A Message To Body Shamers
“Lady Gaga needs to do some crunches if she wants to show her flabby belly”
“Tried to enjoy Lady Gaga’s performance, was distracted by the flab on her stomach swinging around”
“Was waiting for a surprise but just got Lady Gaga’s gut.”
These comments were tweeted the night of Lady Gaga’s half-time performance at the 51st annual Super Bowl. The performer’s shape and size was brutally criticized, after the artist wore a two-piece revealing her “gut.” Catching wind of the postings, the news media further publicized the publics’ harsh criticisms of the artists’ appearance. Lady Gaga, ridiculed for her “flabby belly,” was judged by the quality of her body, instead of the quality of her performance.
The attacks on Lady Gaga symbolize the growing issue of body shaming in this country.
Technology and social media have led to a drastic shift in body ideals in America. Over the past decades, advances in editing software have allowed for the media to digitally transform the female body. The edited versions of women pictured in magazines and on television have instilled unrealistic expectations for women. Beauty cannot be determined by body shape or a number on a scale.
Harsh societal judgments on women’s bodies increase the prevalence of eating disorders. Over 50% of teenage girls abuse unhealthy forms of weight loss. Skipping meals, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and laxatives are common methods of weight control that are commonly adopted during adolescence. Dieting routines have become common among 10-14 year olds, affecting 30% of adolescents in this age range.
There are dangerous, long lasting effects of body shaming that are seen in today’s society far more than any other period in history. The instance with Lady Gaga served as a great example for young teenage boys and teenage girls everywhere. Her powerful response to the outside criticism was posted on Instagram the following day.
“I heard my body is a topic of conversation so I wanted to say, I'm proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too. No matter who you are or what you do. I could give you a million reasons why you don't need to cater to anyone or anything to succeed. Be you, and be relentlessly you. That's the stuff of champions. Thank you so much everyone for supporting me. I love you guys. Xoxo, gaga”
Publicized events, in which celebrities are judged for some physical trait, is an effective way to provide a message for other people suffering to cope with the harmful criticism of others.
France, L. R. (2017, February 08). Lady Gaga responds to Super Bowl body shaming. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/08/entertainment/lady-gaga-body-shamed/
Weaver, H. (2017, February 08). Lady Gaga Hits Back at Comments About Her Body at the Super Bowl. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/02/lady-gaga-responds-super-bowl-body-critics