Documentaries

[nicole120]

There is a documentary that came out in June called Straight/Curve that "confronts fashion's body-image problem." I haven't seen it (and most likely won't) but the trailer just had me rolling my eyes, as did the interview Vogue did with the director. Looks like Tess Holiday makes an appearance in the doc as well... big surprise.



Yes, blame the fashion industry because you hate your body. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

But the reality is real change has to happen on a holistic level—every section of the industry and media has to make a conscious effort to move towards more diversity and then real change can happen.

But this woman has decided the entire industry must change because she wants it to. Another gem from her interview:

I think the industry is moving in the right direction with the use of more curvy models on the runway. Each season it seems to be getting better, but it is absolutely not enough. Christian Siriano put on a beautiful show last season with 10 plus-size models—almost half of the models that walked his show were of a larger size. That is more reflective of the world we live in and the direction we need to move in.

 

[gracilis]

There is a documentary that came out in June called Straight/Curve that "confronts fashion's body-image problem." I haven't seen it (and most likely won't) but the trailer just had me rolling my eyes, as did the interview Vogue did with the director. Looks like Tess Holiday makes an appearance in the doc as well... big surprise.



Yes, blame the fashion industry because you hate your body. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

But this woman has decided the entire industry must change because she wants it to. Another gem from her interview:

When has fashion ever been reflective of the world we live in? When was that ever been the goal? Hell, even commercial fashion is about low-ball ideals.

Runways should be about transcending the world we live in; high fashion should link us to something more.

No one attends shows to see what they can see in the parking lot.

 

[moins]

New Documentary that looks really interesting! Vogue wrote an article about it here

"Aucoin is documenting the interaction with a handheld camcorder, an accessory that became as familiar to his A-list clientele as his signature sculpting brush. Nearly 20 years later, Aucoin’s personal footage, documenting many intimate—and sometimes dramatic—moments between him and his iconic collaborators and friends, will become public for the first time in the documentary Kevyn Aucoin Beauty & the Beast in Me, which debuts on Logo this Thursday, September 14."

 

[brindille1]

I enjoyed The First Monday in May. It's about the making of a MET Costume Institute exhibition. The trailer might be a bit off putting since it mentions cringe-worthy celebrities, but honestly bear in mind that a trailer is meant make the product profitable by highlighting what appeals to its target audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRFCVG85X_s

 

[nicole120]

Currently watching About Face: Supermodels Then & Now and paused it just to post here that everyone here who is remotely interested in fashion / modeling (aka basically all of us) should watch! There's a thread from 2012 dedicated to it but I figured I'd update here. I'm only halfway through but I'm finding it so interesting.

 

[Diamndgrl]

You guys should check out Rotten on Netflix. It’s all about the food industry and the things they hide from the public. If nothing else it will kill your appetite for awhile!

 

[hazyshadeofwinter]

^Seriously. It will. I had to take a time out and come back to it because nausea.

A few others
A Place at the Table - poverty/food insecurity
Vegucated - three meat eating cheese loving new yorkers go vegan
Bite Size - american childhood obesity epidemic
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - series about fat americans
Soul Food Junkies - more fat americans, this time with a focus southern cooking
FoodMatters - diet health disease
Sugar Coated - sugar industry - draws parallels to big tobacco
Hungry for Change - diet and weightloss, mostly stuff we already know but also a nice reminder

I also watch a mess of crime documentaries... anyone else?

 

[hazyshadeofwinter]

This has zero to do with thinsperation and maybe there is a better thread (please direct me) but is anyone watching "Divided States"?

It's an American show but also includes a bit about EDL/Tommy Robinson...

 

[Valentina]

I binge watched these mini docu series about the weight cut that fighting athletes have to go through to meet their weight category, which means losing 5-8kg in less than 24 hours.
I find it crazy but I admire the discipline to get to their goal. The first one is about a woman's weight cut and the second one about a man.





PS: here is a whole documentary on Cris Cyborg, her toughness and discipline is beyond this world.

 

[Lucie]

@Valentina Thank you, I found that very interesting (I think I need a geek-emoji...)

 

[scotchandrhinestones]

I binge watched these mini docu series about the weight cut that fighting athletes have to go through to meet their weight category, which means losing 5-8kg in less than 24 hours.
I find it crazy but I admire the discipline to get to their goal. The first one is about a woman's weight cut and the second one about a man.





