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Jennifer Love Hewitt blogs backSay you went on a Hawaiian vacation with your sweetie to celebrate your recent engagement. And say you got into the water to splash about. And say you then logged on to your computer and found that photos of you splashing about were all over the Internet. And say the things people were saying about how you looked like while splashing about weren’t all that nice. What would you do? Well, if you were Jennifer Love Hewitt, you would blog back.
The Ghost Whisperer star shot back last week at catty comments made about her bikini-clad body. At particular issue was a photo from behind that had some of the literary geniuses of the blogosphere tossing around words like fat and ass. Google it if you must, since I won’t post that shot here, but rest assured she was neither. And after seeing what she looked like from the front, worrying about what she looked like from the back was the last thing on my mind.
Love’s response on her MySpace blog was emphatic:
She went on to say:
And she finishes with a call to bikini arms:
If I were the kind of person who could pull off saying, “You go, girl!” with an accompanying sassy head snap, I would do that here. But since I’m not, I’ll just say, “It’s about time.” It’s about time we stopped simply letting our culture get away with its unchecked critiquing of women’s bodies. Because I am beyond fed up. In a world where Jack Black and Seth Rogen have become perfectly acceptable romantic leading men, it’s beyond ludicrous to call Jennifer Love Hewitt overweight.
Now, I do wish Love had left out her defensive clothing size reveal in the post. A ton of sizes above a size 2 are not fat either. But I understand where she is coming from. In fact, I bet you’d be hard-pressed to find a woman who does not understand the reflexive need to confirm her own attractiveness. Like when we ask, “Does this make me look fat?” all we really want to hear is, “No, you look hot.”
So, what do you think of Love’s response? And are you as tired as I am of all the mean-spirited, bitchy and crude comments you read every single day online about who is fat, ugly or whatever? While I’m going to stop short of putting on a bikini (dude, it’s December), I have every intention of staying strong. How about you? Submitted by on December 3, 2007 - 9:00am. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
okay
I have to admit I'm far from being a fan of hers, but I gotta say MORE POWER TO HER!!!
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remind me again, what does a size 2 look like?
oh, that must be those xxL shirts at target that make any respectable girl look like a size , well you get the point!! yes lets stay strong!!!!!!!
back to the studio Paint Monkey!
Whisper the truth...
I happen to love Jennifer and her show. I think she is right on with fighting back.
If that is fat then I am the super dome!
The people that make those comments have nothing better to do than criticize others to make themselves feel good.
You go Jennifer!
Word
Whose fat?!
Thank you!
I'm not a size zero girl myself so i know how most of us woman have to feel in a world where the media claims that girls like Jennifer are fat. I just hope there will come a time where we don't have to discuss stuff like that anymore and are able to go shopping for jeans without feeling bad because most shops don't have any pants bigger than size 6 in store!!
Fat matters?
Rather than questioning what does or does not qualify as fat, maybe we should think about why it matters so much to be called fat.
Jennifer obviously cares enough to post about it.
A size 2 girl telling all women to feel good about their bodies does not impress me much.
Maybe the size 2 was too much...
lesbian without borders
The size 2 comment...I think she was misunderstood
*applause*
I think she looks freaking AMAZING. And unless she is VERY VERY short (which she may be, I dunno) there is no way she's a size 2, so I don't think that was meant to be a defensive comment.
more photos here: http://community.livejournal.com/curvygirls/920278.html
I really hope that more hollywood women follow Jennifer's example -- if they stop allowing hollywood to dictate to them, maybe we can actually create a media that reflects the population's true proportions and doesn't lie CONSTANTLY about what women are 'supposed' to look like. Maybe if actresses are allowed to eat a healthy amount of food instead of starving themselves, this obsession with thinness will end.
i don't know that the obsession is necessarily with thinness
i think most actors/actresses/public types i know who have to keep a certain body type for work just work out a lot. not to say that there is not a HUGE obsession with thinness and that whole shabang, i agree 100%... i just think that some people are obsessed with being fit, rather than thin. clocking alot of a gym time, or getting super into pilates (and/or yoga)... hiking, cycling, etc... there really is a trend toward eating differently and being very active. probably because it feels good.
so. i just wanted to mention that side of things-- and alot of the super fit people i know average about a size 6, but that just really depends on their body types and structures- boy waist and no hips? hips and curves? etc etc... born long and lean and with a very fast metabolism? born with serious birthing hips like myself? etc...
i just think we should be careful about making people out to be more obsessed with something than they are, especially if what they are focused on is a desire to feel good, feel healthy.
just two different words for the same thing.
Whether you call it 'fit' or 'thin' the obsession is the same -- with looking a certain way. If all people really cared about was feeling good & healthy, then they wouldn't care what they weighed or what size they wore or whether they had certain proportions, since none of that is an accurate measurement of health. Not everyone has this fixation, of course. But working out in order to change the way one looks is not working out for the sake of fitness.
the cynic's response
so much to rant about; I hope this will sound somewhat coherent.
We are living in the era of the asshole. A time where freedom of expression trumps common decency. Being an asshole or a bitch is the new cool and everyone loves snark. A time where too many people think their opinion really matters. They're a confrontational bunch too; they'll spew crap from their mouths and dare you to get offended. Their anthem is "Yeah, I said it. What!?" Sadly enough, a bitch slap in response equals an assault charge; and well, we don't want to stoop to their level anyway.
Then there's the internet. Where the cowards hang out. I've seen things written online that these people wouldn't dare say in someone's face. Sometimes the comments to an article/blog are more insightful than the article itself; as a sort of snap shot into minds of some who know better to open their mouths around the wrong person. Then there are entire sites dedicated to denigration. You ask yourself, "who is this person to put down others?" Answer... a nobody
I embrace the era. It makes my choices a lot easier. When assholes are given free reign, I can quickly assess who is worth my time. And anyone who feels the need to talk shit about someone else is not worth my time.
Hewitt doesn't owe them any more than a "Kiss my perceived fat ass". I'm sorry she wasted time one these people.
I figure the only way to deal with it is in the form of a PSA... no one cares what you think.
Nicely Done.
I completely agree about us being the era of a**hole, etc. Instead of "Age of Aquarius," there should be a song titled "Age of The A**hole." I'll work on a version of that...
However, I don't mind that she took issue with the idiots calling her fat. There are some girls out there that need to hear that from her. Girls who may not get a lot of support any other way. I like that Jennifer confronted it and said "enough is enough." Good for her and I hope some of the women out there listen. Love your bodies. The focus should be on health, not fat and jean sizes. People come in all sorts of healthy sizes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm not sorry for what I did. I'm sorry for what I didn't do."
You're right
Age of the internet = age
Age of the internet = age of the a$$hole.
Proof: The Greater Internet F***wad Theory, seen here:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
And as for everything else: ditto what you said.
Go Jennifer!
Imaging
Jennifer Love Hewitt
I already liked her from Ghost Whisperer, but now I like her even more.
Thank you Jennifer for setting the record straight!
Good for her!
I know too many women who obsess about their size. The one good thing about getting older is that it seems to be less of an obsession and more of an acceptance. But the young ones need to know those a**holes who take these photos and make thses comments are not their judge. To have a healthy self image takes work and support, and it can be a lifelong struggle. Keep encouraging all the young women and men in your lives and remind them of how great they are. I know I wouldn't have minded being more encouraged when I was at that pivotal age. We can make a difference. Size 2 or Size 20, who gives a crap?