Feminists are up in arms over the "Jennifer Love Hewitt looks fat in a bikini" controversy, and I'm inclined to agree with them. TMZ.com recently ran a photo of Hewitt in a bikini (above left) with the observation "We know what you ate this summer, Love--everything!" Hewitt fired back at critics who poked fun at her bikini body, saying:

"I’ve sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women’s bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I’m not upset for me, but for all the girls out there that are struggling with their body image. A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful. What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini - put it on and stay strong."

The prominent feminist blog Feminist writes:

"Hewitt had the audacity to appear in public in a bikini while also in possession of a body that hadn’t been dieted and exercised down to nothing or airbrushed to smooth perfection...I’m very pleased that she recognizes that fat-shaming is designed to keep women in line."

A few observations:

1) As Hewitt notes, it's not the most flattering picture, but as a whole Hewitt still looks damn good to me. I can see why women would think "If even that's too fat, what hope is there for the rest of us?" There is such a thing as fat and unattractive, but this ain't it.

2) The photo above right is an example of what I don't like--the Auschwitz look.  The blond woman in green at the bottom of the photo looks like she hasn't eaten in weeks. I never understand why so many people want to do away with women with womanly curves and replace them with women with skinny, 15 year-old boy bodies. My wife says it's because fashion designers can design clothes easier for women with flat bodies that aren't curvaceous.

3) I doubt that "fat-shaming" is a patriarchal conspiracy designed to "keep women in line," but the feminist bloggers are much smarter at detecting said conspiracies than I am.

4) I'm happy that Hewitt says she wants to "celebrate some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams"--isn't that what the whole mating game is supposed to be about anyway?

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Feminism/NOW. You can trackback from your own site.