I think it is relatively safe to say that being a figure in the public eye comes with the knowledge and understanding that you will be subjected to public commentary. Whether you’re involved in politics, Hollywood, social media or really anything that involves publicizing your identity, it is no secret that your life is no longer really your own and instead becomes public.
While it can be expected that being a public figure evokes recognition and harassment in a way (for example, paparazzi), I do not believe it can or should be expected that by being someone who is highly recognizable somehow constitutes an acceptance of public commentary on the way they look, specifically their body and/or weight.
Far too often, celebrity tabloid magazines and other similar forms of publications go out of their way to orchestrate an entire story on the body and its changes of a public figure. If a well-known model becomes pregnant, there is almost always a series of photos showing her body changing and adapting to carrying and nurturing a child. If a famous heavier person loses a significant amount of weight, we are sure to hear of it. If Channing Tatum’s abs become slightly less apparent than normal, there is a front-page story about it the next day. And, really, who gives a flying fuck about what the bodies of famous people look like?
I’ve never been able to fathom why we think it is okay to judge and make assumptions about someone based solely on their body type, especially when it comes to public figures. Why does their weight matter? What relevance does it have to us? When you allow yourself to consider the matter, it becomes apparent rather quickly that there isn’t a concrete answer to be provided for these types of questions.
It’s due time we stop obsessing over the physicality of famous people. God knows there are things that are far more worthy of our time, effort and attention.
ontheedgeofeverything 