Author: Richie DeMaria
Two weeks ago, Britney Spears performed “Gimme More” at the MTV Video Music Awards to universally negative reviews. In the days immediately following the VMAs, TV viewers, tabloids and Internet users lambasted Britney. Like horrified rubberneckers, those who watched Spears’ spectacle were aghast at the troubled star’s sloppy “comeback” performance. The verdict was unanimous: her act was terrible and she was too fat.
On the first point, it’s hard to disagree. Looking dazed and confused, Spears sang and danced with all the grace, enthusiasm and attentiveness of a drugged-up lobotomy patient. The song, “Gimme More,” wasn’t too great either, sounding surprisingly cliché and by-the-numbers, even for Spears. The blond songstress ain’t what she used to be, that much is clear.
But it’s the second, harsher comment that I find hard to stomach. Britney Spears was too fat? What? Sure enough, a great deal of America seemed to think so. Major newspapers mocked her for her extra flab and nasty remarks on Britney’s alleged bulge filled Internet message boards. “Lard and Clear,” read one New York Post headline. Of all the criticisms railed against her, a disturbing majority of them centered around, or made mention of her weight.
It’s disturbing for a few reasons. First, she isn’t even fat. Sure, she put on a noticeable amount of weight since she last performed at an awards show, but hardly enough to warrant all the fat jokes. After all, having given birth to two children not long ago, wouldn’t a little weight gain be inevitable?
And, how could Britney, recently plagued by the paparazzi, drug problems and mental breakdowns, among other things, be expected to keep up with the rigorous workout routine-1,000 crunches per session-that kept her stomach so famously toned in the past? Even at the VMAs, her abs were hardly the kind you’d shake a stick at.
The weight comments were disturbing for another reason: they were hypocritical. Is this not the same culture that criticizes models and actresses who are too thin? Not long ago, Spain banned underweight models in fashion shows, and every week, magazines like Us Weekly scrutinize one celeb or another for being too skinny. (I remember one front page reading: “Monsters!”)
Is this not the same culture that also demonizes its overweight, to the point of calling them diseased? The same magazines that slander the super-svelte also slam celebs with cellulite. What kind of message does it send when we criticize twiggy women, then turn around and call the hardly pudgy Britney Spears a fatso?
The answer: a mixed one. Women can’t win; either they’re too thin or they’re overweight.
This has got to change. It is no wonder so many women suffer from eating disorders and body image problems; our national media is unduly harsh to its celebrities, scrutinizing every pound lost or gained. How can your average girl be satisfied with her body if America is never satisfied with the bodies of its stars? No doubt, remarks like those following Britney’s performance only add to a girl’s sense of inferiority.Wait a minute, you say. The issue wasn’t that Britney was too fat; it’s that she trounced out on stage in an unflattering sparkling black bikini. To which I say: so what? She looked fine, and even if she didn’t, why is it a crime to look less than perfect in a bikini? It was inappropriate, you say. Inappropriate? What should she have worn, a maternity dress? Let her wear whatever she pleases.
Let me clarify. Of course, one ought to be healthy, and I think it is a good thing that our culture seems to be making a move away from anorexic adoration and that news media and government officials alike are now putting an emphasis on healthy eating habits. It is not a good thing that we constantly confuse these messages with celebrity weight policing.
Britney Spears reminds us that even our pop culture idols are humans too. They, like us, gain weight, have off-nights and crumble under immense pressure. Though we hate to admit it, they aren’t perfect either. Why should we expect them to be?Say what you will about the performance itself, but please, lay off the fat comments. They are neither warranted nor true.
Richie DeMaria is an undeclared sophomore. He can be reached at rdemaria@oxy.edu.
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