The Jessica Simpson Epidemic

September 21, 2010 3:00 pm     Posted in Reality  Zara - Drexel g+ page

After years of slipping through the media cracks, Jessica Simpson is more famous now than ever. And why? The girl <gasp!> gained weight. I mean, think about it: what has J. Simps really been doing with herself, career-wise? Not a whole lot. Instead, the poor girl has been a victim of heartbreak, failed endeavors, and more media scrutiny than any person deserves.


By Zara

It all started with paparazzi, a pair of high waisted jeans, and an unflattering camera angle. Suddenly Jessica Simpson went from mostly forgotten pop-turned reality star to tabloid cover material. Everyone was quick to criticize the star for “getting fat.” But what kind of society would condemn a size-six beauty, when the average size for an American woman is a fourteen?

I personally find it appalling that amidst all the negative press Jessica has been receiving, not one major media source has taken the time to defend her. Jessica has been through a lot in the past few years. It can’t be easy to get dumped on your birthday, or to lose your beloved canine to an angry coyote, and when we’re facing these traumatic, life-changing events, a lot of us take comfort in food and gain a little weight. When you’re a celebrity, however, this just isn’t an option.

Jessica has gone on the record numerous times to attempt to defend herself, only to cause more media backlash. Take the time she claimed that she’s gained a mere ten pounds, which is truly believable considering she’s a small girl at about 5’3” – I’m only a few inches shorter and know that ten pounds can resemble thirty on a little frame. It wasn’t long before one of the most biting comments surfaced: “Yeah, I can believe that Jessica gained only ten pounds…wait, we’re just talking about her neck, right?”

We’ve made amazing strides in the beauty industry – for the first time, there are products out there that aren’t just for the fair-skinned, and unconventional beauty is actually celebrated. But the one thing that refuses to budge is this all-consuming American obsession with weight: for all the time people have spent slamming her “curvier frame”, why can’t someone remember to comment on Jessica’s gorgeous face, fabulous hair, powerhouse voice or business savvy?

Luckily, Jessica has taken the high road. Instead of succumbing to the pressure, and taking the usual route – losing all the weight (and then some), flaunting her new ‘bikini bod” on the cover of every magazine, and divulging diet tricks within the pages – Jessica has remained one hundred percent true to her beliefs. She’s become an ambassador of sorts, a woman who has become so committed to defining the true meaning of beauty that she started a whole movement to promote positive body image. The Price Of Beauty was one of the most underrated shows in a long time, and I think it really held the power to change peoples’ perceptions.

It really upsets me that Jessica has been such a victim. Yeah, she looks different than she did when she first appeared on the scene, but who hasn’t packed on a few since the tender age of eighteen? The fact that her weight gain is given more attention than most natural disasters shows a deeply sexist component to American media – after all, how many covers did Matthew Perry’s weight gain make? When it comes to celebs like Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, and our girl Jess – all super-talented people who deserve to be entertainers regardless of their size – we can’t seem to escape harsh news stories about their “unhealthy” weight gain.

To all the girls out there reading this: if you’d feel healthier and sexier if you dropped or gained a pant size, then by all means, go for it. I’ll still think you’re beautiful either way, but the only thing that really matters is how you feel about yourself. Pull a Jessica Simpson by making yourself happy, even when everyone around you seems to be conspiring to ruin your life. In the words of J. Simps: “I don’t get the whole rail thing. It’s not good for your heart, it’s not good for your mind, it’s emotionally destructive, it really is.”

24 Comments on "The Jessica Simpson Epidemic"

  1. Lucy says:
    Tue, 21st Sep 201010:42 am 

    I AGREE!!! Bravo to this, she was NEVER fat.

    She looks beautiful, in my opinion.

    BUT she's still dumber than a doorknob and those pants were really f'ing ridiculous.

    She's a damn singer, not a fitness instructor. Omg I would eat a couple cookies too if I was a celeb and everyone made fun of me all the time.

  2. Eva says:
    Tue, 21st Sep 201012:06 pm 

    She's gorgeous, not to mention talented, and a good person.

    She's not fat. I hate it when people say someone's unhealthy because they're not a stick. As long as your BMI is healthy, which Jess's clearly is, she is at a perfect weight.

    UNDERWEIGHT DOES NOT EQUAL HEALTHY WEIGHT.

    All body types are beautiful, from the smaller and petite to the more large and curvy. Stop hatin'

  3. Keri says:
    Tue, 21st Sep 20101:52 pm 

    I think she looks great the size she is, she's just a beautiful girl either way and would be even if she gained more weight. At the end of the day we all need to worry about our weight and how it makes US feel, not how someone else feels about it.

  4. Giulietta says:
    Tue, 21st Sep 20108:37 pm 

    She looks good, but she needs to dress to the shape of her body. I hate it when people criticize celebrities for being skinny, then gaining weight, visa versa.

  5. walt says:
    Wed, 22nd Sep 201011:52 am 

    she is still a hot piece of ass!! H.O.P.A..

  6. Elizabeth says:
    Sun, 26th Sep 20107:33 am 

    When 90% of your fame is based on your looks, and you start to lose aforementioned looks, people are going to mock you.

