Penelope, Hayley, and Sophia Stand Up For Teenage Girls Of All Sizes
This seems to be the week for celebrity women to advocate for body positivity—or at least, it’s the week I found all these links!
First off, from Becky on Twitter comes this story about Penelope Cruz, who says you don’t have to be thin to be pretty.
“I would close down all those teenage magazines that encourage young girls to diet. Who says that to be pretty you have to be thin? Some people look better thin and some don’t. There is almost a standard being created where only thin is acceptable. The influence of those magazines on girls as young as 13 is horrific.”
I could argue (at length) about the comment that “Some people look better thin and some don’t,” because I think that’s problematic. Also the word “almost” in that bolded sentence. But the fact that she’s pissed off about this and speaking out is pretty awesome.
Via CDAN comes this letter from Sophia Bush about those ridiculous “Eat Less” shirts from Urban Outfitters.
I am fortunate enough to star on a wonderful TV show called One Tree Hill. I play a fashion designer named Brooke Davis, who started a campaign on the show called “Zero Is Not A Size” and the outpouring of love and gratitude that came my way from girls and women ALL OVER THE WORLD who have body image issues brought me to tears.
To promote starvation? To promote anorexia, which leads to heart disease, bone density loss, and a slew of other health problems, not least of all psychological issues that NEVER go away? Shame on you. I will no longer be shopping at your stores. And I will encourage the tens of thousands of female supporters I have to do the same. I have fought to boycott BP. I never imagined I would also be boycotting affordable fashion.
You should issue a public apology, and make a hefty donation to a women’s organization that supports those stricken with eating disorders. I am sickened that anyone, on any board, in your gigantic company would have voted ‘yes’ on such a thing, let alone enough of you to manufacture an item with such a hurtful message.
I’m hoping (and assuming) “Zero Is Not A Size” is not against very slim women, but instead against the idea that the size for these women has that name. But I don’t watch One Tree Hill so one of you might have to fill me in. Anyway, it sounds like Sophia Bush is very engaged with the world, and trying to use her celebrity to effect some positive change. That’s awesome.
And finally, Hayley Hasselhoff talks about the awesomeness that is Huge, and how she embraces her curves.
I related to Amber [her character] a lot when I was younger growing up, but I think I’m finally at a point in life where I’m comfortable with who I am… I’m so glad there’s a show that teenagers can look up to young girls and realize it’s okay to be voluptuous.
Three celebrities speaking out and telling teens it’s okay to be who you are? Feels like a Feel Good Friday to me.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, Fashion, Fat Positive, Fatism, Feel Good Friday, Feminism, Gossip, Hayley Hasselhoff, Huge, International, Kids, Magazines, TV
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With this: “Some people look better thin and some don’t” I think she meant more like, you look good at whatever size you’re meant to be. ie: if a naturally chubby chick starved herself to get thing, then she’d look gaunt and unhealthy.
And meh on “Zero Is Not A Size;” it just smacks of the real women thing. :-/
I’m with Luxe in the interpretation of “some people look better thin and some don’t”.
I’m a little confused about the “Zero is not a size” thing, because it is a size. “Zero is not the only size” makes more sense to me. But what do I know?
I’m glad to hear anyone with any public influence push back against the incessant diet culture.
I interpreted it as, calling a size “zero” implies that women who are that size are “nothing,” like the name is negating. I figure that anyone in Hollywood has too many friends who wear 0 and 00 sizes to be insulting the women themselves. But that was just my guess.
Yes, it’s also important to keep in mind that English is not Cruz’s first language.
I have always found the presence of a “size 0” to be very disturbing. Zero is.. nothing. Aiming for zero, is aiming for nothing. I would be happy just to size up. Start at 1, or 8 or whatever random size you want. Just start with something.
FWIW I live in Australia, and we don’t have a size 0.
Interesting. A woman posted a story on my Facebook page today about her 11-year-old daughter, who was recently a size zero, finally fitting into a larger size. She said something to her mother like, “I’m not a nothing anymore!” #TrueStory
Just as I joked earlier this summer about no longer existing because I tried on some supposedly size 0 pants and they were way too big. Which is annoying as hell, because I do exist and I would like to be able to buy clothes.
Also, I used to regularly fit in and buy size 2s and 4s and I haven’t dieted or lost a ton of weight since then or anything. WTF happened to clothing sizes?