When I was a little girl I dreamed of being a rich and famous movie star and singer. I wanted the double barrel. A string of hit movies AND sold out concert tours. I wanted it all. Now, as a grown woman, I would not want to be a rich and famous movie star or singer for the world itself.
Like any woman in today’s body obsessed world, I have days where I feel great about myself and days where I don’t feel that crash hot. That’s normal and absolutely ok. I hope you know that too! For a famous woman however, I somehow think that those days when you would feel completely comfortable, happy and at peace with your body may be few and far between. The red hot intensity of the media being obsessed with your cellulite, hair, arm circumference, dress size and boob inflation and deflation must on some days be almost soul destroying. You would exist in a world where what I call ‘body bullying’ is virtually the acceptable norm. Here are just a few examples of what I am talking about. Take note if you can of the sadness/defensiveness/hurt behind the comments…
Jessica Simpson on the thousands of photographs and stories branding her fat – “To get criticized for the way you look is really hurtful.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt responding to criticisms of photographs taken of her in a bikini while on holiday – “A size 2 is not fat!” Ellen Pompeo being interviewed about constant criticism she is too thin – “Growing up, I was horribly self-
conscious about how skinny I was,” she says. “You think it’s never going to be as horrible as sixth, seventh, eighth grade when all the other girls are getting boobs. Now all of a sudden it’s back to people saying things to me again. I can’t shake it.”
I’m not sure about you, but I can hear some very sad, frustrated, even ‘little girl’ voices in these comments, masking a significant amount of pain. Should we really be surprised at this or do we actually think that being well known, wealthy and seemingly having it all means we are immune to such pressures and low feelings? Of course it absolutely does not. I was interviewed this morning on Channel 7’s ‘Sunrise’ Program about Eva Mendes who has been slammed by critics in the past week because her body looks “thin and skeletal” in a new advertising campaign for Calvin Klein. You can view the video interview here. While I might not feel totally comfortable with the overly sexual tone of the campaign, I don’t agree that Eva deserves to be ‘body bullied’ in this way. She has felt it necessary to defend herself against these critics stating “I don’t have a starving body. I have a healthy toned body. I don’t think people should criticize.” Indeed. Who are these so-called critics anyway?
What does this all mean for the average woman and young girl? The scary answer is we don’t really know. Currently in Australia the number one stated concern of young people aged 15-24 years is body image. Can we really be surprised about this? If the talented Jessica, Jennifer, Ellen and Eva are being heavily criticized for their appearance (no matter whether they are supposedly ‘too thin’ or ‘too fat’), how is your everyday gal meant to process her own feelings about her own body?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! I think the sad thing is that so many people are really struggling with their body image confidence and the only way they know how to make themselves feel better is to comment in the negative, about someone else's shape and size. The most readily available source to all is obviously celebrities and we do need to be reminded that they are people, with feelings and emotions and like us all, going about their life in the best way they know how! Perhaps it's time to go back to the old trusted philosophy…'if we don't have anything nice to say, let's not say anything at all' to anyone! Here's to positive body talk which will hopefully one day lead to a world free of body bullying
I think we forget celebrities are people, too. We think of them as "superhuman", not like us. So maybe in the back of our minds we think these hurtful things don't affect them because they are above us. But that's a very sad notion… even more sad to think that some of them live through hell, like being in junior high their whole lives, constantly being picked on. And, like Dan said, we like to know celebrities ARE human. But it seems the only way we let ourselves know this is by picking on them! (tabloids screaming "stars without makeup" and "celebs with cellulite" are other common versions of this bullying) Maybe we should think of it this way – would WE like to be seen at our worst in embarrassing photos? And then to be bullied about it later? I think not…
Thanks for this post. These messages are so important!
Thank you Elle – I agree!
I couldn’t of put it better myself, thank you! This is the second positive post I have found on the subject….. 2 out of 23 that is really horrible stats half the posts/ pictures were photoshopped with food in her hands and some had placed her head on other bodies. These people are completely superficial, shallow and vain. They could stand to learn to pick on there own faults no one else’s.