Just a few days after my last post on the “Mad Men” star and some supposed Photoshopping shenanigans, Christina strutted down the Emmy Awards red carpet Sunday.
While it may have been tough to notice anything other than the ravishing redhead’s um, assets (which are very much real, despite whispers that her “Mad Men” alter ego, Joan is just very strategically padded), many took note of Christina’s dress.
And not in a good way.
I’ll admit, I was put off by the lavender Zac Posen number myself. But you can’t blame the girl. According to an interview with the Daily Record, designers aren’t exactly lining up to dress her curves for the red carpet.
“People have been saying some nice, wonderful things about me,” Christina told the Scottish news source. “Yet not one designer in town will loan me a dress. They only lend out a size 0 or 2. So I’m still struggling for someone to give me a darn dress.”
Seriously? Starring on a critically acclaimed television show and being voted Esquire Magazine‘s “Sexiest Woman Alive” don’t warrant a few fashion freebies?
If only modern designers could take a hint from "Mad Men" and learn to dress bodies of all sizes.
Not if your dress size comes in double-digits, apparently.
“This has always been my size,” Christina said. “I’ve worked on other shows with this same size but ‘Mad Men’ celebrates it and that is nice.”
It is nice, isn’t it? And wouldn’t it be nicer if 21st century designers shared the same enthusiasm for the female form as their 1960s predecessors and aimed to dress bodies, not clothes hangers?
Yes, there are plenty of beautiful size 0s and 2s, and we all know a good amount of them populate Hollywood. But let’s get real. Designers should be clamoring to dress stars of all sizes, especially those that come packaged as photogenically as Christina Hendricks.
And if it’s that hard to craft a beautiful garment big enough to contain Christina’s curves, then maybe it’s time to revisit fashion school.
Whitney had no problem stripping down for a good cause, joining Love Your Body Day founder and Hollywood NOW president Chenese Lewis in promo shots for the event. NOW launched the Love Your Body campaign in September 1998, and this year’s festivities take place October 22nd through 24th.
While Whitney will fulfill her hosting duties in Hollywood, NOW encourages women around the country to “say ‘no’ to twisted beauty standards and hazardous advertisements by holding rallies, pickets, house parties, classroom discussions and more.” Who could say no to a body-positive house party?
And though Whitney’s known for being a “Top Model,” she’s more than just a pretty face. As a 2010 ambassador for the National Eating Disorder Association, she’s been pretty vocal about the same messed up media images we get riled up over at About-Face.
The girls pose for another Love Your Body promo shot.
Even after appearing on E! News recently to promote the NOW campaign, she wrote on her blog, “I do wish that they had female hosts who were at least size four, but they do have all the latest info and are quite informative. As a matter of fact, I think that they should hire me. LOL but I am a little biased.”
Whitney also spoke out about that whole “Top Model” teeny-tiny waist controversy we told you about. “Tyra supports women of all sizes as long as they are healthy,” she said in a press release. “I do not fault her for her reaction to seeing such a tiny waist. She had a similar reaction to seeing Toccara‘s enormous breasts. Tyra remains a leading figure in the fight for body equality in the fashion industry.”
I’m not sure whether I can agree with that, but it’s hard to disagree with her awesome attitude.
Stay tuned for future updates on this year’s Love Your Body Day.
Sadly, InTouch is not the only tabloid to pit celebrities against each other when it concerns image. Us Magazine never fails to have its “Who Wore it Best?” feature, which asks readers to rate who among a group of identically dressed stars looks better than the rest.
Ever walked down the street and critiqued a woman’s outfit or body? For most women, this may be a daily occurrence. We may catch ourselves staring at someone and thinking, or even saying, “What is she wearing?” Or “How did she get with him? I’m way prettier than her!”
But what gives us the right to overtly or covertly pass harsh judgment on friends, family or even strangers?
A typical "Who Wore it Best?" invites readers to judge celebrities side by side.
It seems as though tabloid magazine headlines, like the ones mentioned above, have made image criticism and comparison acceptable. While critiquing and judging other women may make us feel better for a fleeting moment, it won’t help us in the long run.
