This is Not Fat

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I’m interrupting my regularly scheduled blogging to discuss….

 

Have you heard about the media storm brewing over Jessica Simpson’s latest performance at a Chili Cook-off in Florida?  Apparently, she’s "fat" now.   Judge for yourself:

jessica simpson kiss country chili cookoff 06

jessica simpson kiss country chili cookoff 09

OK – I will concede those pants are not flattering (and neither is the belt combo), but this poor girl is NOT fat.  And calling beautiful woman like Jessica Simpson fat surely gives many American women a serious complex. 

 

(I’m playing devil’s advocate here…. ) OR is the media in the right?  Is this kind of discussion acceptable? She is a celebrity, after all… which means everything she does (or eats) is fair game. 

 

And this is the cartoon featured in the NY Post today:

jess.jpg

Is that cartoon for real?  It is suppose to be serious? Or funny? Or a satire?  I *think* it might be a satire, but I can’t be sure!  Anyway, it’s horribly offensive.

 

Have you read about Jessica Simpson’s apparent "fatness"?  What do you think?   Weigh in! (Ha ha)

{ 84 comments }

 

  • Erica January 28, 2009, 11:58 am

    oh my gosh this makes me sooooo angry. Why do girls have weight issues…hmmm I have no idea. Grrr. I love J simpson…even if she isn’t the smartest cookie and I think she is beautiful!

  • Marissa January 28, 2009, 12:00 pm

    She is in no way near fat! The media is terrible!

  • Meghann January 28, 2009, 12:02 pm

    Ughh.. She’s not fat! I mean granted it isn’t the bet picture and a really unflattering outfit but shes not fat! I hate how the media scrutinizes people like that. Thank God I’m not famous I don’t think I could handle it.

  • *Andrea* January 28, 2009, 12:03 pm

    i’m SO glad you posted about this. so ridiculous! she’s absolutely beautiful and always will be. i agree the outfit is not flattering at all and she has been thinner in the past but clearly this is NOT fat!!! ahhhh i’m so mad.. especially since men write half the articles grrr

  • Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) January 28, 2009, 12:07 pm

    Completely ridiculous! Makes me happy that I’m not in the media.

    Also makes me think that I need, need, need to move out of L.A.!

  • jane January 28, 2009, 12:11 pm

    I totally agree with you- the media disgusts me. There are millions of Americans who are legitimately obese, and yet we are calling Jessica Simpson FAT? Huh?! Finally we have a girl who is in between scary thin and overweight, but no, we can’t laud her for achieving a healthy weight, we must call her a fat cow. But don’t worry, next week she’ll be on the cover of US Weekly with a new and improved thin body and an article about how she took up the gym for hours a day and some stupid low-carb diet. This is why I don’t read those stupid magazines!
    Phew, well thanks for giving me a chance to vent πŸ™‚

  • PRT January 28, 2009, 12:13 pm

    I really think that this has gone too far. Maybe she has gained weight, I really don’t care; but what I really care is that people are saying that she is fat.
    I admit that her clothes are not her best decision and probably with other wardrobe we wouldn’t be talking about this issue, but going from bad choice of wardrobe to fat is going too far.
    I’m not a fan of Jessica Simpson, maybe the opposite; but things are getting to a point where you either are a size 0 or you’re “fat”. That’s not the world where I want my kids grow up.

    Another issue is the NY post cartoon. I can’t believe that a “serious” newspaper decides to print that cartoon. Really, really sad.

  • Rose January 28, 2009, 12:19 pm

    Ugggh, you have to be kidding me! What is up with the media? I mean, granted – those clothes aren’t that flattering. But fat? Come on. This is the kind of stuff that really bothers me about America….

    Thanks for posting!

  • livelaughlyss January 28, 2009, 12:23 pm

    disgusting. gaining weight does not automatically make you fat! and she even admitted that when she was a bit “thinner” she was exercising like a mad woman. NOT HEALTHY! grrrrrrrrrr… i saw this on E! last night and had to shut it off for my sanity. check out my latest post and look at the ridiculous advertisement i found on facebook today. WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TOO!?

    hope you’re having a great day caitlin πŸ™‚

  • Simple and Divine January 28, 2009, 12:23 pm

    You know what, that cartoon is FUCKING sick. Excuse my French, but this is what women get? This S0CIETY is in the wrong. To empower people to do these things… T0 PAY THEM? SHAMEFUL. I pray for Jessica Simpson that she handles this well… Actually no. I pray that she’ll NEVER see this cartoon. Though I know that is wishful thinking…

  • eatingbender January 28, 2009, 12:26 pm

    That cartoon makes me SO mad!!! I saw those pictures the other day and wanted to scream. Yes, they are unflaterring pants…but she is not fat!! I can’t believe someone would stoop that low in a cartoon, even if it was supposed to be satirical. Honestly, do you think that if Jessica Simpson and/or Tony Romo see that, they are going to just laugh it off? BUTT OUT, people!! Thank you for bringing this up.