PS: here is a whole documentary on Cris Cyborg, her toughness and discipline is beyond this world.

This is fascinating, and for the sake of the health of our SG community, there's a section in Seabiscuit (the book) about the serious cutting/dehydration methods jockeys used to make weight. Fitzsimmons, the most extreme example, lost thirteen pounds in 24 hours. He hung up his saddle shortly afterward, and soon began experiencing the onset of severe arthritis pains that would eventually cripple him so severely that he had to recognize the horses he trained by their feet because he couldn't raise his head high enough to see anything else. He blamed that one terrible day of reducing.

There's a chance it was due to something else, of course. But do take care of yourselves.

 

[IcedLatte]

This is fascinating, and for the sake of the health of our SG community, there's a section in Seabiscuit (the book) about the serious cutting/dehydration methods jockeys used to make weight. Fitzsimmons, the most extreme example, lost thirteen pounds in 24 hours. He hung up his saddle shortly afterward, and soon began experiencing the onset of severe arthritis pains that would eventually cripple him so severely that he had to recognize the horses he trained by their feet because he couldn't raise his head high enough to see anything else. He blamed that one terrible day of reducing.

There's a chance it was due to something else, of course. But do take care of yourselves.

I wasn't able to see an extract at the link to the book above, but the NCED website has a harrowing extract here.

Yet another reason to be thankful that SG has such a zero tolerance approach to advice that endangers the health of members. Other environments (such as the horse racing world, as discussed above) which dedicate themselves to weight loss can become toxic environments that will take loss over wellbeing. I don't know of any other space on the internet besides SG that nips dangerous practices/behaviours in the bud so consistently and quickly.

 

[Valentina]

This is fascinating, and for the sake of the health of our SG community, there's a section in Seabiscuit (the book) about the serious cutting/dehydration methods jockeys used to make weight. Fitzsimmons, the most extreme example, lost thirteen pounds in 24 hours. He hung up his saddle shortly afterward, and soon began experiencing the onset of severe arthritis pains that would eventually cripple him so severely that he had to recognize the horses he trained by their feet because he couldn't raise his head high enough to see anything else. He blamed that one terrible day of reducing.

There's a chance it was due to something else, of course. But do take care of yourselves.

I wasn't able to see an extract at the link to the book above, but the NCED website has a harrowing extract here.

Yet another reason to be thankful that SG has such a zero tolerance approach to advice that endangers the health of members. Other environments (such as the horse racing world, as discussed above) which dedicate themselves to weight loss can become toxic environments that will take loss over wellbeing. I don't know of any other space on the internet besides SG that nips dangerous practices/behaviours in the bud so consistently and quickly.

I didn't intend to promote any unhealthy behaviour here, of course it is dangerous and I shared it as we should be wise enough to know it is not a good idea. I like how real and raw the videos are showing us the reality without any sugar-coating.
I found interesting how the end justifies the means in the case of fighting athletes but not in the case of the modeling industry.

 

[IcedLatte]

I didn't intend to promote any unhealthy behaviour here, of course it is dangerous and I shared it as we should be wise enough to know it is not a good idea. I like how real and raw the videos are showing us the reality without any sugar-coating.
I found interesting how the end justifies the means in the case of fighting athletes but not in the case of the modeling industry.

Oh, I wasn’t implying that you were advocating for it! Sorry if that’s what you felt I was saying.

The lengths athletes go to are definitely interesting enough to warrant discussion/analysis, especially on a forum with similar end goals in respect to low weight. Does anyone know of a documentary on the lifestyle that male lightweight rowers lead? My university has a huge rowing presence and the lengths the male lightweights go to is definitely worth unpacking, especially as extreme pressure on men to lose weight doesn’t seem to get the discussion in mainstream media that it could do. I’ve seen hopefuls here drop >80lbs in a term (8 weeks) just so they could trial to make the team.

 

[Intrinsicality]

I binge watched these mini docu series about the weight cut that fighting athletes have to go through to meet their weight category, which means losing 5-8kg in less than 24 hours.
I find it crazy but I admire the discipline to get to their goal. The first one is about a woman's weight cut and the second one about a man.





PS: here is a whole documentary on Cris Cyborg, her toughness and discipline is beyond this world.

PSA; Don't do this. You can die.

