Let’s play a little game. If someone said:
“Now that I’ve lost all that weight, I’m being hit on…”
“When I was bigger I was invisible.”
“I used to think people were intimidated by me, but the truth is they were just uncomfortable being around me because I was overweight.”
How much weight would you think this woman lost?
And before you answer, realize that the quotes came from Sophie Simmons (daughter of rock legend Gene Simmons) who less than a year ago was telling the New York Daily News “I grew up as a chubby kid and into a curvy girl. I have cellulite, stretch marks and freckles — and that’s fine with me.” and talking about how she “refused to refuses to have her images digitally manipulated.”
Oh how times have changed.
Now, nine months later, she is talking to the Daily Mail about the absolute life-changing magic of losing…wait for it…10 pounds. That was not a typo, she says all those changes in her life are because she is 10 pounds lighter.
You might think it ridiculous that she believes that 10 pounds would make that much difference, especially considering that some women’s weight fluctuates that much with bloating every month. You might wonder how it is remotely possible that a 10 pound weight loss is news. I think the secret is in this line
the 22-year-old – who is promoting her first single…
And there it is. She joins the club of celebrity women who promote body positivity when it gets them some press, then use weight loss to get themselves back on the front pages when they’ve got something new to promote, and, in most cases, come back to body positivity when they gain the weight back, only to start the cycle over.
These women are, of course allowed to do whatever they want with their bodies. I’m allowed to be frustrated that they aren’t willing to take a real stand against weight loss culture, I’m tired of seeing celebrities use the principles of my communities as a way to generate press between diets, I’m sad that these celebrities face this kind of pressure about their body size. I’m mostly angry with a culture that creates a world where women’s talent is a distant second to their ability to uphold some ridiculous photoshop-driven stereotype of beauty, where someone can get national press for becoming 10 pounds smaller; where the narrative, however ridiculous it may be, that people are uncomfortable around us because of 10 “extra” pounds, is something that is plausible enough to be put in print, even by a tabloid like The Daily Mail. I’m sick and tired of weight loss culture and, to be honest, the people who exploit it.
And just for the record, anyone who would be uncomfortable around me now, but wouldn’t be if I lost 10 pounds, or who wouldn’t be interested in me romantically now, but would if I lost 10 pounds, or really any amount of weight, can bite me.
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