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 12:30 pm

    Definitely do not think she is fat, just a case of a curvier woman not knowing the best clothes for her body type.

    I think however, that I would feel a lot worse about it if I had more respect for her as a person.

  • dailygoods January 28, 2009, 12:30 pm

    she is definitely not fat! as soon as an unflattering picture comes out they race to say how fat she is. but when she was very thin, they can’t stop talking about how she has a problem. its really a no win situation for these celebrities, and that makes me feel bad for them. It must be hard to deal with that much pressure and knowing that no matter what you do, it’ll never be right.

  • lauren January 28, 2009, 12:37 pm

    I was just looking at this picture today. I will say that I hate the way high-waisted pants look on anyone. But she is NOT fat. It is horrible – the cartoon is plain cruel. It makes me sick to my stomach.

  • chasedaylight January 28, 2009, 12:38 pm

    I totally agree with you Caitlin..she’s not fat at all! Actually, she looks quite healthy to me! Not the most flattering outfit, agreed, but not even close to “fat”.

  • girlrunningaround January 28, 2009, 12:38 pm

    Fat? No. Bad clothes and bad camera angle? Yes. The media needs to leave the poor girl alone.

  • JENNA January 28, 2009, 12:40 pm

    This is a great post to get people talking!! She by no means is fat! It’s so sad for young girls to have to think stick thin girls are the norm and thats how every girl should look!! The media plays such a sick game with all of us!! Jessica has always had body image struggles and imagine how she feels when she reads stuff like that?! She is so beautiful!!

    I also find it very interesting that there is such high rate of obesity here in the USA and yet every where we look there are skinny skinny models shoved in our face or people telling us that J.Simpson is sooo *fat!

    Regardless, I think calling this young beautiful person is so horrible! It’s definetly sending the wrong message to all men and women!

  • mealsfromthegirlinthelittleblackdress January 28, 2009, 12:41 pm

    I agree. I am PISSED OFF. WHO CARES if she put on a little weight? She is still gorgeous. I am absolutely livid. WHenever I see it on legitimate news stations (the NYT?!!! COme on!!!) I think- and you people wonder why so many girls have eating disorders? Frankly, I get so depressed when I look at the media and only see size 0’s- it’s no wonder I had to be anorexic to stay that size- it appears to be the only size there is in Hollywood. Man am I angry.

    Thank you for posting this- much love.

  • Jaclyn January 28, 2009, 12:42 pm

    I love what her former trainer said:

    “We all go a little bit up and a little bit down,” Hollywood trainer Harley Pasternak said. “But she’s healthy. She’s still sexy. She’s still a beautiful woman. And I have no problem with the way she looks. I think if more people looked the way she looks now, the country would be a lot healthier.”

  • Leila January 28, 2009, 12:44 pm

    I honestly think it’s ridiculous that it’s still politically correct to make fun of or comment on other’s people’s weight. It would be another thing if there was something wrong with her health because she was at an unhealthy weight, but that’s different altogether. Plus, you’d never see them do the same thing to a guy. Ever!

    I think you’re totally right, this is completely out of line!

  • Katherine January 28, 2009, 12:47 pm

    That actually almost made me cry.

  • brandi January 28, 2009, 12:47 pm

    I think it’s ridiculous how flak she is getting over these pictures!

    So what if she’s a few lbs heavier than last year – she is by no means “fat”.

    I’m with Meghann – I’m so glad I’m not famous – I could not deal with people doing this stuff about me all the time. Horrible!

  • Julie January 28, 2009, 12:49 pm

    Those have to be the ugliest pants I have ever laid eyes on.

    She is not fat, she is perfectly healthy looking if you ask me. In the media you are either too fat or too thin…there is no happy medium. They just need something to talk about and celebs to pick on. It’s sick.