If we choose to celebrate other women instead of tearing them down, we are more likely to feel good about ourselves. So, I would like to propose a challenge to my fellow About-Facers. I am pledging to make an effort to stop the negativity and let the women in my life know how great they really are.
Christina's curves seem less than curvy in the new London Fog ad.
Poems should be written about “Mad Men” star Christina Hendricks’ curves.
No, really.
The actress has one of those unbelievably beautiful bodies that only Botticelli could have dreamed up. The show’s costume department must have a field day dressing her up in vintage styles that showcase breasts, hips, and butt (all of which she has plenty of, thank you very much).
So why on Earth would London Fog feel the need to touch her lovely, decidedly unwaif-like body with even one click in Photoshop?
Jezebel put some unretouched photos side-by-side with the campaign’s final ad, and it definitely looks like some digital blasphemy has gone on.
The man (un-Photoshopped) curves of Christina's "Mad Men" character, Joan Holloway.
Whatever London Fog’s photo editors did, they managed to pare down Christina’s curves enough to make her look alarmingly like a typical Hollywood starlet.
Can we once and for all leave works of art alone, please? Otherwise, let’s just slap some extensions on the Mona Lisa, fit her with horsey veneers, and give her the Heidi Montag plastic surgery special. Sheesh.
Eating disorders as entertainment? E!'s "What's Eating You?" isn't exactly "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
Interested in watching a girl eat ant-covered food out of the garbage? Or how about a guy who continually chews and swallows entire packs of gum? Stellar entertainment, right?
It may sound like a “Fear Factor” ripoff, but it’s actually “What’s Eating You?”–the E! network’s new eating disorder reality show.
Oh boy.
The always-classy E! (“classy” as in, “I can easily name three of their resident stars who have starred in homemade sex tapes“) is promoting its new show as if it centered around a bevy of circus freaks.
Unfortunately, the “bizarre rituals” described in the network’s press release aren’t wild and wacky stunts, but just a couple of the “extreme habits” exhibited by participants on the new show.
So what the reality genre is sorely missing is an exploitative exploration of mental illness? Not really. We already have “Celebrity Rehab,” “Hoarders,” and a slew of “True Life” episodes documenting the anguish of addiction, obsession, and more. But this is about eating! And it’s on E! Surely it couldn’t be a bad idea!
Judge for yourself. Executive Producer JD Roth swears that “this show really is about the incredible fortitude and strength of people with intense obstacles to overcome, and how they strive to get their lives back on track.”
E! should stick to what it does best and continue only exploiting those who ask for it.
Really? Then why does the lengthy first paragraph of the press release about this show chronicle the gory details of each person’s disorder with the perverse glee of, as Hortense at Jezebel.com brilliantly asserts, “a carnival barker”? I’m surprised the statement doesn’t start with “step right up!” and go on to announce the participants alongside the bearded lady.
Personally, I’d like E! to stick to what it does best and exploit only the people who actually asked for it (i.e. the Kardashians of the world). Let’s leave the real issues to those actually qualified to present them tastefully.
Proenza Schouler's new ad campaign features a model who seems to have misplaced her waist.
Flat abs, lean legs, perky breasts: these fashion industry staples have been mandated so long, you can pretty much expect to find them on any straight-size model. But what’s the newest must-have on the runways? A teeny-tiny, impossibly thin waist.
Obviously, this trend isn’t a new one (ever heard of a corset?), but recent media hype has drawn a lot of attention to the trait.
If you own a TV and have ever found yourself “accidentally” surfing the CW network (Yeah, I DVR “Gossip Girl.” So?!), you’ve probably seen promo ads for the upcoming season of “America’s Next Top Model.”
While it’s never exactly been a stellar representation of realistic beauty (a handful of plus-size girls and a season’s worth of petite ones does not a diverse show make), “Top Model” may have finally gone too far.
In the video below, cycle 15 contestant Ann shows off her unbelievably itty-bitty waist (J. Alexander’s hands successfully touch when wrapped around it). It’s surprising Tyra Banks doesn’t have to wipe the drool off her chin, given the awe-struck expression on her face.
The commercial is only 21 seconds long, but it does a pretty efficient job of planting the seeds of some seriously distorted beauty ideals. Does 6’2″ Ann really have that miniature middle naturally? Maybe. But it’s still disconcerting to see that “regular-thin” is no longer the modeling world’s gold standard. The hosts’ mesmerized gazes pretty clearly convey that to get ahead, it helps to have almost unfeasible body parts. Great.
