If the name Cassey Ho sounds familiar, it's probably because you already follow her on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. The social media influencer amassed quite a following after launching the popular fitness blog Blogilates, followed by the innovative workout-wear brand POPFLEX. But now Ho is going viral for sharing a body-positive TikTok that calls out society for "treating women's bodies like fast fashion" — and it's definitely worth a watch.
So far, the video has received well over 13 million views
In it, Ho faces the camera in nothing but a black bodysuit, and stands against a white backdrop.
"What I would look like if I had the 'perfect body' throughout history," she says in a voiceover. Then, thanks to the wizardry of digital editing, her body starts to "magically" transform into various shapes and sizes.
@blogilates So can we stop treating our bodies like fast fashion k thx #beautystandard ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose
Ho begins by walking us back through time
"In the 2020s, Instagram booty models were invented, and everybody followed," she says, while pretending to pose for a series of selfies.
The current trend, she writes in the video, is "thicc everything" with a teeny-tiny waist. (And no, it doesn't matter how you achieve the look — whether it's a devotion to waist trainers and squats, or some good old-fashioned butt implants.)
These days, the goal seems to be to look like a Kardashian, no matter how implausible that may be. But when you consider what the "perfect body" looked like 10 years ago, it a pretty stark contrast.
"Just a decade before, thigh gaps were super in," notes Ho, who sarcasticalls asks why you would ever want your thighs to touch, anyway.
In the early 2000s, beauty expectations were even higher
… as in, you actually felt as though you should look like a model walking down the hallways of your high school.
"Who can forget the Victoria's Secret Angel?" recalls Ho. "What started as a male fantasy ended up becoming the beauty standard."
In order to be the "ideal" woman, you had to have big boobs, long legs, and a toned — but not too toned — physique.
Oh yeah, and your stomach had to be super flat, with just a hint of a six-pack.
Back in the '90s, thin was in
As Ho reminds us, the trend was un-ironically known at the time as "heroin chic," epitomized by runway models like Kate Moss.
Suddenly, pale skin, dark undereye circles, and an emaciated frame became the desirable look of the decade, even though it appeared unhealthy and, at times, even dangerous. (No wonder eating disorders were on the rise throughout the 1990s.)
There were some decades that embraced larger sizes
During the 1950s, "soft and voluptuous" bodies were idealized, thanks to curvier starlets like Marilyn Monroe, who popularized the hourglass (aka "Coke bottle") figure.
But at the same time, women also felt intense pressure to fit a certain mold. After all, the "perfect" measurements were said to be 36-21-36 (just like Elizabeth Taylor), which simply wasn't attainable for everyone.
During the Roaring '20s, those very same bodies would have been undesirable
At that time, Ho explains, women were somehow expected to look like little boys — no boobs and definitely no hips.
This was in stark contrast to other periods throughout history, like the Italian Renaissance, when having a fuller figure was actually a sign of wealth and prestige. Simply put, a thin body meant you were poor and underfed.
(OH, THE IRONY!)
All of this is meant to bring Ho to her central point ...
"So … what's in store this year?" she asks. "How about we stop treating our bodies like a fast-fashion trend?"
Her video certainly highlights just how ridiculous it is to keep chasing these trends, which are nearly impossible for most women to achieve and ever-changing. (Seriously — what gives?!)
In response, a lot of people thanked Ho for calling this out
"What a beautiful video," wrote one person. "We just need to be ourselves and stop judging by popular standards!"
"It’s crazy how body types — what we are born with and what we live in — have their own trends," added someone else.
Others, however, seemed to zoom right past the point …
"When is 1400-1700 going to come back in style??" asked one person.
"I would have flourished in the 1920’s," wrote someone else.
"So I was just born in the wrong age," another person reasoned.
Luckily, plenty of people *did* get the message — and heard it loud and clear
"People saying 'I was born in the wrong year' are missing the WHOLE point," declared one person.
"Can we all just agree that every body is beautiful??" said another.
But when it comes to what's "next" for the 2020s, one person said they hope a change is coming.
"2022 is basically the body type you yourself want," they stated, matter-of-factly.
(Boy, do we hope that's the truth.)
Soon after going viral, Ho opened up about the video's inspiration
Speaking with Good Morning America, she said the idea came to mind after seeing a recent photo of Khloé Kardashian that stopped her in her tracks.
"Wow, she looks so different," she thought to herself, before noticing that in many of the comments, people questioned whether Kardashian had actually removed her butt implants.
This then led Ho to wonder whether the current beauty standards are yet again shifting — and, if so, whether they're moving back toward a more "natural" look.
Either way, Ho believes it's important to talk about these things
"My favorite thing is that it's sparking thoughtful conversation, and hopefully, a shift in mindset," Ho told GMA. "I want women and girls to understand that we will never be able to keep up with the 'ideal' beauty standard because that is a shifting target."
"What you can do is appreciate your body for what it can do, and be less obsessed with how it looks."