Death of 18 year old Muay Thai fighter

And there are many deaths that have occurred while trying to make weight.

 

[Mandy.Bowie]

I just watched "Before the Flood" and I am devastated.
I'm so hopeless about our future as humanity. We're damaging earth into a point of no return.

 

[moins]

I'm sure this has been posted but Catwalk (1995) is really great! So much great footage of baby Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, etc! Ah beautiful!

 

[riotdiet]

Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness (IMDB)
It follows athletes as they train for and compete in the 2016 Crossfit Games. It's amazing to see them accomplish these physical challenges. There is also one from 2008 and another from 2017. All three are available on Netflix.

I also enjoy a short Vice documentary (here) that follows a ballerina with the American Contemporary Ballet. She's trying to drop several pounds in preparation for an upcoming season.
She eats a lot of processed food, but the video demonstrates how simple and straightforward it can be to lose weight.

 

[pterodactyl]

I categorize this TV series loosely as a documentary because it documents people's journey to lose weight...but as a warning it can also be categorized as REVERSE THINSPIRATION.

The Series Я худею on the station НТВ
Here is a pretty good episode www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIwjmdNBNqk

Yes, it is addressing OVERWEIGHT & OBESE people, but IMHO I think the series is quite refreshing and interesting to watch. Also, yes it's in Russian but I suspect that even if you do not know Russian or aren't 100% fluent the subject matter is pretty intuitive to understand, if not I've given a summary of what to expect below for the general format of the episodes (not just for the one I have linked for reference):

1. Introduce overweight person (usually a lady but not always. There are men, a family, friends at times losing weight together). Usually you will find it is a women 20-45 years old who for whatever reason (family, stress, particular circumstances, loneliness ends up stuffing her face...) has steadily gained weight over the years. (The theme eating pies, pelmeni, kielbasi, candies comes up alot...). Also their friends/family are usually interviewed. Maybe some before pictures from their teens, 20s or so.
2. A medical consultation, check their organs (visceral fat) and show their vital stats to the viewer
3. The meeting with the Dietitian who relays the results. Admittedly I really like these meeting and some of the dietitians are really direct and it's amazing (especially the brunette specialist in this video, Александр Кондрашов, is my favorite. The others are a bit more mild with their consultations and interventions, but IMHO it's not done to be overly cruel but give people a much needed wake-up call. Of course this probably wouldn't fly in other places..which is what makes it even better). The consultation usually ends in tears and just telling them straight up if they continue they will end up in a coffin, wheelchair, impacting fertility, etc. Reference at 5 minutes in the video she gets a reality check. Also 11 minutes in there is a mass junk food stomping activity.
4. Host or Dietitian helps them empty out their fridge, do some healthy shopping, give healthy recipes or a meal plan, etc.
5. Meet with the trainer to start becoming more physically active & put some exercise equipment for their home plus installing cameras to monitor daily activities.
THEN you get to watch their struggles and successes through a video journal. Usually they can't even exercise for more than 15min at first but improve over the course of the series.
6. Sometimes there are medical and other aesthetic or interesting physical therapy procedures involved.
7. Pushing them to face their fears and build their confidence and how resorting to bad eating habits isn't going to solve their problems
8 If they screw up the host or dietitian intervenes and tries to help them through the rough patch.My personal favorite is when they get scolded about eating sweets Also the host 'follows' them at times such as at 32min to make sure the girl in this particular episode isn't breaking her diet with alcohol and then goes into discuss how many calories are in alcoholic beverages. Also you see the weight loss struggle with being social or having to also cook for the husband, etc. How people are or are NOT supportive and try to peer pressure them at times.
9. Their weight is tracked throughout the program which is about 2 months
10. A final reveal!

I personally enjoy this series because I think it shows everyday people trying to get healthier and meet their goals. There is no beating around the bush about why they should lose weight and the show gives diet plans and workout ideas which could be potentially useful for all. I also like the scaremongering tactics such as dumping them in a tub with animal fat or macaroni to show the impact of their food decisions. And I like to see them successful at the end b/c having watch a season or two of this before the constant theme is that people aren't really happy at these higher weights and it is impacting the quality of their lives. Sure weight loss isn't a panacea for all the problems in life but losing 15-30kg of fat for someone that is overweight is't a bad thing at all....

