Having good posture is an undeniably attractive trait – I have no qualms about that. What I am here to dispute are the norms of what qualifies as good and bad posture. As a woman whose back aligns perfectly with the golden ratio, this is a question that has haunted me my whole life. Why is my posture considered bad, when mine is the one that perfectly meets the “divine proportion”?
You know the golden ratio, that mathematical proportion found everywhere in the natural world, such as in the arc of a perfect wave of water rolling upon the shore? This little pattern is found in great works of art, such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Vitruvian Man, and also, the rounded arch of my world-weary but otherwise functional back. If the Fibonacci sequence is good enough for Mondrian, Salvador Dali, Bauhaus, and countless other art world nerds, it’s good enough for my back. Which raises the question: why isn’t it good enough for you?
If we are going to standardize people’s backs, demand that they straighten up, puff their chests out, imagine a string at the top of their head pulling up to elongate their spine, I just think the onus falls on these back-policers to back up their position with some substance. Shouldn’t they provide proof that a perfectly rolled-up back which loops inwards like a pack of Fruit Roll-Ups is not the aesthetically superior posture?
Plus, I will have you all know, I worked hard to achieve this look. This back is the result of years and years of hunching over my desk in a chair with no lumbar support. This is a culmination of my refusal to strengthen, nay, even know what my core is. I am proud of the beautiful arc in my spine, rolling forward like the golden hills of Cyprus.
Luckily, it’s not all doom and gloom. In pop culture, we are seeing the beginning blips of representation for beautiful backs like mine. For example, the beautiful back of Gary the Snail from the animated TV series Spongebob Squarepants.
While we are seeing some progress in this cultural battle, we are far from winning the war. If people are hellbent on telling us what is a beautiful back and what is not, let them bring proof! I have mathematics on my side, which is arguably the language of God. What do the straight-back nerds have?