    I reserve my sympathy for people who deserve it. A multi-millionaire pop-singer whose "works" are essentially, schlock, does not fall into that category.

  7. Cat says:
    Mon, 27th Sep 201010:57 am 

    A lot of the people who made fun of her are probably heavier than she is. I'm sure it's not easy to be a celebrity and have your weight constantly scrutinized, especially when you face difficult events in your personal life. I think she should be applauded for her grace about the whole situation and the courage not to starve herself sick just to make a bunch of critical assholes happy.

  8. SF Single Girl says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20104:45 am 

    I agree one HUNDRED percent. Thank you for writing this! Where are the opposing voices in the media? If I had to make a list of all the male actors who have gained weight with LITTLE OR NO COMMENT from the media (or who were just plain hideous with no compensating talent to begin with), I'd be here all day. The double standard is sickening. And for those of you who defend on the grounds that she's "dumb" y'all need a major wake-up call. Seriously. I wish I were that dumb. If I were JS, I would gain an additional 10 pounds with my "Chicken" of the Sea and tell my critics to suck it while I continued to rack up my millions.

  9. Pearl says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20104:48 am 

    It's her parents and those who taught her from an early age that she SHOULD use her physicality to advance in life who should feel the most guilt for the fact that she was ridiculed once her physical appearance changed. She did use her looks, mostly her body, to gain attention and therefore advance her "career", so of course when those things change, it will be noticed and commented on… and just as stongly as she was oogled and druled over when she was considered "hot", she will be equally ridiculed by those same people when she's considered "not".

    She took it like a woman though and should be commended for her strength and humility facing the ridicule… more than I can say for her parents.

  10. psa says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20105:23 am 

    There is a new brand of jeans that are absolutely fabulous for curvy shaped women of all sizes. The brand is Little in the Middle, and this jeans line caters to all sizes of women that have a curvy shape. One of the most interesting thing that it does; is that it is sized one size smaller in the waist than in the hips, so it eliminates that awful gap in the back of your jeans that let your rear end hang out while seated while offering a great fit. http://www.Littleinthemiddle.com

  11. kathy says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 201010:24 am 

    She can't sing, she can't act… so, all she did was exibit her body and act like a sex pot. Now, You are mad because the media is talking about her body. Can't have it both ways.

  12. fritz says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 201011:46 am 

    they are right she is phat =pretty hot and tempting

  13. elvira walker says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 201012:27 pm 

    Jessica Simpson WHO? My recollection of her on the reality show with her then husband Nick Latchey(?)was when she asked him while eating a can of Chicken of the Sea Tuna, "is this chicken or tuna". DUH

  14. carmina says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20101:29 pm 

    I could care less how much she weighs. The fact is that she continues to exist in two worlds she knows little to nothing about…show biz and fashion. The girl can't act her way out of tuna can and she tries so hard to purposely sing as if she was raised in a ghetto. Her fashion sense is a big fat zero. She may have lucked out a time or two when someone else dressed her but she most always looks like she never bothered to look in a mirror before she went out. The photo above is evidence. Those phony boobs stick out like a bad zit on a prom queen. Why she remains relevant is one of the Mysteries of the New Millenia.

  15. Butt Lovin Bear 401 says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20102:49 pm 

    She's damn awful gorgeous!!! As far as where all of the negativity, well just take it from where it comes. Most of those comments come from people who are lower than whale s@#!

  16. WhoDatIs says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20103:15 pm 

    Butt Lover here apparently has never seen Ms. Simpson without any make-up. Gorgeous MY butt!! She's as average as average can get. We're talkin' hillbilly here, Bear!!

  17. Rick says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20103:47 pm 

    She is Drop Dead Gorgeous! She is not fat. I love a woman with enough meat on her bones but not fat. I don't want someone I am afraid to squeeze for fear of breaking them. She looks fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. M says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20104:22 pm 

    What's most annoying to me is that it's okay for Christina Hendricks to be curvy, but not Jessica Simpson. WTF?

  19. jon says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20105:16 pm 

    People get over it, fat or skinny, she is hotter than 90% of the women alive today. Fabulously wealthy, good-looking, and at a young age, what does she have to be sad about but the death of her dog? Oh, by the way if you don't think she looks good. Google the picture of her and Tiger Woods, together. JC! What a pair of celebrities.

  20. notyours says:
    Wed, 29th Sep 20107:03 pm 

    While I understand the premise, using a example such as matthew perry is a terrible idea. No one ever watched mathew perry for being sexy, he is still just as funny fat as skinny.

    Do you see the difference?

    A component of her fame was her selling sex.

    Stop looking at things through such a biased prism and look at the circumstances of their fame.

  21. Elizabeth says:
    Thu, 30th Sep 201012:42 am 

    She should not be famous.

    She is a sweet moron with disgustingly poor personal hygiene.(She brushes her teeth with her sweater!)

    She can not dress,act,or sing.

    All of her "products" are ugly and overpriced.

    It seems that according to John Mayer her only talent is that she is good in bed.

    I really wish she could find some other nice sweet moron to marry and then just go away forever.

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