So there you have it. As mentioned this is more of a REVERSE thinspiration series but fairly well done. It's not going to show you skinny people (except for some of the trainers and dieticians are pretty thin and or fit) so don't watch it with expectations you will see models. You will see everyday people trying to make better choices and relearning how to eat and exercise.

 

[hazyshadeofwinter]

I categorize this TV series loosely as a documentary because it documents people's journey to lose weight...but as a warning it can also be categorized as REVERSE THINSPIRATION.

The Series Я худею on the station НТВ
Here is a pretty good episode www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIwjmdNBNqk

Yes, it is addressing OVERWEIGHT & OBESE people, but IMHO I think the series is quite refreshing and interesting to watch. Also, yes it's in Russian but I suspect that even if you do not know Russian or aren't 100% fluent the subject matter is pretty intuitive to understand, if not I've given a summary of what to expect below for the general format of the episodes (not just for the one I have linked for reference):

1. Introduce overweight person (usually a lady but not always. There are men, a family, friends at times losing weight together). Usually you will find it is a women 20-45 years old who for whatever reason (family, stress, particular circumstances, loneliness ends up stuffing her face...) has steadily gained weight over the years. (The theme eating pies, pelmeni, kielbasi, candies comes up alot...). Also their friends/family are usually interviewed. Maybe some before pictures from their teens, 20s or so.
2. A medical consultation, check their organs (visceral fat) and show their vital stats to the viewer
3. The meeting with the Dietitian who relays the results. Admittedly I really like these meeting and some of the dietitians are really direct and it's amazing (especially the brunette specialist in this video, Александр Кондрашов, is my favorite. The others are a bit more mild with their consultations and interventions, but IMHO it's not done to be overly cruel but give people a much needed wake-up call. Of course this probably wouldn't fly in other places..which is what makes it even better). The consultation usually ends in tears and just telling them straight up if they continue they will end up in a coffin, wheelchair, impacting fertility, etc. Reference at 5 minutes in the video she gets a reality check. Also 11 minutes in there is a mass junk food stomping activity.
4. Host or Dietitian helps them empty out their fridge, do some healthy shopping, give healthy recipes or a meal plan, etc.
5. Meet with the trainer to start becoming more physically active & put some exercise equipment for their home plus installing cameras to monitor daily activities.
THEN you get to watch their struggles and successes through a video journal. Usually they can't even exercise for more than 15min at first but improve over the course of the series.
6. Sometimes there are medical and other aesthetic or interesting physical therapy procedures involved.
7. Pushing them to face their fears and build their confidence and how resorting to bad eating habits isn't going to solve their problems
8 If they screw up the host or dietitian intervenes and tries to help them through the rough patch.My personal favorite is when they get scolded about eating sweets Also the host 'follows' them at times such as at 32min to make sure the girl in this particular episode isn't breaking her diet with alcohol and then goes into discuss how many calories are in alcoholic beverages. Also you see the weight loss struggle with being social or having to also cook for the husband, etc. How people are or are NOT supportive and try to peer pressure them at times.
9. Their weight is tracked throughout the program which is about 2 months
10. A final reveal!

I personally enjoy this series because I think it shows everyday people trying to get healthier and meet their goals. There is no beating around the bush about why they should lose weight and the show gives diet plans and workout ideas which could be potentially useful for all. I also like the scaremongering tactics such as dumping them in a tub with animal fat or macaroni to show the impact of their food decisions. And I like to see them successful at the end b/c having watch a season or two of this before the constant theme is that people aren't really happy at these higher weights and it is impacting the quality of their lives. Sure weight loss isn't a panacea for all the problems in life but losing 15-30kg of fat for someone that is overweight is't a bad thing at all....

So there you have it. As mentioned this is more of a REVERSE thinspiration series but fairly well done. It's not going to show you skinny people (except for some of the trainers and dieticians are pretty thin and or fit) so don't watch it with expectations you will see models. You will see everyday people trying to make better choices and relearning how to eat and exercise.

This reminds me a bit of the US show "My 600lbs Life". Dr. Nowzarden is similarly blunt but I like this better because the people featured in the Russian show are pretty "average fat" at least by US standards... the intervention comes much earlier. This would never fly in the states. Apparently the only time it's okay, in the US, to call someone out about weight & diet is when they weigh more than a pony and on the brink of death. I dont speak a lick of Russian but I'm going to watch anyway... as you said "intuitive".