  • Krista January 28, 2009, 12:50 pm

    While her pants are TRULY awful, she is not fat. Period. I actually think she looks alot more “real” now.

    Don’t people have better things to write about in newspapers these days?!

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 1:00 pm

    I am really not trying to be devil’s advocate here… and the cartoon is awful, disgusting, and no one deserves it.

    I was at the Chili Cookoff. She looks like she has let herself go in relation to her former shape/size. She is short so it must go on pretty quickly (weight). I was more shocked by her face. She just looked nothing like her former self really.

    Now, that said, the media is too super harsh on it. Is she “fat?” No. When you are famous and a celebrity do you have to deal with this sort of thing and develop thick skin? Yes.

    Please don’t flame me. Haha. πŸ™‚

  • Leading Lady Lis January 28, 2009, 1:01 pm

    I love Jessica Simpson (not her music so much) because she IS one of those curvier gorgeous women in Hollywood. Not many women in Hollywood today have the guts to truly try to be themselves curves, a bit of tummy fat and all! Women’s bodies are not meant to be fatless and I think she’s beautiful simply for making the choice to be okay with having a woman’s body.

    Horrible, horrible pants though- they’d make anyone look bad.

  • Sarah January 28, 2009, 1:01 pm

    I feel so bad for Jessica. I’m not even a huge fan of hers, but I’m sure that it must be terrible to have the media scrutinize your weight. Perhaps she did gain a few pounds, but so what? Nobody should care that much. Plus, that cartoon is terrible and really irresponsible. Guaranteed that if a male celebrity gained a bit of weight, he wouldn’t be called fat.

  • Sarah (lovINmytummy) January 28, 2009, 1:03 pm

    WHAT?! That is ridiculous. The cartoon is especially offensive. Is it any wonder so many girls and women suffer from ED? I want to slap the illustrator of that cartoon and sit down and explain to him the emotional and physical torture that so many females and their families have been through because of attitudes like his. Ugh.

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point January 28, 2009, 1:04 pm

    i am very much enjoying reading everyone’s thoughts on this subject! it’s nice to read different views about this because i think everyone makes a good point in their own way.

    do i think she put weight on? obviously. do i think she’s fat? no. so what’s my issue? my issue is that i think this kind of talk is essentially FAT TALK, which you all know i hate. and i wonder what this kind of talk does to our younger generation of women. it’s sad, and it truly disgusts me that “serious” newspapers are engaging in this type of talk.

  • Keiko January 28, 2009, 1:10 pm

    Ok here’s the deal. I know you guys are all going to hate me, but here it is anyway.
    Obesity in America is getting ridiculous. I live in New York, where most people (and almost all younger people) are thin (not anorexic!), healthy, and sexy. In any other country, people would call Jessica Simpson in that photo overweight or fat, and there wouldn’t be a huge problem.
    Jessica Simpson is wearing humongous heels in that picture and still manages (in my opinion) to look overweight.
    I think you can be overweight and beautiful, but it’s important to acknowledge the overweight part.
    As a celebrity, it’s kind of part of her job to be perfect. If that’s perfection, then we have another generation of overweight children ahead of us.

    Having said all that, “fat” is a bit harsh.

  • meghanN January 28, 2009, 1:21 pm

    THANK YOU! It’s so ironic because I was LITERALLY just in a meeting with three guys and a girl and at the end on of the guys showed the picture of Jessica and asked what we thought. The girl next to me was like OMG she is SO fat she has bulges blah blah blah. Honestly there is a difference between being healthy and having some meat on your bones and being stick thin. Jessica is healthy, beautiful and it’s so sad that people are so judgemental

  • Christy January 28, 2009, 1:28 pm

    Oh, it completely outrages me! The biggest reason that American women are stuck in the “diet, binge, gain weight, feel worse about themselves” cycle is the media! Seriously. Jessica is absolutely GORGEOUS and is still slimmer than the average American woman according to statistics. So that begs the question: When your average beautiful woman sees the media hating on Jessica for being “fat” how in the world does she feel? It makes me sick.

