Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion

When in Hollywood, no one is safe from the powerful microscope known as the media.

Who is the most recent victim of its lens? Jessica Simpson. After she botched a performance opening for "Rascal Flatts" in January, it wasn't only her voice that was under scrutiny, but also her waistline.

Appearing larger than her booty-shorts body, circa the release of "Dukes of Hazzard," Simpson was subject to tremendous backlash about her increasing "curviness."

According to ABC News, Simpson had to endure intense workouts and diets in order to fit into Daisy Duke's infamous shorts. Simpson once had one of the most desirable bodies in Hollywood, so it's expected that she would be criticized for being any less desirable. But should she be criticized for being human?

When I saw the photos from her concert, I also thought she had gained a little weight, but nothing that would justify the headlines calling her "fat." She still looked slimmer than the average woman and her increased weight was only noticed because she had been so thin beforehand.

Part of what's to blame for her unflattering photographs was her outfit. She had very high-waisted jeans that wouldn't do any woman with curves justice.

Shortly after this appearance, she had a performance in Madison, revealing her legs in yes, those notorious Daisy Duke cut-off shorts. Simpson didn't look nearly as curvy as she did opening for "Rascal Flatts," and I doubt she had any serious weight loss between performances. This suggests her outfit played a big part in the disapproval she received.

On top of her altered appearance, Simpson was forgetting words during her performance and even hinted at giving up music. Obviously, something is wrong with her. How can people pass judgment on someone who clearly needs help?

The media has only gotten worse in recent years for the perpetual stereotype of women's and men's desired weight and physique. Magazines, television, movies and music all contribute to the need to have an unrealistic body type.

It's happened to Britney Spears and Jennifer Love Hewitt, when they no longer had their size two bodies. People seemed outraged that these stars could "let themselves go," and dare to be seen in bikinis.

When 35 percent of the population is defined as obese, it's hard to believe these people can judge Hewitt and Spears, who couldn't even pass as being overweight.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, about 10 million women and one million men suffer from some sort of eating disorder. When the media is outraged by celebrities' weight gain, they contribute to the false reality of the ideal body weight and portray a negative image to influential young people.

Teen girls idolize magazines where their favorite celebrities are insanely thin or are being condemned for wearing size six jeans. If they see a size six woman and think that is overweight, it contributes to a harmful self-image of how they should look. This puts pressure on young girls that being beautiful is being boney and starving.

I read an interesting article for an Anthropology class about the bizarre customs of Americans, known as the Nacirema in the article. Written in 1954 as an outsider's look at Americans, there are many similarities to today in the ridiculous practices Americans do to look beautiful.

The article states that while there is a focus on economic success, there is one activity even more highly regarded.

"The focus of this activity is the human body, the appearance and health of which loom as a dominant concern in the ethos of the people." The article goes on to say how the Nacirema believe the human body is ugly and try to change it.

It also said how there are rituals to make fat people thin and that "the ideal form is virtually outside the range of human variation."

As a society, we know that the ideal figure is often unrealistic, yet people still try to achieve it, and expect high-profile celebrities to obtain it.

It's unfortunate that every move a celebrity makes is seen by the public eye, but they have the opportunity to turn around the negative direction the media is forcing many young men and women to go. They have the power to make others realize that being a healthy weight is beautiful, so maybe the next time a young girl opens up Glamour magazine, she differentiates what is normal and what is unhealthy.


Cegla is a sophomore public relations major and showcase editor for The Spectator.

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