Box Office Mojo: Gotta read about the weekend box office and this is the best place to do it.

Metacritic: I much prefer this to Rotten Tomatoes in terms of rating movies and other media.

Fuck Yeah Animals with Casts: I think the name says it all.

Mental Floss: Random crap that is terribly interesting. It has replaced my semi-obsessive reading of Wikipedia.

I hate this building on the weekends. Somebody puked in an elevator, which is still parked on this floor. Stupid drunk freshmen.

It's a rainy night, perfect for The Smiths:

...In which our heroine lets things speak for themselves.

The most difficult part of this post was choosing a picture from the Emmys, which were horribly boring. Thank god for Nathan Fillion, and this:

C'MON...even the very gay Neil Patrick-Harris said he'd go straight for it. No one should be allowed to look that good. There's lots more where that came from. Too bad her finance looks like a goober, but then again, I'd probably be awestruck if I got to look at that everyday too.

One day I'll shut up about my massive girl crush on Christina Hendricks, and maybe even make a post without her it in, but that day is definitely not today. Little did I know when watching Firefly how much in love I'd be in love with these two. It's slightly naughty, so you're warned -

I'll plug Firefly again because she pops in several more episodes. Nathan Fillion and Christina Hendricks, have mercy. Please try not to die Cassie.