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 1:34 pm

    I’m not the biggest fan of Jessica, but when I saw this it made me sad..
    She’s gained a few pound’s, and her stylist obviously didn’t assist her picking an outfit for that occasion.
    FAT..she’s not at all..maybe that’s her True body type..maybe she starved herself to look the way she has for year’s!!
    Frankly I was Morbidly Obese for 10 yrs..fat yes, but still one of the most painful experiences of my life..people were so cruel in public, that I wanted to crawl in a hole and die..but I didn’t~I had children to take care of, and that meant going to work everyday..I had already survived an ex-husband who told me I was a FAT PIG on a daily basis..I will struggle with my weight till the day I die..Food will always be my DRUG OF CHOICE, when I’m sad,happy etc..I’ve spent year’s in therapy trying to figure this out!!

    SO..my take on the media is..it’s more acceptable to be a drinker,gambler,drug addict,etc..but don’t show us your FAT..even if you’re not..
    If the wealthiest woman in the world “OPRAH” battles with her weight.and she’s not stupid…You think society would figure out, it’s not an easy problem to solve..
    Why does the Media and the public have to be so cruel..
    I hope when Jessica saw this, it didn’t crush her Spirit..it doesn’t take much to hurt someone deeply and cause damage!

    Sorry for going on and on~it’s a painful subject to me..

  • Victoria January 28, 2009, 1:35 pm

    Nope. not fat, just a really poor choice of clothing. Although I disagree with the media’s portrayal, and I can see how it may be damaging to some people, I do think it’s part of what you choose when you live a life of celebrity. Plus, you know, first amendment rights and whatnot.

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point January 28, 2009, 1:36 pm

    anon – i want to reach out and hug you!!! stay strong and positive.

  • Katherine January 28, 2009, 1:38 pm

    Just to put it out there.

    How many of us have a blog where we mention “maintaining an XX weight loss”? Before and after photos, I was 10lbs heavier in college, etc. Maybe we can use our blogs as a gateway to actually health and stear away from advertising our weight (unless your blog is about weight loss and is geared towards helping others lose weight healthily). This thought is not complete, but I will leave it at this.

  • ks January 28, 2009, 1:39 pm

    I have to agree with Anonymous here..I do think we’ve come to have a really skewed vision of fat, thin, normal, whatever. Now that said, I certainly don’t think Jessica Simpson is fatÒ€”.

    But in response to the media haters: come on, the Post is hardly a classy newspaper. When some reputable outlet starts calling her a hog, maybe I’ll take offense.

  • Tami January 28, 2009, 1:41 pm

    she isn’t fat but that picture isn’t the greatest. people get obessed with things, like saying michelle obama’s dress wasn’t great (that was the first story that the today show ran at 8am the day after the election) isn’t there better things to talk about

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point January 28, 2009, 1:42 pm

    ks – the “reputable” media outlets are calling her a fat hog. i saw pieces on Foxnews (well…) as well as CNN.

    katherine – good point! i DO mention several places on my blog that i am maintaining a weight loss, but i try really hard not to advertise numbers or get too caught up in that talk on the blog, because i dont get caught up with it in real life. i do think there is some validity to talking about maintenance (because it isnt easy), especially for a fitness and food blog like mine, but i do think you’re right — as bloggers, we emphasize it a wee too much.

  • Amy January 28, 2009, 1:46 pm

    I heard the discussion on the radio yesterday but didn’t see the picture until now. She is not fat at all! It’s an unflattering outfit but physically I think she looks beautiful. They did the same media thing to Kelly Clarkson (my personal fave famous person) last year and I thought she looked fine too. Some people have weights that may fluctuate a bit but it’s not reason for the media to go crazy over it. It makes me so mad sometimes!

  • Meg January 28, 2009, 1:47 pm

    I think commenting on anyone’s weight is horrible! And…she is defnitely not fat!

  • ks January 28, 2009, 1:52 pm

    Really?? My bad! Thanks for filling me in, Caitlin!

  • Erin January 28, 2009, 1:55 pm

    Thanks for posting this. It really is ridiculous how obsessed with weight Americans are. She looks normal, not fat. But no one is happy with normal. I think she looks healthy and at an average weight. It’s a shame that collectively our country isn’t a fan of that.

  • Andrea January 28, 2009, 1:57 pm

    I heard on the radio today that she is now a size 8. Which is so far from fat. However, I do think that outfit is horrible and does noting to show just that size eight is great and that curves are our friends.

  • Natalie Rae January 28, 2009, 1:58 pm

    I am totally onboard with your thinking on this- i looked at the pbotos and noted that she had a little extra paddin and the pants weren’t flattering- but I would still consider her thin- it is ridiculous!

