Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Amy Schumer. Best known for the summer 2015 comedy “Trainwreck,” which she wrote and starred in, Schumer is one of the hottest comedians of the moment. She’s won the hearts of people all over the world with her honest and self-deprecating humor. However, she’s much more than just a comedian.
Schumer uses her platform to discuss a wide range of issues, from feminism to gun control. She has an exceptional talent of both joking about and criticizing topics. She is able to satirize media portrayals of women, stereotypes, misogyny, double standards and more while making the audience double over in laughter, and it’s that perfect balance of funny and political that makes her unique.
Schumer is the role model that girls have needed for so long. Not only is she open about things like sex, body image and her own insecurities, but she is unapologetic about it. She refuses to conform to society’s standards about what a woman should be. In the 2016 Pirelli calendar, shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, Schumer poses in her underwear and heels with a cup of coffee. Leaning over a stool, her bare stomach is exposed. Instead of Schumer sucking it in or having her “imperfections” photoshopped out, the photo shows her as she is. Schumer Instagrammed the photo, writing, “Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you Annie Leibovitz!”
In an age where women’s minds are plastered with images of thin, gorgeous, photoshopped females, it is refreshing to see a real, unedited woman. A woman like Schumer, who is confident and comfortable in her own skin, is inspiring. She shows women that they are strong and beautiful just the way they are, and that’s a reminder we all need.