Saturday, January 31, 2009

When There Is A Different Standard

This will not be one of my more popular posts - and ordinarily it would fly under my radar and I wouldn't even mention it - but I'm sick of the headlines already and no one else seems to be saying it so I will.
Jessica Simpson recently made an appearance at the Radio 99.9 Kiss Country's annual Chili Cookoff in Pembroke Pines, Florida and the celebrity press was immediately on fire with reports that she looks like she has gained a noticable amount of weight. Opinions differ on whether it is real wight gain or the clothes she was wearing, but it seems more likely that it is both: she has gained some weight and the clothes she was wearing were certainly not the type to disguise this fact. Various celebrities have jumped to Simpson's defense with the usual "size doesn't matter" arguments but the one that tipped the scales for me (sorry, I couldn't resist) was Simpson sister Ashlee who complained, "All women come in different shapes, sizes, and forms and just because you're a celebrity, there shouldn't be a different standard."
Actually, yes there should be. Celebrities are famous for a reason and if that reason is appearance then a significant change in appearance warrants headlines, at least in the celebrity press. Sorry for those like Simpson who would like to believe otherwise, but Jessica Simpson's claim to fame is her body. Both her music and acting careers have routinely bombed and she is really only famous because a large number of people consider her to be hot. That being the case, her weight gain is celebrity news.
Face it, if you or I put on a lousy performance at a karaoke bar, no one is going to care except for those who had to listen to it. If, on the other hand, some famous singer were to butcher the same performance, it would be news. There is a different standard for celebrities based on why they are celebrities. That's reality. Whining about it isn't going to change it.

1 comment:

  1. LOL!!! Although I get annoyed at a lot of the "weight gain" headlines directed at celebrities, I have to agree with this one. The eldest Simpson did not get famous because of her voice, acting skill or *laughs* brains.
    She became famous by being a "hot" dumb blonde. Am I the only one who remembers the Only thing The Dukes of Hazard movie is known for?
    If you are only famous for being atractive, you need to stay that way to get paid. Think exotic dancers folks. They don't get paid if they don't look good. Models, actors and singers have to look good. Most of the time it's even put into contracts for these people.
    If you don't keep up your end of the contract, people notice and, if you're famous, it makes the news.

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