  • Carrie H January 28, 2009, 2:00 pm

    Check out the photo at the bottom of this story:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1127535/Jessica-Simpsons-bigger-star-shows-new-curvier-figure.html

    Here Jessica is Hollywood skinny and, frankly, sickly looking. I prefer the woman we see today for all the reasons you all have already stated.

  • Janet January 28, 2009, 2:05 pm

    Ok, those pants are bad but she is in no way fat, even if she’s gained a few. I dont’ really like her (she bugs me), but this is totally ridiculous. That cartoon is mean and degrading! I like what Ashlee had to say: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.eonline.com/81130-

    Although, we all know in a few months Jessica will be on the cover of Us Weekly with the headline “How I dropped 15 lbs in 10 weeks!”

  • Sara January 28, 2009, 2:05 pm

    She’s definately NOT fat and those are definately NOT cute pants! :)I think she looks “healthier” than she has in the past and that’s a great thing, because she was too skinny at one point.

  • Heather McD (Heather Eats Almond Butter) January 28, 2009, 2:06 pm

    So sad. Jessica is beautiful – so she’s doesn’t look like the skeleton she was while filming the Dukes of Hazzard? So what, girl’s got amazing curves. I guarantee any guy passing her on the street would do a double take. The media is just plain mean!

  • Lindsay January 28, 2009, 2:10 pm

    yes, she weighs more than she has in the past. yes, for some reason she keeps trying to bring unflattering high waisted pants into vogue. But no way is she “fat”. I would say she is probably at her medically healthy weight. If the media wants to make an issue of this photo, make it about the clothes before you make it about the weight. She’s got MANY MANY more pounds to go before she can be called heavy.

  • Alex January 28, 2009, 2:15 pm

    I agree that the media is being extremely harsh with its criticism, and surely if I were a celebrity, reports on my weight fluctuations would be the worst part about it.

    That said, while I wouldn’t call her fat, if you look at all of the pictures from the event, it is clear that this is more than just an unflattering outfit and a few extra pounds. I would have to disagree with most and say that she is likely outside of the “healthy” weight range for her height now. As harsh as it is, maybe seeing these pictures and being faced with the (admittedly despicable) media will be a wake-up call for her.

  • Amelia (AC/DC: Highways to Health) January 28, 2009, 2:23 pm

    Ugh that cartoon is horrible. I think this media discussion of Jessica Simpson’s weight is ridiculous. She is not fat. Also, she’s actually a decent role model for young girls, so why does the media need to mock her? Just sick.

  • MyRunningJourney January 28, 2009, 2:24 pm

    Ok, the jeans are pretty horrible, but she is beatiful and looks great!!

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 2:30 pm

    Jessica definitely does not look “fat” but you can’t deny that she looks like she put on about 15-20lbs. She was probably around 10lbs too light when she played daisy duke in dukes of hazard, which is what the media was comparing her weight now to. Celebrities are put on under a lot of pressure to be perfect and it does produce unrealistic standards of beauty.

  • JustJen January 28, 2009, 2:38 pm

    I am so thankful I’m not famous and no one scrutinizes me weight gains and losses. This poor woman, the media has been on her for her weight gain and loss many times over the years and I hope she’s just happy in her body and that’s that.

  • Jewels January 28, 2009, 2:59 pm

    i makes me angry too, she is definitely not fat. I think she is embracing how she is meant to be naturally. She has said in the past when she is skinny she is unhppy.

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 3:01 pm

    well…to be fair, i see their point..she is fat for jessica simpson, who has always been super skinny, but if i saw a random girl on the street this size, i would say she was normal, if not skinny…I think its just a combination of a bad outfit choice, and the media looking for stories.

  • ML Welz January 28, 2009, 3:19 pm

    I can’t believe (but I can) the media is scrutinizing her! She is NOT fat. Yes, she has put on some weight, but she looks healthy. I thought putting on some weight, wasn’t a bad idea for her. She was wwaayyyyyy skinny in Duke of Hazards. You’re right…. the jeans and belt probably wouldn’t have been what I would have picke dout for her, but whatever…. she’s not fat.

