‘A “must have” exposition of the discourses and flows of affect organising embo- died experience. Sarah Riley, Adrienne Evans and Martine Robson's pathsetting new book is rich in nuanced theory and in examples which are then carefully deconstructed to reveal the canonical, contradictory and often unliveable figura- tions of the body characteristic of postfeminist times. Essential reading for all fem- inist scholars and inspirational for researchers investigating body and body image.’ Margaret Wetherell, Emertia, Professor, Open University, UK and The University of Auckland, New Zealand ‘Finally, we have a body image and media studies text that engages broadly and deeply with the shape-shifting cultural and psychological currents that mark this tumultuous moment in the Anglo-western world. Postfeminism and Body Image weaves new theories and methods by tracing, untangling and making sense of the ever knotty, contradictory bundle of forces that help to make us, collectively and individually: between feminist and post-feminist discourses and sensibilities that offer up radically different visions of “the good life”; between media studies per- spectives that seek to analyse these larger cultural patterns and their neoliberal rootings, and psychological ones that probe the meanings and workings of our resultingselves;andbetweenthemassivecultural,economicandpoliticalshiftsthat we’ve witnessed over the past thirty years and our sexualities, gendered beings and doings, and health making practices—indeed, our most intimate relations with our bodily selves. In advancing theoretically rich and lucid readings of feminized and masculinized everyday body practices, Riley, Evans and Robson have crafted a paradigm-shifting tome.’ Carla Rice, Canada Research Chair, Feminist Studies and Social Practice, and Professor, University of Guelph, Canada ‘Nuanced, theoretically sophisticated, accessible, and engaging, Postfeminism and Body Image provides a very timely exploration of contemporary body image issues. The authors take a critical transdisciplinary approach, drawing on cultural studies, sociology, economics, politics, geography; gender studies, psychology and media studies to interrogate the ways in which bodies and body image are understood, experienced,andregulatedinthecontextofpost-feminism.Thisbooksignificantly advances our understandings of both postfeminism and body image and is a must- have for new and experienced researchers alike.’ Helen Malson, Associate Professor, Social Psychology, University of the West of England, UK ‘This is a marvellous and important contribution to key debates in feminist cultural and media studies. It extends the research arc of “postfeminism” so that there is a wider and more international focus, while at the same time providing more detailed analysis of specific iterations in consumer culture. This work also offers furthertheoreticalrefinementinthefield,aswellasilluminatingourunderstanding of the stubborn persistence of “body image” across gender and popular culture.’ Angela McRobbie, FBA, Visiting Professor, Centre for Post-Digital Cultures, Institute for Creative Cultures, Coventry University, UK POSTFEMINISM AND BODY IMAGE PostfeminismandBodyImageisagroundbreakingworkthatprovidesapoststructuralistandpsycho- socialanalysisofkeyissuesattheintersectionsofbodyimage,psychologyandmedia.Thebook outlinesthetheoreticalframeworkthroughtheworkofrenownedphilosophers,MichelFoucault andGillesDeleuze,andtheiruseinfeministscholarship,toaddressbody-imageissuesandchal- lengesinthecontextofapostfeministsensibility. Theauthorsrethinkbodyimage,callingintoquestionassumptionsandobligationsthataffect recent issues related to social-media use, body positivity, the transformation imperative, body shamingandmuscularmasculinity.Theanalysisshowstheadvantageofseeingbodyimageasa formofnon-linearwarfare,structuredbycontradiction,confusionandcritique,whereattemptsto challengeoppressivebodyimagepracticesareappropriatedundertheguiseofpositivealternatives to maintain that oppression. Through real-world examples, these nuanced concepts are made relatable and comprehensible to the readers. The book also offers a number of affirmative and hopefulwaysforward. This is an indispensable resource for students and professionals of Gender studies, Social Psychology and Media and Cultural Studies. It is also ideal for anyone exploring body image,self-image, postfeminism andpoststructuralism. SarahRileyisProfessorinCriticalHealthPsychologyatMasseyUniversity,NewZealand,and thedirectorofitsHealthPsychologymaster’sprogramme.Herresearchexaminesdiscourse,affect andmaterialityinrelationtodigitaltechnology,subjectivity,gender,bodiesandneoliberalism. Adrienne Evans is Reader for Media in the Centre for Postdigital Cultures at Coventry University, UK. Her research focuses on accounts of intimacy in the context of a post- feminist sensibility. In her work, she explores ways in which gender organises personal, social,intimate andculturalrelationships aswellastheirmanifestations inmediaculture. MartineRobsonisalecturerinPsychologyatAberystwythUniversity.Herworkfocuseson how people negotiate individualistic