Celebrity

Celebrity fat-shaming: It's not about health

This Disney starlet has struggled with anorexia and bulimia for most of her life. After checking into rehab in June of 2012, the star released a heart wrenching documentary on MTV, in which she revealed that her issues with her body began at age 3.The singer/actress has dealt with fat-shaming throughout middle and high school, which only escalated when she had her first taste of fame. Her frankness and bravery have made her a role model for a generation of young women.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is known for his brash attitude and no-nonsense personality but his weight has been the subject of late night talk show hosts’ jokes and he even famously ate a donut when he appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” While the governor clearly has a good sense of humor about his weight he also doesn’t laugh off the harmful effects of obesity. During a press conference he admitted to having struggled with his weight, saying,“If you talk to anybody in this room who has struggled with their weight, what they will tell you is that every month, every year there’s a plan...the idea that I don’t care about this, of course I care about it, and I’m making the best effort I can and sometimes I’m successful and other times I’m not.”  To most, Miss Upton has it all, women want to be her and men want to get with her, but even this voluptuous beauty has faced some pretty harsh critics. So-called thinsperation sites have gone so far as to call this naturally curvy supermodel thick, vulgar and too heavy. If Sport’s Illustrated cover models can’t catch a break, what hope does the average women have?  View the list »
 In the most recent display of cruelty, “Fashion Police” host, Joan Rivers has called Adele fat. This isn’t the first time the comedian has leveled harsh criticism about someone’s weight nor is it the first time the Grammy winning songstress has been criticized for her weight. In response to the criticism she once said,"My life is full of drama and I won't have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like."   

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Stars, they’re just like us, only richer, prettier and more talented. At least as far as public opinion is concerned. Maybe that’s why we insist on tearing them to pieces and reveling in their shortcomings. In Hollywood, perfection is of the utmost importance and celebrities are idealized for their flawless size-two bodies, immaculate complexions and rock-hard abs. The moment these attributes start to waver, the media goes into a frenzy. From cellulite filled centerfolds in supermarket tabloids, to so-called thinspiration pro-ana websites, if a star gains a pound, the public will expose it. Even when a star is pregnant, it’s still deemed shameful to gain weight in the eyes of the tabloids. If the value of these men and women rests solely upon their physical appearance, what message does that send?

Fat-shaming goes beyond celebrity gossip however, and invades our schools, offices and even our social circles. Society upholds a deep and abhorrent hatred toward the obese that makes overweight children the most likely targets of school aged bullying and greatly impacts the salary of overweight people in the workplace. Somehow this prejudice is deemed acceptable.

What is most disturbing is that many believe this type of hateful speech is actually productive. That by voicing venomous and demeaning statements, thinly veiled in the name of "health" or "concern about public role models," they are in someway helping society. One controversial study even encourages fat-shaming as a way to spur weight loss. Ultimately, this type of bullying is not about health at all, but rather, hatred. The concern is not over blood pressure or heart disease. Instead, it all boils down to one thing: appearance. And if all other forms of appearance-base prejudice are deemed unacceptable, how does fat shaming get a pass?

Until we begin to value one another, including those on the silver screen, for reasons beyond the physical and refuse to tolerate the ignominy, it will only continue. As a society we cannot allow weight to induce such feelings of repulsion, in the words of J.K. Rowling:

“Is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be? Is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring' or 'cruel'? Not to me."

The following celebrities would agree. Their achievements include: Grammy wins and nominations, Oscar nods, inspiring people and founding charitable organizations, just to name a few.

