In Defense of Shape
A few weeks ago, the internet ran amok with the veracity of moral outrage that only anonymous strangers protected by computer screens can muster. Their target this time? Shape Magazine , who had refused to publish a photo of blogger Brooke Birmingham. Over several years Birmingham had lost an extraordinary 172 pounds, a journey she shared with her readers on her blog “Brooke:Not on a Diet” . Shape and Birmingham had reached an impasse after the magazine refused to publish her story with the photograph she had provided of herself in a bikini. They had asked her to submit a new photo of her wearing a t-shirt and cited editorial policy as the reason. On May 8 th the blogger and Shape editor Bahar Takhtehchian appeared together on The Today Show to announce that the magazine would move forward with her story and bikini photo, as well as adding 4 similar stories to create a feature that would highlight what happens after someone reaches their goal. “We want to start a lar