Jumping on the “oh my god, is that for real?” bandwagon is fashion line Proenza Schouler. In the company’s new ad campaign (seen at the top of this post), a model quite literally disappears when viewed from the side. Too much fun with the eraser tool in Photoshop? An unfortunate angle? Does it matter? Either way, this is the image designers Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez chose to project to the world, and it’s not healthy, beautiful, or for that matter, humanly possible.
While it’s wonderful to celebrate all the various eccentricities that go along with having a body, putting one on this high a pedestal can be seriously damaging. No amount of Spanx or sucking in will ever get most women the waist these fashion moguls are fetishizing. And it doesn’t matter one bit. But that doesn’t change the fact that swarms of style-savvy girls will buy into yet another unattainable aspiration.
UPDATE: Tyra Banks sat down with PEOPLE Magazine yesterday to issue a lengthy apology for the new “Top Model” promo.
“The passionate response the trailer has evoked proves that the message to promote and celebrate all different — healthy and natural –- body types has resonated with our viewers and I’m so proud of every one of you who voiced your opinion and participated in this conversation. I have experienced body image scrutiny from one extreme to the next –- as an awkward, extremely thin pre-teen who couldn’t gain weight no matter what I did, to later being slammed by the media for my fuller, curvier frame,” Tyra said.
“Driven by these personal experiences, I am committed to expanding the definition of beauty which includes ALL shapes, sizes and proportions, from skinny to curvy and everything in between. It’s about women telling the world to KISS their –- skinny, wide, droopy, flat, cellulite-covered or FAT -– you know what!”
Told from the perspectives of plus-size models Anansa Sims, Leona Palmer, Julie Henderson, and Lizzie Miller (remember her from the now-famous Glamour nude shot?), the videos are part of a new Girl Scouts initiative to address the image of girls in the media.
As if we needed any more proof that females are constantly bombarded with distorted messages, a survey from the Girl Scout Research Instituterevealed some disturbing statistics. Though almost 90 percent of the 1,000 girls polled, ages 13 to 17, said the fashion industry and/or media place a lot of pressure on them to be thin, 3 out of 4 girls still consider fashion “really important.”
Furthermore, nearly one-third said they have used drastic methods such as starving themselves to lose weight, and more than one-third know someone their age who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Rather than sit back and stare at the startling statistics, the Girl Scouts are doing something major. They’re partnering with the Dove Self-Esteem fund to offer programming for girls nationwide and will focus their core leadership program to address issues of body image in the media and its relation to self-esteem.
And according to a press release, the Girls Scouts have also “been instrumental in the introduction of The Healthy Media for Youth Act (H.R. 4925) to Congress…this bill will work to promote healthy images of women in the media through a grant program that will support youth empowerment groups, media literacy programs, and further research into the effects of the media on women and girls.”
We can’t wait to see where their leadership takes us.
Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan get violent in Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" video
How would you feel watching a domestic abuse victim admit her desire for more pain? What if the cycle of violence were enacted by two celebrities, alternating between scenes of fierce aggression and passionate love?
What if all these images were set to a number-one, radio-friendly rap hit? Would you call it glamorization of a serious issue or a creative public service message?
Never one to shy away from controversy, Eminem recently released the new video for his single featuring Rihanna, “Love the Way You Lie.” Starring Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan in a (literally) fiery relationship, the video is causing a big debate among music fans and domestic abuse prevention experts.
I have to admit, I’m torn on the matter. My first instinct is to scoff at any form of media that attempts to employ Megan Fox in a meaningful way (she, of the eloquent quotes, like: “I resent having to prove that I’m not a retard — but I do.”).
It also makes me absolutely uneasy to watch Rihanna, who repeatedly spoke out about her abusive relationship with Chris Brown, coo to the camera,
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that’s alright because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that’s alright because I love the way you lie.
And though I can’t deny being a fan of Eminem’s lyrical skills and serious talent, it’s no secret that he’s had his own violent past with ex-wife Kim. The song, allegedly about the couple’s roller-coaster relationship, even includes the disturbing lines, “If she ever tries to f—ing leave again/I’mma tie her to the bed and set the house on fire.”
