Friday, January 30, 2009

Poor Jessica Simpson...

And I mean that with all seriousness. I am not being sarcastic or facetious at all...

What some people may not know about me is that I am a just as enthralled by pop culture, as I am by politics/social reform. I think it adds for an interesting mix when I can bring the two together. In all honesty, I wish I could be a cultural critic, and I can. I just need to have a lot more background knowledge, because I want to be able to back up what I'm saying. That's how I think. It's the history major/women's studies minor (soon to be grad student I hope...) nerd in me...

Ok, back story. Apparently every one's favorite former Mtv reality star, tuna fish mistaker, and Cowboys jinxer (sorry I live in Dallas and still can't get over the influence she has over Romo) Jessica Simpson has picked up some weight, and performed at a Chili festival last weekend. Ok. So? Well fans (if you would call someone a fan who openly criticizes you that) and the media have been in a ruckus over her weight gain. Ok? I'm trying to find out why this is bad and going to make her star fade even faster. She gained weight, but she is still healthy and very pretty. I have seen the pictures, and I am seriously trying to find out what is wrong. I mean I didn't like the outfit, but that's neither here nor there. Her sister, Ashlee, and her husband, Fall Out Boy drummer, Pete Wentz, as well as my favorite Armenian-American Kim Karadashian (haha), have made comments on the media's negative depiction of not only Jessica, but all women. Yes it is not sending a positive example to young girls, teenagers, young women, heck any woman, for the media to consistently blast women in the public for their weight or beauty. We should have seen this coming with the Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt nonsense. But I guess what is more disturbing is the fact that the media does it to a point where these female celebrities become addicted to God knows what in order to attain some unnatural standard of beauty. Remember Lindsey Lohan and Nicole Richie's epic battles with weight to the point they had to go to rehab.

As I sit and type this, I try to think of a way to wrap this up, but my mind is just wondering. Ok so it's something that Kim Kardashian said about Jessica Simpson that opened the can of worms. In the article I read today, it stated that Kardashian claims that she is twice the size of Simpson, and she is like she now wonders what do people think about her. Ok now this is where the woman's studies and history major nerd part in me comes out. Think about some of the famous ethnic minority female celebrities? Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce (whose weight goes up and down... but she is famous b/c she sang out being Bootylicious), Tyra Banks (who was also criticized for gaining weight... but that's another blog), Kim Kardashian, and Selma Hayek to name a few. They are all sex symbols, and why? The curves. Ok now think of a curvy modern White female celebrity that is considered a sex symbol? No seriously, I am thinking. Scarlett Johansson? Not really. That makes no sense that I literately can't think of one. And Pamela Anderson and her over-sized silicone chest doesn't count as curvy. No, wait. Jennifer Love Hewitt was named television's sexiest star last year, so there's my one.

On the other hand, think of legendary White sex symbols... My personal favorites b/c they are stunning and loved their work, Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, and both are and were considered curvy women. Monroe was a size 12 for crying out loud, and considered the sexiest woman who ever lived. So how have we moved from there to now? Jessica Simpson isn't even a size 12, and she is getting dragged through the mud and called fat left and right. While Kim Kardashian is claiming to be double the size of Simpson, is never referred to as fat in the media and people always applaud her for her body. So wait, what? There's a racial beauty double standard? Clearly there is.

I don't mean to be controversial or anything of that nature, it's honestly the truth. Look at the people that are considered sexy now. And put then put them in a "White" and "Minority" category, and while there are some that don't fit (Halle Berry, for one, is not that curvy), the fact still remains that women of color are allowed to have extra weight on them in certain places and folks, across the racial and class spectrum, love it. Then just think about people in your life as well, and see if it rings true. Why is that? Is it considered exotic? Is having a fuller figure and embracing it, but not being quote on quote fat, sexy b/c society believes one is promiscuous? B/c having hips and a behind is not fat, for a little fyi. I do wonder! Good questions, and I can't answer them.

I think about the FB note that my friend Mickey wrote last week, and it makes me even more upset b/c some thin women of color have come to not accept their bodies b/c they are ridiculed and mocked for being skinny. It's like they aren't living up to the minority beauty standard. It's all a bunch of nonsense. Word to the wise, accept your bodies ladies. Don't let society, your family, etc bring you down b/c what you look like. I follow the old saying "real women have curves" and Jay-Z logic "My physical is a shell", and always have even before he articulated it, so I never had any major body issues. I mean we all have insecurities, and things we want to improve, but that's life. I know what matters is what I believe in and how I treat others. Yes it is corny, but what matters is what's on the inside. I wish people would come to accept that and themselves, especially all my sistren. And yes that's a word. Hahaha.

peace.love.soul.

Allicia