Some may know me as a music enthusiast, but I am most enthusiastic about Amanda Palmer. Recently she inspired me yet again with her love of herself and showing it to the world. Amanda Palmer is an artist, beautiful, caring, talented and inspiring and this story shows that. Amanda has just released a new album and has been making a handful of music videos including her new video, Leeds United. Here is what Amanda had to say in her blog:

“i sent a mailer about the video mentioning that the label i’m on (roadrunner records) had wanted to pull shots from the video so that my bare belly wasn’t exposed. they thought i looked fat. i thought they were on crack.

dude. i’m a vain motherfucker. i know when i look fat. i had beth hanging out on the set of the pope videos, keeping an eye on my figure as i pranced around in my slip in case pope was getting a particularly pregnant-looking angle. i hate shots of myself where i look heavy with child.”

So Amanda and her recording team put all of their effort into making this video (by all means please watch it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYSULkXcVYw) and her record label thought “Hey you aren’t fitting the perfect image of a skinny girl so cut out all the shots of your stomach” This whole scenario infuriated me !! I believe this still shows how the “perfect” skinny image is pressured onto so many of us in everyday life. I am a size 15 busty girl and I will never be a small size, but I think that I can love myself for how I look. I am not the only girl to think this and Amanda fans across the world united to say something to Roadrunner records. On Shadowbox (a forum for The Dresden Dolls/Amanda) fans started to take pictures of their stomachs and decided to send them to Roadrunner records to let them know that there is no such thing as a “perfect belly”. The pictures were from size 1-20’s, hairy, stretch marked, pregnant, and some with messages written on their bellies saying things like “Love the Belly” “Bellies Unite!” “Real Women have Bellies”. This to me is beauty and I sat reading this forum and cried for all women that feel pressured and for those of us that stand up to it. Your thoughts??

P.s. I am by no means a writer and I am sure you will find many errors my apologies in advance.