Selling Self Esteem
By Robin Gadsen
Emme Aronson likes to tell people she is living proof that diversity is exactly where society should be.
The first plus-size supermodel, known as Emme, is a keen observer of society's obsession with weight and body types. She's heard all the excuses: Too fat. Too large. Too broad.
"I said to myself, what does that have to do with the way people feel about each other and the quality of their work?" she said.
In a humid gymnasium, Emme brought her powerful message of self-esteem to the students of Pequannock Valley Middle School on Thursday, preaching the importance of individualism, self-image, and the way preteenagers judge others not only through weight, but through racial and ethnic stereotypes. Since 1994, she has given nearly 20 motivational speeches a year to schools across the nation.
Normally, Emme speaks to large groups of young girls, but on this day she tailored her speech to include young boys who also had problems with weight and body size. Although she got off to an awkward start in the pronunciation of Pequannock, Emme soon had her youthful audience mesmerized with her talk of fad dieting and body images.
"Don't judge yourself by the scale," said Emme, who also is the star of "Fashion Emergency" on E!, the entertainment cable channel. "If a dog won't eat [diet food], you won't eat it."
In addition to her talk on weight issues, Emme preached the values of individualism and mentioned how people can be cruel to others because of their own dim images of themselves.
A slide show on weight images of today's top models drew hoots and hollers from the male audience. But it was to offer a perspective on how the media feed public images that cannot be met by many people. Emme included statistics on how eating disorders and weight issues affect society.
Though comfortable with her weight and size (5 feet, 11 inches, 195 pounds), Emme told a story of trouble from her days as a television news reporter in Arizona. Producers felt her size overshadowed her male anchor colleagues.
"It didn't make sense to me," she said. "I never got a chance to show them that body size had nothing to do with my work."
This was the model's second trip to the school in two years. The first time she visited Pequannock Valley, it made such an impression on the children that two years later those same students -- now in high school -- returned to guidance counselor Ginny Ruckstuhl and mentioned her influence on them.
"She makes students feel good about themselves," said Ruckstuhl, who first brought Emme to the school on a recommendation from her daughter. "They are enthusiastic about her, and she has a positive message for them."
"A lot of the models on the slides were really disgusting," said Megan Borrego, 14. "I have a figure like Jennifer Lopez, and everyone tells me I should be thinner. I'm happy with the way I look."
Said Dina DiFranco, 14, "Too many people focus on outside looks. It's a personal inner thing. She [Emme] was very good. I'm confident with myself, but it's nice to see someone like me onstage."
Lia Eustachewich, 13, who is of Korean descent, appreciated Emme's comments on racial diversity. "I'm glad she mentioned it," Lia said. "Racism destroys people, and it shows more of their insecurities because of it."
Athough busy with other projects, such as a fall clothing line, Emme is dedicated to getting her message out to youth.
"When we start reflecting on ourselves," she said, "it starts to show to others how we view ourselves."
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