  • Jaime January 28, 2009, 3:20 pm

    hey lady! i totally agree with you! the media is jsut terrible! as for your sneaker situation– i “ran” into the same problem– hehe my sneaks were 1/2 size too small! i get my feet fitted by an ex olympic runner — i usually wear an 8-8 1/2 shoe and when he told me i needed a 9 i didn’t believe it! i bought the 8 1/2 and my toes hurt so bad– i actually ended up injurin my knees! i went back and switched for the 9s and they worked out great! (those were asics)– since then i’ve upgraded to the asics kayano which run a bit smaller so i wear a 9 1/2 in them! i’ve been running 5 miles at least 6 days a week for almost 3 years and the right sneaks r sooo important because one minor injury just leads to a lot of other problems! i hope this helps and im sure you will be feelin better in no time! beautiful wedding pics by the way

  • Jaime January 28, 2009, 3:22 pm

    ps just read a little more– i feel stupid because you figured out what the problem was! sorry to ramble! hehe but so glad you got it solved!

  • Jen January 28, 2009, 3:39 pm

    Its so sad what the media will say …. it is a no wonder the pressure to be "perfect and thin" is put on so many young girls and women these days… Jessica is far from fat, she has beautiful curves and shows them well with great confidence <—that is so important! Thin does NOT make one happy and THIN does not equal beautiful.
    Now, her outfit is not very nice and yes it appears she has put on some weight but WHO IS ANYONE TO JUDGE HER?

  • HangryPants January 28, 2009, 3:49 pm

    Hi!

    Her outfit is terribly unflattering, but in my opinion, she is NOt fat. It is things like this that make anyone who is not flat all around feel uncomfortable and judged.

    Now, does she deserve to be called out like this? No. She is a person and that cartoon is disgusting and hurtful. But, keep in mind all the stories that circulated about how she lost weight/”got fit” for Dukes of hazard. So, I guess she sort of put herself out there as being into the Five Factor diet and whatever else she did. Also,I guarantee you that in a couple months we will be bombarded with stories of Jessica Simpson’s weight loss diet and exercise routine and how she did it for herself. Jennifer Love Hewitt anyone?

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 3:57 pm

    I totally agree she is not fat and the media is ridic. However, I also get REALLY SICK of celebs who make a huge deal of themselves when they ARE in shape. Of course it’s then painfully obvious when they gain weight like normal people. They have to be willing to take the good with the bad….right or wrong. Oprah is a prime example of this.

  • Red Head, Yellow Dog January 28, 2009, 4:12 pm

    That cartoon is really awful. I don’t understand how people can be so cruel to one another. Just because she’s famous doesn’t give everyone a free ticket to broadcast hurtful things. I DON’T UNDERSTAND PEOPLE!

    and the new york times?? I feel as though they’ve published tons of articles about the pressure being put on women by the media to be thin. hypocrisy anyone?

    This makes me angry.

  • Anonymous January 28, 2009, 4:14 pm

    Okay, let me start with I agree with everyone, the outfit is super unflattering but she also probably has put on a little weight. My favorite part about this all though (and favorite is sarcastic, yes) is that magazines also jump on girls who are too skinny! Don’t get me wrong, I agree that most celebs are too skinny and need to eat, but, honestly, what does the media want then?! It’s just so interesting to me because one week there’s a special: “Hollywood Celebs Scary Skinny!” and the next “Jessica Simpson is Fat!” It’s crazy! Why is weight such a key issue in magazines, and how can anyone be “just right” with all these mixed messages? I remember when Nicole Richie got pregnant and everyone was speculating, all I could think was “this poor girl has been accused of being anorexic, and now that she’s putting on a little weight she’s being accused of being pregnant!” Clearly, I was out of the loop because she was pregnant, but I just can’t figure out what would make reporters happy these days. Crazy world we live in.

  • ksgoodeats January 28, 2009, 4:34 pm

    Okay – it’s not the most flattering angle/outfit BUT I think the “cartoon” went waaaayyyyy too far. So what if her music is well known, why do they need to comment on her physical looks? There’s a media double standard that is just awful!

  • AnnieT January 28, 2009, 5:26 pm

    This is just like last year when someone took a picture of Tyra Banks and called her fat. Agree that it is completely the wrong thing to be showing young girls and probably adding to their problems with self esteem. Why didn’t the picture mention that J Simpson was a great singer? That was, after all, what she was doing!

  • Erin of Care to Eat January 28, 2009, 5:30 pm

    That is disgusting. And I definitely don’t meant JS’s sweet ass. That makes me so pissed.

