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As promised, here are the quotes I collected for the body image project I have been working on.  Feel free to add more in the comments if you know of any good ones that I missed.  Also, some of these are repeats of previous quick quotes, so don’t be surprised if you experience a little deja vu here and there.

“More than ever now, I believe it’s so important to look as real and true to life as possible, because nobody’s perfect. I seem to be on a mission, but I don’t want the next generation, your daughters and mine, growing up thinking that you have to be thin to look beautiful in certain clothes. It’s terrifying right now. It’s out of control. It’s beyond out of control.”

- Kate Winslet (shoutouts to Emily at Jukebox Heroines)

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“For me, it might sound cliché, but beauty for me really does start on the inside. It’s like a state of mind, a state of love if you will. Then, whatever you can do on the outside is all like a bonus.”

- Queen Latifah

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“’Real Women Have Curves’ was a breakthrough for me, because it was tailored for who I was at a specific period in time. It said that there are different body types that are beautiful. I think that opened so many doors for me and gave all women a boost of confidence.”

- America Ferrera

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“I was never mocked, and I was always able to defend myself by joking around. But sometimes it has been painful and it has hurt my feelings. I cannot ignore the whole world, but I want to accept the way that I am and I don’t want to change. Life is too short for that!”

- Beth Ditto

More after the jump

“I think it’s important for somebody from a big, commercial movie series like ‘Harry Potter’ and particularly because I am not gay or bisexual or transgendered. … The fact that I am straight makes not a difference, but it shows that straight people are incredibly interested and care a lot about this as well.”

- Daniel Radcliffe

Radcliff on why it was important to him to film a PSA for The Trevor Project.  From NY Daily News via Jezebel.

“Not only would I not get married until everyone else can, I kind of am starting to get appalled by anybody who would get married in this day and age. Anyone who considers themselves for equal rights — to get married right now, seems very odd to me.”

- Sarah Silverman

From CNN via Jezebel.

“The male society is letting the men think of the women as something pretty and soft and that kind of thing, especially in those days, you know. So I just wanted to show what we were. Women are the ones who actually created the human race. I mean without us bringing up the new generation, there wouldn’t be a human race. So we have this very strong powerful energy in us. But the world wants to think that it’s the weaker sex. So that’s why I want to bring out this thing from me.”

– Yoko Ono

On how she got the idea to do primal scream-type music (overhearing a a kid people discussing the sound of childbirth).

From Mother Jones via Jezebel.

As you probably know by now, I love collecting quotes.  I’ve found another productive outlet for this hobby in developing an informal poster for a university “Body Image Fair.”  My idea is to include some research findings on the impact of media on body image, some tips for improving body image, and celebrity quotes on body image from women (and men) of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, body types, and so on.

And I need your help!  I have a few choice quotes to begin with from Gabby Sidibe, Queen Latifah, Mariska Hargitay, and Reese Witherspoon but could certainly use a lot more.  If you’ve come across a great quote on body image or body acceptance from a celebrity (musician, actor/actress, author, etc.), please leave it in the comment or email me (misswizzle(at)feministhemes.com) with your tips!  This project will be presented early in March, and I’ll repost (with credit) all of the featured quotes.

Please spread the word!

On the possibility of a female president: “I don’t see it happening because I don’t see one coming up the line in either party.”

On Hillary Clinton: “People don’t want to elect a feminist because they are not likeable. You have to be likeable to be elected.”

On the other hand: “Sarah Palin is the total package. She’s got a cute husband. She’s got a lot of kids.”

Keep it classy, Phyllis.  From Politics Daily via Jezebel.

“I’m not a poster child for gay rights by any means. But I have so many gay and lesbian friends
and they’re just so pure and so true. That’s not politics to me. That’s human rights.”

- Dolly Parton

From Times Online via Jezebel.

“In the beginning, it was odd to have so much attention brought to my body type [by Mad Men].  I thought, Uh-oh, brace yourself.  But everyone has been so positive.  During the first season a woman came up to me at dinner and said, ‘I just want to thank you. Watching you has made me proud of my body.’ I thought, What an amazing thing for someone to say! To make anyone feel good about themselves makes me feel good.”

- Christina Hendrix
“Joan” of Mad Men

From Marie Claire via the Feb/Mar issue of BUST magazine.

Special note: Happy 200th post to us!  It’s been a fantastic (and challenging) exercise to develop and maintain my own little feminist scrapbook here and it’s been a pleasure to share it with you.  Here’s to 200 more!

“We call on opponents of a woman’s right to choose to end the practice of inflammatory rhetoric and tactics that inspire this kind of violent action from the most extreme factions of the anti-choice movement. No other abortion provider’s family should have to endure the tragedy of seeing their loved one killed for providing an essential and legal health service to women.”

- Nancy Keenan

The president of NARAL Pro-Choice America in response to to a jury’s conviction of Scott Roeder as guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Dr. George Tiller.  From here.

Law & Order: SVU has quickly become my newest obsession (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Thank you Netflix Instant queue! – I should get paid for this), and I have been thrilled to learn that actress Mariska Hargitay is every bit as awesome as her character, Detective Olivia Benson, who could probably fill a 10 Reasons of her own.

1. She’s got her head on straight when it comes to body image:

“I’m a size 8, and I feel proud of that because it’s healthy.  I’ve never felt compelled to be a skinny actress.  I think I’m a very attractive person, but that’s not where I get my esteem.  A guy at ABC told me to change my name and get a nose job.  I said, ‘You get a nose job.’”

2. Although SVU is often challenging, it has inspired her.

“It’s opened my eyes to the plight of victims. And helped me find new ways to make a difference in the world. Without SVU, I would’ve never started the Joyful Heart Foundation.”

3. Yeah, about that Joyful Heart thing…

“I used to call myself the “accidental activist.”  No more.  I have fully engaged in this mission.  It is part of my path, one of the reasons I am here.”

4. She is proud of her character.

“I thought the character was extremely complex and would be a challenge for me as an actor. The second I read the script, I was drawn to Olivia’s strength, passion, humanity, and her desire for change. But what most intrigued me was her past and how she could use it to help others face theirs.”

Click here for 6 more reasons to love Mariska

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