I guess my outrage at the world's stoopidity has been bottled up or something. Who knew?
My AOL mail welcome screen, which is often a source of outrage, today has a story about Melissa Joan Hart, who is on the cover of...something...in a bikini. (I don't remember and I can't be arsed to look it up, but assume it's People or something.) Why? Because Ms Hart, the mother of a three year old and a 14 month old, was so shamed by last summer's tabloid shots of her at 160-ish in a bathing suit that she had to go on a super shape up plan. (Also? When was the last time anyone offered her a TV series? I'm sure she needs the publicity.)
Let's deconstruct this, shall we? Having a 14 month old means that last summer, she had an infant that was, oh, less than six months old. And she was overweight! Oh, the horror! The horror! Because if you can't fit into your skinny jeans within six weeks of leaving childbed, obviously you are a big FAIL as a woman. And should be humiliated. Also, she apparently goes on in the article about how proud she is of this big weight-loss accomplishment and her many hours of grueling working out that led to it. I dunno. I personally think that if you have two children under the age of four, there are more important things you might be focusing all your time and attention on than looking good in a bikini, but that's just me. And, yes, yes, I understand she's a C-list (or below) actress and needs a job and, thus, publicity, but the fact that her publicity is then force-fed to me and millions of other people on our mail welcome screens and at the checkout counter and wherever else, leading to more brainwashing about what's an acceptable body standard for all women, pisses me right the fuck off.
So much so I might need to eat some cheese fries.
xoxo
1 comment:
As your official NYTimes linker, let me link you to tomorrow's article that specifically mentions that same Melissa Joan Hart People magazine cover story.
http://bit.ly/OLjqx
You weren't the only one it made an impression on.
I liked this:
A fat person on a diet sends a social and moral message, said Charlotte Biltekoff, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis who researches food and cultural values. That is because Americans equate body size with Puritan values. Thin means self-discipline and hard work; fat implies laziness, gluttony and lack of willpower.
A dieter signals publicly that she is “in the process of self-denial, recovery and reform,” Dr. Biltekoff said. “So the pursuit of thinness may mean as much as thinness itself. Oprah and Kirstie are performing this for us.”I sure do think that a lot of that American puritanical focus ends up being psychologically counter-productive.
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