  • likesprinkles January 28, 2009, 5:34 pm

    Ugh. Yeah, I was pretty disgusting when I saw that. As if each and every one of us don’t have some kind of body issue whether is be too thin, too heavy, too tall, too short, etc. She’s by no means fat even in horribly unflattering pants.

    And besides, Perez posting that crap? He should check the number on his waistband before he starts talking about someone else’s weight.

  • Bridget January 28, 2009, 5:45 pm

    It’s definitely not the most flattering outfit, but she is by no means fat! Yes, she has put on some pounds since her Dukes of Hazard days, but even she has admitted that she worked out a TON then and really didn’t enjoy it.

  • Trojan January 28, 2009, 5:51 pm

    Its a load of crap but so normal in our twisted society. I’m an actress and the pressue is INTENSE..the scrutiny sometimes hard to take.

    Then all these beautiful little girls hear/read this smack and they go on a diet at age 7.

    Wish we could all rise above this crap…

    Glad you posted this!
    Barbara

  • thelongweigh January 28, 2009, 6:00 pm

    I hate this. I agree that the outfit was a bad choice. It is not flattering at all. But she is not fat. That cartoon is so out of line and ridiculous. Yes, it looks like she gained a few pounds, but she is not even near the word fat. I hate the fact that girls of all ages everywhere look at things like this and think “If she’s fat, what am I?” No one is allowed to be normal and healthy. Especially in hollywood, if youre not a size nothing, then you must either be pregnant or fat and disgusting. I dont even like Jessica Simpson but no one should have to deal with that crap.

  • jen a. January 28, 2009, 6:32 pm

    I can’t be mad at the new york post. I really think it’s meant to be satire so, really, they’re making fun of people for calling jessica fat.

    i think they’re just doing it with some with wit

  • Vegan On Stage January 28, 2009, 6:56 pm

    hey, I found your blog via “meals from the girl in the little black dress”

    I think this is ridiculous. She is a beautiful and talented woman. This is the reason that so many young women struggle with weight issues and eating disorders.

  • Mica January 28, 2009, 8:01 pm

    I would just like to weigh in and say that the media do not post things that (most) people don’t want to read. It would not be in their financial interest. While it is certainly sad that her “fat-ness” is such a huge headline, it is not entirely the fault of the media.

    It’s easy to blame the media, but we should really be looking at the source–where in society do we get these ideas about what is fat and what is thin?

  • Emily January 28, 2009, 10:18 pm

    I’m with you ~ She’s not fat, she’s just wearing an incredibly unflattering outfit.

  • Anonymous January 29, 2009, 12:57 pm

    First off, Jessica is in no way fat. Yes, she looks a little heavier than when she was only 100 pounds, which is probably a good thing. Also, I just found this entire cartoon ridiculous. It says Perez Hilton across the front. Has anyone ever seen him? I could care less about his weight, but he’s a mess of a human being. He should probably look in the mirror before posting photos to his blog of whatever.

  • Kristin January 29, 2009, 7:15 pm

    I think she is beautiful… even if I don’t particularly like her. I don’t think what she’s wearing is flattering but she is by no means fat. Media is so pathetic and disappointing. We need some real journalism on real issues! I hate what I call, slum reporting!

  • princessvalecia January 29, 2009, 9:10 pm

    ok lets just say that she is….the majority of our country is and embarassing someone is not how you get them to be healthy THIS right here is why little girls diet and starve themselves the media should be more responsible with the things they put out for the public to see

  • Anonymous January 29, 2009, 11:51 pm

    thank god jessica has got a good personality and talent to fall back on. NOT

  • Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point January 30, 2009, 4:23 am

    anon – i think you kind of missed the point.

  • Mom January 30, 2009, 1:06 pm

    Caitlin, I love your new blog address!!! Also, thank you for commenting on how the media “abuses” woman regarding their physical size. Jessica Simpson is several sizes smaller than the “average” american woman. You’re right on the negative effect that type of focus has on both women and men.

  • Anonymous July 14, 2009, 6:36 am

    This is what happens when someone builds their career on being super model thin when they are young. Jessica has no one to blame but herself for the way she presented herself to the public earlier on. Now that she can't live up to the hype of un-realistic beauty in America you people call her "poor"?

    She is a casualty of her own sword and all you people defending her from the FAT POLICE should be condeming her to LIE IN THE BED SHE HELPED CREATE.

  • Anonymous August 6, 2009, 1:27 pm

    THATS A HUGE BITCH

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