The inaugural season of Allure Perspectives will explore one of the most controversial and medically researched parts of a woman’s body: breasts. Through expert interviews, personal stories, and historical context, the podcast series, hosted by editor in chief Jessica Cruel, will examine how breasts intersect with beauty, health, identity, sexuality, and culture. In our fourth episode, Cruel talks with actor Raven-Symoné about how growing up in the spotlight affected her body image, learning to separate her identity from her characters, getting two breast reductions at a young age, and so much more. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes every week.
Raven-Symoné got her first job (modeling) when she was 16 months old. She started on The Cosby Show when she was four years old; many millennials fell in love with her on That’s So Raven, the first season of which aired when she was 17. Like so many actors who grew up in Hollywood, Raven says the industry shaped her own self-image in many ways—positive, negative, and neutral.
Now, at 40 years old, Raven feels more at home in her body than ever. In the latest episode of Allure’s Perspectives podcast, she opens up to host Jessica Cruel on everything from her earliest memories of feeling body shame to getting a breast reduction at age 15 and finally ditching the hyperfemininity she realized she’d just been performing for most of her life. Get a teaser of their conversation below, then listen to the full interview wherever you listen to podcasts.
On how early fittings affected her body image
Research has shown that, for most kids, puberty is when they first become hyper-aware of their body and all the societally-induced baggage surrounding size. For Raven, that awareness happened much earlier. “At a young age, I had to go into something that was called a fitting,” she says, recalling the days when costume designers would make off-hand comments about her body as they were figuring out her wardrobe for a show. “By the age of nine, I knew that I couldn’t have bagels and cream cheese in the morning because my outfit would show how big my tummy was.”
Raven says she’s glad that the language used in that context is changing, although she believes the experiences she had back then gave her a thicker skin. “I want everyone to be in a healthy brain space … as our society becomes more educated in how you can cause body dysmorphia just by saying, ‘Oh, we have to let [this costume] out today.’”
On “girly-girl” acting jobs
During the That’s So Raven era (2003-2007), Raven’s red carpet style was every bit a stereotypical young millennial’s dream: hair pulled back with dozens of tiny hair ties or butterfly clips, big silver hoops, asymmetrical skirts, one-shoulder tops, strappy metallic high heels. In retrospect, Raven says she realized that style wasn’t really her. “All of it was a performance,” she says, later noting that, “I learned how to be hyper-feminine because I knew that’s what the industry would buy and want.”
Raven says that changed when she “officially started dating women” (she came out publicly via a tweet in 2013). “I feel more flirtatious and sexual and in tune with my body when I don’t have to perform,” she says. Now, Raven says she’s thrown away all her waist-cinching fajas and has gotten comfortable shopping in the men’s section, where she finds more clothes she likes. “I didn’t know fashion could be fun,” she says. “I didn’t know that fashion didn’t have to hurt.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.allure.com
