Turns out , Arsenicmarkets itself as an " edgy " online cartridge open to reader submissions in fine art , picture taking , and writing . The 20 - somethings who run it take the magazine is " sex appeal with a learning ability . " They pride themselves on being " real . "

Real .

It ’s a word being chased by infinite company , magazines , telecasting appearance , and celebrities . You see companies like American Eagle ’s underclothes brand Aerie using un - Photoshopped models with " existent soundbox " in its campaign . Or you have celebrities using Instagram to show fans sneak peeks of their " material " life . And of course , there ’s the obsession with realism TV and everything Kardashian : the most touched - up , plop , and manicured of all the realism show .

Jennifer Bui Thrillist collage of Arsenic models

Jennifer Bui/Thrillist

And now the desire for realness has leaked into artsy flaccid - gist porn startup likeArsenic .

Demand for what’s “real” has created yet another standard

Our raise taste for what ’s " real " has morphed into creating yet another mantrap standard for women . We ’ve moved aside from the waif - like , ribby bodies of Calista Flockhart and Kate Moss in the ' ninety and toward the strong - thighed , bubble - butt , Beyonce - tastic bodies of the new millenary . But that torso type is still just one interlingual rendition of a body . Newsflash : woman come in all form of healthy material body no matter what year it is . And no amount of dieting or working out is lead to make all bodies look the same .

Today , a " substantial " fair sex ’s torso has lightly tone thighs that glide up to smooth , dead curved hips , which contact graciously with a delicate , narrow waist that showsjust the tiniest hintof abs and up up up to adorable , round , perky breasts ( these never go out of style in the US ) . This newfangled " real " – while perhaps more solid than the heroine - smart mode epitomize by Calvin Klein model 20 years ago – is no less restrictive than previous eubstance ideals . The message : there is still just one way to be beautiful .

Of course these body are existent for some people : specially CrossFit - run , smoothy - crapulence white girls . And that is great for them . in earnest . Their fit bodies are gorgeous . And perfect in their own right . These adult female should revel in the ability and beauty of their strong , capable body .

ARSENIC model

ARSENIC Magazine

But so should the orchard apple tree - mould chief operating officer who just eat up her first marathon , and the 6ft - marvelous barista who dances salsa on Tuesday night , and the overweight bike messenger who climbs mountains on the weekend . These bodies are also real . And capable . And everlasting . And , by the way , really all-fired sexy .

When “real” becomes monotone

ButArsenic , Aerie – even theSports Illustratedcover model whohas to jade cushioning on her " curves"to accent them against her actually smaller size – only show one reading of dead tone up " material . " We do n’t see imperfections , or reverse triangle - shape bodies , orchard apple tree body , or pear bodies . And if everything ’s an hourglass , we miss what is actually so beautiful about the real material : multifariousness .

From trunk shape to airstream to sex identity to all the different way we can be , if we want to be genuine we ca n’t be monotonic . We ca n’t put the same filter over every image of women ’s bodies . If we want veridical , we require to take some danger , abuse out of the mold of what everyone else is doing , and put unexampled images out into the earthly concern .

All of which is not to say other people are n’t doing real number . They are – and they are doing it quite well . We are living in a " prosumer " society , which is a fancy word for the fact that we , who used to be consumer , are now also raise material for others to consume . societal and media political program have mixed , make us all producers and consumer of glorious imagery thanks to thing like Vine , Instagram , YouTube , and all the great medium platforms yet to amount .

screenshot of Herself website

Screenshot via Herself

We now have the power to redefine what women actually look like

This intend we all have part of the responsibility to make up our realness , to put real out there . And people are doing some kick - fanny clobber . Actress Caitlin Stasey started a website calledHerself , which sport not just nude images of women , but their gorgeous living stories as well . Cindy Gallop started the pornography site calledMake erotic love Not Pornthat allow pair to upload aphrodisiacal homemade video for others to enjoy .

And Tumblr ! Well , Tumblr is just a oasis of self - empowered lady taking somevery sexy photos of themselves– and often their partners – for their own fun , and others ' as well .

A fundamental component of the realness and greatness of these case is that women are often self - creating images and stories about themselves . The images may or may not be sexy , but they are most certainly powerful and agentic . These women are more than just bodies . They ’re people , people with stories they are entitled to share .

And that is what ’s miss inArsenic ’s images . I do n’t see any personality , any spirit , any subjecthood in the models who almost always have the same blank stare . It is hard for me to consider that this is who these role model " really " are ; that these exposure capture their nub , other than the fact that they look sexy as hell hanging over a balcony in California .

We have a responsibility to diversify our realness

What is most unsatisfying is there is such potential difference in young startup magazines likeArsenic . For representative , one place has alovely poemby a distaff poet , and yet the verse form is illustrated with the field - less images of more models , not image of the poet . And what relationship do these manikin have to the verse form ? Have they take it ? Did it move them ? We do n’t know because they are n’t secernate us . They are sexy but without content . We never get to see their realness . Real exists . But the word real is often co - opted by medium program that actually only consist of super - flabby - core photos of pretty womanhood inexplicably place with different breakfast foods .

Are these images beautiful ? Certainly . aphrodisiacal ? Sure . Artsy ? Meh . veridical ? Well , someone ’s very filtered version of real . Revolutionary ? Nope .

If you require to be real and you require to be revolutionary , you ca n’t just provide one narrative and one image . Otherwise you really are just a Coachella - lookingPlayboymagazine covered with tattoo , which while it looks cool , is just place ink on the same former boring pin - ups . If you really want to be substantial you ’ve begin to be various , take material risks , show something unlike , and break your own mold . If you require to be real , you ’ve have to resist for something , say something , be something more than just sexy .

" Just sexy " is n’t enough to be real .

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Niki Fritzis a author of feministy and occasionally funny words , a drinker of coffee and whiskey , and a studier of smut … legitimately ! She ’s a grad scholar in the Media School at Indiana University .