Anyway, I find Diva as it’s usually applied pretty loaded, but I’m really into deconstructing language and looking at the ways in which it gets used against people. My assumption about why people don’t call Martha Stewart a diva is there is a belief that she is somehow entitled to all she has. Whereas when it’s used in the context that you mentioned and about the celebs you mention it comes across as suggesting they are demanding things they are not entitled.
I tend to see Diva as it’s often used as a way to police who should and shouldn’t have access to certain things and not really useful in addressing what can be at times some really problematic behavior, which I didn’t dispute Star Jones having!

As for the term “diva,” I didn’t realize it was a loaded term. When I think of “diva” I think of J. Lo, Mariah Carey, and Star Jones as being the classic divas. But those are, in fact, all women of color, which makes me curious. I would be very interested to hear what other people think about this. Is it a loaded term? Is there a reason nobody really calls Martha Stewart a diva? (Or do they?)

Star Jones is definitely not the hill I want to die on, either. But I can’t think of another celebrity who’s been quite as “gimme free crap” as Star Jones. I mean I remember her trying to get tons of endorsements for her wedding and I feel she’s kind of in a league of her own.

I’m not uncomfortable with the idea that I might be off about Star Jones, but to be honest the argument on the other side has never been entirely too compelling. Wearing fur, not the wisest most appropriate choice.

And your last comment, seems kind of a weird thing to say to a black woman making these observations based on her own experiences with how fat black women are perceived.

My goal isn’t to make Star Jones likeable. I don’t even care for that much, but criticisms about her are not about who she’s married to or why she didn’t tell everyone about how she lost weight or anything other than some ideological beliefs that don’t mesh with mine.

but what do I know.

That’s not to say I don’t appreciate your challenging stereotypes when you see them–and if there are problematic assumptions being made, I’d love to address them. But to me, Star Jones definitely does not equal all celebrities, all black women, or all fat women. She’s a phenomenon all her own.