The thought of MTV’s target audience interpreting the frightening lyrics and engaging images as sexy or glamorous is completely revolting. But to play devil’s advocate, there are some positive points to the video as well.
Though it’s easy to pick on Megan, she performed quite an admirable act by donating her fee for the video to Sojourn, a facility that helps battered women and their children.
And some experts believe that depicting the chilling realities of domestic abuse can help spread awareness. Stephanie Nilva, executive director of sexual assault and trauma resource center Day One, told MTV News, “The most important thing the video is doing is raising the topic of dating violence among young people.”
My own personal jury is still out, but feel free to form your own opinion on the video below:
Vaseline's Facebook app invites Indian men to try a lighter look.
Judging by Hollywood (and “Jersey Shore”), many Americans covet nothing more than the perfect tan. Imagine a Facebook application that allowed these tanning enthusiasts to tint their pasty profile pictures with a faux bronze glow.
No big deal? Now imagine a similar app inviting Indian men to lighten their skin.
If you just uncomfortably shifted in your seat, took offense, or spat an expletive at your computer screen, you’re not alone.
Vaseline’s new skin-lightening app for Facebook users in India is causing a ton of controversy. Created to promote Vaseline Men UV Whitening Body Lotion, the company argues the app is a harmless exploration of their new product. “Much like self-tanning products in North America and Europe, skin lightening products are culturally relevant in India,” the company said in a statement. “In India, men use these products to lighten and even out their natural skin tone and to reduce the appearance of spots while protecting their skin from the sun.”
While I absolutely don’t know enough about Indian culture to form an educated opinion on the matter, I do know that something about the concept irks me. And it has nothing to do with whether or not people choose to alter their skin color, but with how Vaseline is framing the decision.
The "Be Prepared" app invites users to upload a picture, lighten their skin, and "PREPARE your avatar for different occasions."
The text on their web site reads, “A fair complexion has always been associated with success and popularity. Men and women alike desire fairness, it is believed to be the key to a successful life.”
Whether or not anyone believes that seems irrelevant. I don’t need a company explicitly telling me (or my Indian friends) what to desire. The issue may be “culturally relevant,” but the company is still gleefully exploiting peoples’ insecurities and making big bucks off of them.
So is the app “unacceptably racist,” as Kunnath Santhosh, creator of his own protest page, alleges? Or is it just an international interpretation of beauty, no different from the GTL of “Jersey Shore” (that’s gym, tanning, and laundry for anyone not well-versed in the wise words of The Situation)?
Blame it on the alcohol. Or the insanely sexist media messages seen in this guy's video.
Jamie Foxx blamed it on the alcohol. About-Face fan Elizabeth Dodd blames it on pervasive sexist viewpoints in the media.
Jamie has the honor of gracing our Gallery of Offenders, and Liz thinks there are plenty of others in the spotlight who deserve to join him.
Read what the New Zealander has to say about show business chauvinism:
Hi,
I just had to say I love your site and I agree with everything you are saying. In regard to the Jamie Foxx song/video: yes, it shows such a sexist point of view.
I feel that the balance of power is always going to be weighted in only one group’s favor: heterosexual men. In videos such as this one, there is often a cross-section of men portrayed that includes types that are “ordinary,” balding, overweight, dressed in silly costumes, etc. But there is usually only one type of woman shown (i.e. a gyrating, curvy, sexy, “hot” one).
This once again gives the message to society that men are okay no matter what they look and act like, while women have to look and act like super-sexy fantasies at all times.
When do we ever see a huge cross-section of women of all ages, sizes, and levels of ordinariness surrounded by only super-hot men?
There is only one group that would want to be in this scenario, and that’s heterosexual men. Only they would desperately want to be in this mix where there is no competition and it’s just them and their goofy mates.
I see this formula everywhere in the media — a huge variety of “acceptable” and “lovable” male characters and only attractive female ones. It’s never made clear that this is only one point of view made up of male fantasy and male sexuality; not fantasy and sexuality in general.
Just had to vent.
Cheers and thanks for your site. )
Liz in New Zealand
Thanks Liz! Check out the video that got this reader riled up:
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