shadow minister

with all due respect i think if you did your research you would find ms turner is actually openly non-religious, so all your rantings about calvinism and body image being part of an ultra-conservative campaign to keep women more fully clothed is completely unfounded.

how cornflower and benk etc got on to this massive discussion about muslim customs is beyond me as it is totally irrelevant to this article.

a number of other commentators have already pointed out - the author is not saying that there is anything wrong with wanting to maximise one's attractiveness or wearing high heels etc. she is asking how kate ellis dressing in this manner is meant to boost women's body image- a question shadow minister and a few others love to avoid.

and cornflower- what is up with your 'chauvanist pig' rants. i think you have read far more into this article than is actually written. your preconceived notions of feminism are what you are arguing against rather than what is actually written. read the article again.

the idea that women only dress up to compete with other women is frankly, idiotic, cornflower

there are many reasons both men and women dress up - for women it can include competition (tho not always), clothes are also a way of communicating something about ourselves & our identity, etc but also as sylvie jade pointed out in her 2nd/4th comment to you - there are genuine rewards and consequences depending on how closely you match the current beauty ideal

but sorry for destroying your anti-feminist, female-hating crusade cornflower, what a terrible day you must be having : (

ooh... well i was was thinking of losing 15kg, getting all dressed up in designer gear - ooh la la! Getting my hair and make up professionally done and then being professionally photographed in flattering lighting. I'll then have them published in a magazine - without any digitial retouching! - all in the name of "Body image." What do you think? Will it work?

Well said DWIGHT.

Why stick with the point of the article when it is much more fun to use it to raise other agendas and sidestep the real question; what does this particular photoshoot add to the goals of promoting positive body image?

If it was just a media stunt, well and good - we all know politicians will take advantage of a photo opportunity - but why the need to make it into something it is clearly not.

Runner is right,

There is enough immorality in the world today. Why on earth should we expand availability outside the church.

Maybe there is a lot of petty and jealous sniping at at successful women like Kate Ellis too. This puts women in her position constantly under the pump for having to perform at superior level while being judged for the political correctness of their most minor actions.

Kate takes care of herself, she is fit and is proud of her body, where is the 'body image' fault in that? She chooses to do it for herself so she will enjoy life to the maximum and doubtless so she will continue to be around for her loved ones. Her choices, her decisions and her win. By her lifestyle and the pride she takes in herself she is a worthy ambassador for body image.

Why take anything away from Kate Ellis by pretending her lifestyle choices and the fashion shoot were in fact the outcomes of some sinister plot by men to control her? That really is stupid stuff, it is not feminism, just bitchiness and it should be outed as the absolute tripe that it is.