Tennis champ Serena Williams posed for Vibe magazine this month and her body looks a little different than usual.

We’ve seen this happen before. Women celebrities often fall victim to evil Photoshop culprits who, using digital tools (and their own personal preference apparently), can alter every body-type and blemish that grace the pages of magazines and websites.

A few months ago, we saw Kourtney Kardashian, only six weeks after her son was born appear on the cover of OK! Magazine - without her consent. Headlines promised readers all the “hunger-free” “diet secrets” to losing her “baby weight” and, in a clear display of false advertising, used a slimmed-down figure of the new mom to “prove” it. But that image came courtesy of Photoshop. And Kourtney made sure to clear her name of the magazine’s mess. See it here!

Why, though? Shouldn’t women be thrilled at the sight of their new-and-improved body – belly bulge, stretchmarks, and cellulite be-gone? Not necessarily, because “improved” implies we were worse off before, not good enough, and in need of some serious rehabilitation. And as much as those editors think they’re doing women a favor, what they’re really doing is putting unwanted pressure on us, both celebrity and non. And that’s on top of what we may have already self inflicted.

(OK! even claimed Kardashian only gained 25 pounds during her pregnancy, when she’d really gained 40. There’s nothing quite like a well-documented piece, sold nationally, to remind you that you’ve actually got 15 extra pounds to lose before the world is ready to accept you again.)

Now, we know that Serena Williams isn’t pregnant, but why did VIBE magazine feel the need to slenderize her hard-earned tennis champion-made body?

For someone whose muscles have assisted in her becoming a record-breaking player (for both African-Americans and women), why would editors be ashamed or uncomfortable in displaying them as such? In all their award-winning glory?

Is it because solid isn’t synonymous with “sex-symbol”? (After all, she is rocking the “Single Ladies” ‘do, first seen on Beyonce, who is, inarguably, the people’s choice for “ultimate” woman – must be all the curves, class, and sass). But at what point, does strength become less attractive and more intimidating?

It seems that when it comes to being a woman living in the public eye, there are a few stipulations: always appear womanly, but not matronly. And make sure to be strong, but not physically.

Women AND men, which body do you prefer on Serena? The all-natural or the sleek, slender, and soft? And why?

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Afraid of doing your Kegel exercises while pregnant because you think the baby will fall out or end up disabled or something? Well, stop worrying – nothing’ll happen, and your va-jay-jay muscles will stay strong! Besides being great for sex, they’ll also keep you from peeing yourself when you’re old. From Reuters:

Despite some concerns, the pelvic-muscle exercises many women do during pregnancy do not seem to raise the likelihood of complications during labor and delivery, a new study finds.

Prenatal exercises for the muscles of the pelvic floor, also known as Kegel exercises, have long been advocated for preventing incontinence during and after pregnancy.

However, some doctors have expressed concern that the muscle training may make the pelvic floor too strong and less elastic, making labor and delivery more difficult.

To look into this, Norwegian researchers surveyed nearly 19,000 women who gave birth between 2000 and 2005. The investigators report in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology that women who frequently performed Kegel exercises were no more likely to suffer tears during delivery, or to need an unplanned Cesarean section or instrument-assisted delivery.

It’s important for women to know that prenatal pelvic-floor exercises can lower the risk of urinary incontinence, lead researcher Dr. Kari Bo, of the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, told Reuters Health.

These latest findings, she said, should reassure them that the exercises also do nothing to interfere with childbirth.

So there you have it. Keep doing your coochie crunches, even when you’re pregnant. Your man and your old bladder will thank you!

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Have you ever seen John Legend shirtless? I haven’t. But I did today, and honestly, I don’t feel any particular way about it. He doesn’t look bad. He doesn’t look stunning, either. He’s just a guy without a shirt on. Maybe I expected more. Or…less? I have no idea.

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Click here to see Rick Ross and John on the set of “Magnificent”

I’m wondering/hoping if some of the things guys typically worry about (like the make of our car or the size of our boat) actually aren’t a big deal to most women. Once again, I’ll start off the conversation and share a few things most men couldn’t care less about:

1) Your handbag. As a cyclist and clothes junkie, I have no right to judge anyone for making extravagant purchases. I just hope all of the women who dropped the equivalent of a year’s tuition at a state college on a Birkin realize that most guys are actually turned off by oversized handbags, which many of us unconsciously associate with high-maintenance divadom. Blame Samantha.

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2) Your muscles. I will unashamedly own up to digging women who are in shape. However, I always giggle when my girlfriends flex their biceps and expect me to act impressed. Aside from A-Rod, most guys are kind of grossed out by Madonna’s ripped physique. If you enjoy pumping iron don’t let me stop you-it just doesn’t do much for me.

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3) Your ex. It’s not a jealousy thing-I just don’t know what you say when you bring him up. So don’t.

4) Your salary. I do care if you’re pursuing your dreams. I don’t care how much it pays.

(From glamourmag.com)

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