Internet

Banned in France, Legal in America: Inside the World of Pro-Ana Websites

"Revulsion followed by a kind of morbid fascination." Photograph taken with iPhone 13 mini and printed with Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo. Photo Credit: John Jajeh

Legal disclaimer: This article does not attempt to provide legal advice and should only be considered for entertainment purposes.

First things first—what is a Pro-Ana website? Pro-Ana is a descriptor for online forums and sites that promote anorexia by providing community and advice. Her less popular sister, Pro-Mia, is the bulimia equivalent. (Of course, these names were designed to promote a sense of familiarity... which is why the many teenage girls who occupy these websites refer to "Ana" and "Mia" as their friends... more on that later.)

In this article, I will discuss the movement's identity, values, and growth; its promotional material; the attempts made to dismantle it; and my prediction as to its future.

Note: I primarily use hyperlinks as the basis for representing my sources so as to (1) not distract you with parenthetical citations and (2) ensure you have an easy way to go to the source material should you desire to explore more. If hyperlinks are unavailable, I resort to parenthetical citations.

The Tragedy of Honesty: My Struggle to Source "Hyper Hardboiled Gourmet Report"

I don't watch TV or movies. Well, I should say that I haven't regularly watched TV or movies since I was fifteen years old. (In any year since, I can count on two hands how many hours I spend watching either.) With most plots regurgitated, predictable,

The Semantic Death of Musical Genres

Unlike film or literary genres such as horror, drama, or comedy, musical genres have a tendency to mean one thing... until they mean another. We've seen this manifest itself time and time again, with some examples being more blatant than others. But how widely acknowledged or understood are

What We Can Learn From Grunge Fashion

The grunge aesthetic—characterized by plaid flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and looser, oversized fits—was captured in Seattle and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Since the genre made its commercial debut in the early '90s, many have attempted to capture and recreate the look with personal interpretation, not least

Circling Back to "Motivational Business Music"

Nothing says Rock 'n' Roll quite like business executives leaning into their creative sides... which is exactly what Andrew Mason—founder of Groupon—did after being fired from his CEO position. Known for his "goofball antics" (as CNBC's Herb Greenberg described after naming Mason

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The Tragedy of Honesty: My Struggle to Source "Hyper Hardboiled Gourmet Report"

The Semantic Death of Musical Genres

What We Can Learn From Grunge Fashion

Circling Back to "Motivational Business Music"