Actress Tiia Elg writes that in the public profession, commenting on body and appearance is unfortunately commonplace.
Tiia Elg is an actress and dancer by profession. Julia Aalto-Setälä
Secret Life and dancer Tiia Elg says on Instagram that commenting on her body and appearance in her public career “is unfortunate everyday.” In his long publication, Elg ponders body peace and whether another person’s body can be commented on.
The actor notes that the criticism he receives rarely concerns the work.
– I am in a profession where appearance is a secondary thing, but I am still in a profession where it is constantly lifted into the beak of a stick. Criticism has rarely, if ever, touched on my work.
Elg also highlights how people in public get dirty on their necks because of their position.
– I must not regret it, because I have penetrated this “position”. My profession is public, so my body and appearance are public. Public or does it belong to everyone? I, Tiia, daughter, sister, wife, mother, am a common prey that can be torn apart by words. You get spit offensive sentences on me because my body belongs to everyone.
Elg also picked up comments on his publication, which he found himself online. The writings cover, among other things, height, facial features, teeth, and sound.
– I have been listening to a similar worn-out mantra for almost ten years. Everything is numb.
Motherhood has brought a whole new kind of filtering to hate speech.
– I can’t help but think what if someone talked about my child around? What if I wrote about someone’s daughter or son, someone’s child in public about? What if I wrote about another woman in public about? I would humiliate someone’s sister, brother. I would talk my dirty mouth in public on discussion boards! I would leave my stale thoughts for everyone to read. What would move my soul if I took it upon myself to go to disgrace another person, Elg writes.
At the end of his long writing, the actor emphasizes that everyone decides for themselves what they want to show on social media.
– My demarcation, my boundaries, my choice, my decision, my life, my body. What you allow others, you allow yourself. How you treat others, you treat yourself. Respect yourself, respect others, he hopes.
You can view the publication below or from here.