_________ Buff Brides: Disciplining the Female Body_______41_
with myriad other mass media, these images further add to the notion that
women must deny themselves the pleasure of food, lest they break the rules of
femininity.
In addition to their regular jobs and their personal lives that include
their fiances, family, and friends, these women take on additional “shifts”—first,
working out and going to the gym, and second, planning their weddings. The
narrator mentions these women’s increased labor and work at the start of every
episode and reminds viewers that not only are these brides trying to get buff,
they also have big weddings to plan and “a million” or “a thousand” details to
take care of. The narrator describes wedding plans as “chores” that brides must
fit into their already hectic lives. Images of these women scurrying to and from
the gym or to work on the busy streets of New York add to the impression that
their lives are in constant motion.
Stress becomes another enemy of these brides; they express their
frustration not only with trying to lose weight, but having to deal with (selfimposed) wedding chores. While a few brides are shown shopping or at food
tastings or even exercising with their fiances, the viewer senses that the planning
of their special day is a one-woman operation. For example, Nadege and Greta
complain that their fiances don’t understand the amount of time and worry
required for the minutest wedding and reception details. “I think brides are put
under pressure that grooms would never, ever, ever get it. Grooms just couldn’t
pull it off,” says Greta. Vents Nadege, “I don’t think anyone else understands
how tough it is to plan a wedding and do anything else.”
This added stress is normalized by the voiceover narrator, who reminds
viewers that brides will have to cope with strenuous workouts and “big
responsibilities” of wedding planning. Comments such as, “Like many brides,
Margaret is busy and exhausted most of the time, so it’s hard to find the time
and enthusiasm for e xercise,” “Most brides find outside activities to alleviate
stress,” and “It’s all work and no play—a relentless schedule that can trigger
frustration and bridal burnout,” illustrate the daunting work these women have
waiting for them every day once they finish their paying jobs.
While being exhausted might serve as a common complaint among
these brides, their reward for working out, denying themselves food, and
juggling work, exercise, and wedding planning is the perfect wedding.
Repeatedly, the voiceover narrator uses the word “perfect” throughout episodes:
“Jessica has only seven weeks to become the perfect bride”; “In spite of the
weather, this has turned out to be the perfect wedding that Greta was dreaming
o f’; “The dress is a perfect fit, and Margaret is every inch the perfect bride.”
This desire for perfection and the association of perfection with the bridal
appearance emanates from the brides themselves. For instance, Melanie, who
wanted to lose 30 pounds but had to settle for 12, summarizes this desire:
“Everyone wants to look their best on their wedding day. You know, you always
dream about the perfect dress. With the perfect dress goes the perfect hair, the
perfect smile, and, naturally, the perfect body.”