Back in 2014, it was the ice bucket challenge when a proud nation watched as people nobly doused themselves in gallons of freezing water, all for a good cause. Now the latest Internet sensation is the #A4Challenge. This trend challenges you to take a picture of yourself in front of a piece of standard 8-inch-wide (A4) paper, all to see if you’re skinny enough to fit your waist into that 8-inch space.
#Winning?
Okay, so maybe you’re a little confused as to how you actually “win” this game. It’s probably not surprising to most that there’s been some considerable backlash concerning the ethics of the A4 Challenge, as its goal seems to be shaming women whose waists don’t naturally fit into this mold, not to mention greatly elevating the risk for paper cuts.
Get Real
The reality is that few fully-developed women in this country have the anatomical dimensions to hide their waist behind a sheet of paper, and that’s just fine. There’s no need to go out and get liposuction in an effort to be a part of the latest hashtag scene. Besides, although lipo can target stubborn pockets of fat and help to smooth your contours, it’s not a magical shrinking potion that will whittle your waist away.
Paper, Meet Shredder
It’s 2016, and we’re all about the body diversity. Women come in all shapes and sizes, and we are too busy breaking the Internet with our badonkadonks to worry about disappearing behind a teeny-tiny piece of paper. When it comes to winning the #A4Challenge, I suggest that we go paperless and try on something a little more flattering.