health-related lifestyle advice and uses poststructuralist theorytoexaminethewaysinwhichpeopleadoptandresistneoliberalhealthism. Also published by the authors Postfeminism and Health: Critical Psychology and Media Perspectives, winner of the 2021 BPS Book Award, Academic Text category. WOMEN AND PSYCHOLOGY Series Editor: Jane Ussher Professor of Women’s Health Psychology, University of Western Sydney This series brings together current theory and research on women and psychology. Drawing on scholarship from a number of different areas of psychology, it bridges the gap between abstract research and the reality of women's lives by integrating theory and practice, research and policy. Each book addresses a 'cutting edge' issue of research, covering topics such as postnatal depression and eating disorders, and addressing a wide range of theories and methodologies. The series provides accessible and concise accounts of key issues in the study of women and psychology, and clearly demonstrates the centrality of psychology debates within women's studies or feminism. Other titles in this series: MOTHERING BABIES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Fiona Buchanan BODIES THAT BIRTH Rachelle Chadwick JUST SEX? Second edition Nicola Gavey DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY Paula Nicolson WOMEN, SEX, AND MADNESS Breanne Fahs THE MATERNAL EXPERIENCE Margo Lowy POSTFEMINISM AND BODY IMAGE Sarah Riley, Adrienne Evans and Martine Robson POSTFEMINISM AND BODY IMAGE Sarah Riley, Adrienne Evans and Martine Robson Coverimage:©Unsplash:RonWhitaker Firstpublished2023 byRoutledge 4ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN andbyRoutledge 605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10158 RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness ©2023SarahRiley,AdrienneEvansandMartineRobson TherightofSarahRiley,AdrienneEvansandMartineRobsontobeidentifiedas authorsofthisworkhasbeenassertedinaccordancewithsections77and78of theCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedor utilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,now knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe publishers. Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregistered trademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintentto infringe. BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Acatalogrecordhasbeenrequestedforthisbook ISBN:978-0-367-17283-1(hbk) ISBN:978-0-367-17284-8(pbk) ISBN:978-0-429-05600-0(ebk) DOI:10.4324/9780429056000 TypesetinBembo byTaylor&FrancisBooks CONTENTS Acknowledgements viii Preface ix 1 Can we love our bodies in a postfeminist context? 1 2 Because you’re worth it 25 3 Change yourself 48 4 Eat clean, train mean, get lean 68 5 Oh my God, I hate you 87 6 Muscle men make a comeback 112 7 Epilogue 134 References 141 Index 171 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With thanks to our partners for their love and support, Jane Ussher for the opportunity to be part of her fantastic book series, and the Routledge team for their support in delivering it. PREFACE ‘I looked like a bad imitation of a woman whose most deeply held personal goal was to look hot in pictures. And of course, in that moment, in a $98 punishment thong and a dress designed for an Instagram model, that’s exactly what I was.’ So explained journalist Jia Tolentino (2019), as she took her readers through her experiences as a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding. We start with this account because it is funny, painful, relatable yet privileged, and filtered through the lens of social media. As such, it is a good introduction to the public discourse that mediates contemporary body image. We write at a time of huge body-image distress and a time where appearance is stronglylinkedtopersonalidentityandsocialvalue,particularlyforwomen.It’satime wheremultipleandcontradictorydiscoursescirculate,constructingworkonthebody asaroutetolivingagoodlife,assomethingtoxicandunattainable,andassomething shallow and unimportant. It is a time of celebration of non-binary and trans bodies, recognitionofdifference,andcritiqueofphysicalandvirtualspacesthatcreatefeelings ofmisfittingorinvisibilityfornon-normativelygenderedbodiesorbodiesthatdonot easily map onto the ‘mythical norm’ of autonomous, white, non-fat, stable and able bodies. Equally, there are intense cultural and social pressures towards nor- mativity and a cultural valuing of slim, white, toned, affluent, straight, cisgender, able-bodied bodies. It is within these complex flows of contradictory discourses circulating across a range of actors and mediums, including health settings, everyday conversations,traditionalandsocialmedia,thatpeople makesense ofthemselvesand theirbodies. A parallel complexity is evident in body-image scholarship since how body image is understood – and its attendant solutions to body-image distress – depends on what disciplinary, ontologicaland epistemological approaches people take,what statistics they pay attention to and how they interpret research findings. In this context, there may be few things body-image researchers can always agree on, but