View the list
  •  In the most recent display of cruelty, “Fashion Police” host, Joan Rivers has called Adele fat. This isn’t the first time the comedian has leveled harsh criticism about someone’s weight nor is it the first time the Grammy winning songstress has been criticized for her weight. In response to the criticism she once said,"My life is full of drama and I won't have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like."   
  •  To most, Miss Upton has it all, women want to be her and men want to get with her, but even this voluptuous beauty has faced some pretty harsh critics. So-called thinsperation sites have gone so far as to call this naturally curvy supermodel thick, vulgar and too heavy. If Sport’s Illustrated cover models can’t catch a break, what hope does the average women have?  
  • New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is known for his brash attitude and no-nonsense personality but his weight has been the subject of late night talk show hosts’ jokes and he even famously ate a donut when he appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” While the governor clearly has a good sense of humor about his weight he also doesn’t laugh off the harmful effects of obesity. During a press conference he admitted to having struggled with his weight, saying,“If you talk to anybody in this room who has struggled with their weight, what they will tell you is that every month, every year there’s a plan...the idea that I don’t care about this, of course I care about it, and I’m making the best effort I can and sometimes I’m successful and other times I’m not.” 
  • This Disney starlet has struggled with anorexia and bulimia for most of her life. After checking into rehab in June of 2012, the star released a heart wrenching documentary on MTV, in which she revealed that her issues with her body began at age 3.The singer/actress has dealt with fat-shaming throughout middle and high school, which only escalated when she had her first taste of fame. Her frankness and bravery have made her a role model for a generation of young women.
  •  Kim Kardashian is known for her curvy physique and is no stranger to hateful comments. Even at her thinnest, many have criticized her weight and now that she is pregnant, the media has been ruthless, comparing the reality star to an orca. The average woman will gain 25-40 lbs of healthy weight while they’re pregnant, yet society seems to expect famous women not to do so. 
  • Controversy follows Lady Gaga no matter what she does but it was a low blow when she made headlines for gaining a few pounds. Unflattering photos surfaced of her relaxing beside a pool and the media went into hysterics, claiming that the pop star was obese.While Gaga has admitted to having problems with bulimia she didn’t let the rude comments get her down and said, “I thought, well I don’t really care if they think I’m fat, because, quite honestly, I did gain about 30 pounds.” Sticking to her message of providing a good role-model for her fans she added, “I need to be a confident woman and just say politically active things when I can that are helpful to young people.”
  •  Hilary Duff was criticized for gaining weight when she was pregnant with her first child. While it’s obviously normal for anyone to gain weight when expecting, the media spotlight can be unnecessarily harsh and unrelenting. Duff didn’t let the critics get to her though and shot back, saying, “I don’t care what people say.” And while she did admit that she was working out, she also said, “This is how it goes for most women--the weight doesn’t fall off over night.” 
  • In 2010, “Precious” star, Gabourey Sidibe was viciously attacked by radio shock jock Howard Stern. Stern called her,"The most enormous, fat black chick I've ever seen. She is enormous. Everyone's pretending she's a part of show business and she's never going to be in another movie."Sidibe proved the bigot wrong however and has gone on to establish a respected career in Hollywood. 
  •  The "Identity Thief" actress was trashed by longtime movie critic Rex Reed and not just for her performance in the comedy. Instead, he chose to make inexcusable comments about her weight. In addition to calling her “tractor-sized” and a “hippo” he also claimed her to be a, “gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being and obese and obnoxious with equal success.”Reed's horrible comments caused massive outrage and while he attempted to smooth things over his prejudices were already in full display. 
  • Weight loss had always been a topic of discussion on the Oprah show. At one point, after an extreme liquid diet, the star wheeled out a red wagon filled with 67 pounds of fat to represent her weight loss. Predictably, the talk show host regained the weight within a few months and sites the episode as one of her biggest regrets.Although the media mogul and women’s rights activist has publicly struggled with her weight, and is no stranger to public scrutiny over her ever-changing waist circumference, she has always spoke in favor of a healthy body image and healthy eating habits.  
  • Kilmer starred as the hunky ‘Iceman’ in the movie “Top Gun” but fans were in for a shock when pictures emerged of the actor in 2007 that showed him weighing in at nearly 270 pounds. But it seems Val himself wasn’t too pleased with his appearance. Someone close to the star stated that,“Val was absolutely mortified when he saw those photos. He didn’t realize how much he’d let himself go and says he will never get to that point again.”Kilmer has worked hard to shed the weight and has lost nearly 80 pounds.
  • Kirstie Alley is perhaps the most publicly scrutinized star for her weight. She even had a short-lived sitcom based on her struggles. Despite malicious name-calling from the tabloids, Alley has been very public about her weight fluctuations. She’s been a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, created a diet plan known as Organic Liaison and discussed the topic on Dr. Oz and the Oprah show.   
  • After a highly publicized meltdown in 2006 the star faced her fair share of criticism. The loudest of which focused solely on her weight. Headlines ranged from “Lard and Clear,” from the New York Post to comments like “The bulging belly she was flaunting was SO not hot,” according to E! Online. Amidst rehab, a custody battle and a public mental breakdown, the number on the scale seemed to be all that mattered.
  • The American Idol and Grammy winner’s physique has fluctuated throughout her career and the media sure loves to comment on it. Fox News even did a feature on both Kelly Clarkson and Adele’s weight at this year’s Grammys. The negative press has no effect on the songstress, however, since she goes out of her way to avoid the tabloids,“I don't buy magazines like that. Even if I'm not in them, it's just healthier to get away from that kind of thinking."
  •  Osbourne has faced harsh comments about her weight since childhood. Even when she lost nearly 70 pounds and was deemed medically healthy, her weight was the target of reprehensible criticism. The celebrity shrugged off the hate, however, saying,“I’m the thinnest I’ve ever been and the healthiest I’ve ever been... The totally insane thing is that I’m a UK size 4 to 6 and people still say I’m fat. I mean it’s crazy but I’ve had this all my life and I just try and ignore it.”  
  •  When the media ran a photo of Banks in a bathing suit with mean headlines about her weight, the model didn’t let the insensitive press get her down. Instead, she worried what message such comments send to young girls. She said:“So when they say that my body is ‘ugly’ and ‘disgusting,’ what does that make those girls feel like?”Tyra continues to fight for a healthy body image in the modeling world and to make young girls proud of their bodies. 
  •  When the Grammy winner and former “Voice” judge gained a few pounds, the Twittersphere was merciless. One man tweeted,“Was I on Animal Planet watching a hippo dancing? Oh no it's just Christina Aguilera on stage at the American Music Awards #AMA”Although she insisted that she was proud of her curves, she has since lost quite a bit of the weight. 
  •  While she was pregnant with her first child, Simpson faced a lot of criticism surrounding her weight to which she responded with this Tweet,“Last chance to see me "fat" aka PREGNANT on the cover of Elle :) I loved this shoot, only on stands for a few more days!!!”The star later signed a $4 million deal with Weight Watchers and is now pregnant with her second child. Who’s laughing now? 
View the list
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, Pop Culture Examiner

Nadia Kouri is a member of Examiner.com's editorial team. As media junky and social media enthusiast, she's always abreast of the latest trends.

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