Christina worked a Zac Posen gown at the 2010 Emmy Awards.
Yes, I’m on a Christina Hendricks kick.
Can you blame me?
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.” (more…)
September 2nd, 2010
Whitney Thompson (right) and Chenese Lewis take it all off to promote Love Your Body Day.
Trying to find a correlation between those two things normally gives me a headache.
But “ANTM”‘s first plus-size winner, Whitney Thompson, is trying to bring body acceptance to the masses as the face—and, duh, body—of the 5th Annual Hollywood National Organization for Women (NOW) Love Your Body Day.
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? (more…)
August 31st, 2010
"In Touch" pits Kardashian vs. Kardashian in a battle of the bodies.
“Body Jealousy, Sisters at War!”
This is InTouch Weekly’s latest headline. The article claims that Kim and Kourtney Kardashian are in a weight war, battling it out to see who can be the slimmest.
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? (more…)
August 26th, 2010
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. (more…)
August 26th, 2010
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.
(more…)
August 24th, 2010
Join the About-Face team!
Love what we do? Want to know how to help? Oh, and did you need school credit, too? We may have a solution. Become an About-Face intern!
New opportunities for the fall have just been posted, and you might be one of the smart, enthusiastic, ambitious students we need! Read the descriptions below, and find out more on our website. (more…)
August 19th, 2010
Arika (left) and Danika take action in Denver, CO.
There’s nothing we like to see more than About-Face supporters take action!
Check out 16-year-old cousins Danika and Arika making good use of our Covert Dressing Room Action Kit at a mall near Denver, CO. The girls told us a bit about what motivated them to act, and we hope you find their words as inspiring as we do.
If you need even more encouragement to hit your own local dressing room armed with decals (you can find them here), watch the video of our Summer 2009 Take Action group.
(more…)
August 19th, 2010
Proenza Schouler's new ad campaign features a model who seems to have misplaced her waist.
: 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. (more…)
August 17th, 2010
Julie, Leona, Anansa, and Lizzie share their stories for "The Changing Face of Fashion" video series.
They’ve been around for nearly a century, count 3.3 million members worldwide, and are considered a preeminent leadership development organization.
In case the only thing you know about the Girl Scouts is their unwavering dedication to supplying America with Thin Mints, it’s time to learn more.
With the help of four Wilhelmina Curve models (the agency’s division of women size 10 and up), Girl Scouts of the USA created The Changing Face of Fashion, a series of videos that explore self-esteem and personal empowerment.
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 Institute revealed 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. (more…)
August 12th, 2010
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. (more…)
August 10th, 2010
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