Comments on: How About We Stop Criticizing Amber Riley's Body, My Body, Your Body

By: Chantal

Chantal — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:52:04 +0000

Amber Riley is amazing. From her voice to her appearence, its a shame that most people think you have to be thin to be beautiful.

By: Bethany

Bethany — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:07:34 +0000

I just went to the doctor yesterday and learned my BMI for the first time. I’d never known my BMI before because I was above all of that, because I know it’s just a number, but now that I know the number it’s like I can’t un-know it. It sucked to learn that I’m actually considered obese by the medical industry’s standards. I just feel really gross. And of course the doctor was after me about losing weight. This article helped out some, so thanks.

Also, Amber Riley is an awesome singer – she should have a solo career.

By: double_whammy

double_whammy — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:50:00 +0000

I agree that it’s problematic to say that “real women have curves”. Personally, I think all women are beautiful…but then again, I’m an Autostraddle user, soooo I don’t know what else you’d expect

although I wonder if Ricki Lake’s comment was meant to say that Amber, by not fitting under the impossible beauty standards that Hollywood creates, is a “real woman” because she, like basically every other woman in the world, is *not* what Hollywood would deem perfect

so I wonder if maybe you could say that a woman with a big nose or acne or frizzy hair is a “real woman” for the same reason without necessarily implying that women with small noses, clear skin, and straight hair are “fake women”, because if we were to use this definition then it would be inclusive of all women

I don’t necessarily think that this is what Ricki meant, since I haven’t seen the interview in its full context, but I think it is possible to use the term “real women” so long as you’re not singling out certain women as “fake” for not having these traits that are perceived as flaws

By: Soph

Soph — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:35:24 +0000

Yes! I see so many people using the term ‘real women’ to describe women who don’t exactly fit in with society’s beauty standards and it always annoyed me but I couldn’t put it into words! Thankyou for articulating my feelings into coherent speech! It’s good to know other people are picking up on this.
People talk so much about how we need to get more ‘real women’ in advertising- as if the current models are holograms??? What this does is polarise one shape as ‘fantasy’ and another as ‘reality’. The last thing we need is to sort women into the categories of ‘skinny’ or ‘not skinny’. We need to represent the wonderful variety of beautiful shapes and sizes of women, none of which is more ‘real’ than any other.

Did that make sense?

By: Nicolb

Nicolb — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:54:23 +0000

F’reals. I heard it so much as a kid that I went through a phase where I would way overeat really shitty food constantly (6 meals a day, hello!) for the sake of “gaining weight.” Never happened, but I really unhealthy from the crap I ate all the time.

Now I just have 6 meals a day for funsies and deliciousness. One day, I’ll even exercise..

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:42:57 +0000

When I’m stressed, depressed or overwhelmed I lose interest in food, have difficulty eating and lose weight really quickly. And then I get lots of compliments and people asking me how I did it. Yuck yuck yuck. I associate being thin with the worst times in my adult life, and with the times as a child when I was told by other girls that they hated me because I was skinny. So I hate it when people tell me I’m skinny or thin… it makes me feel guilty and vulnerable.

By: Malaika

Malaika — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:16:28 +0000

I always, always, always get the “Oh, you’re so tall” comment, and it’s awkward just because I have yet to master a decent-sounding reply. Saying “thank you” feels strange because I don’t consider being tall something to be super thankful or not thankful about – it just is. Other replies that come to mind (but that I can’t say) include, “I know (I’m tall)” and “Oh, you’re so short!”

By: Malaika

Malaika — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:10:53 +0000

your story just made me smile like a million bucks. thank you for sharing. <3

By: foxy_boo

foxy_boo — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:23:31 +0000

I seriously hate the ‘skinny = healthy’ mindset. I’m very overweight because I overindulge in food and dont exercise enough, and my friend is very underweight because she’s got a chronic lack of appetite and finds it hard to keep food down unless shes stoned, but is also super lazy and unfit, drinks coke like its water and what she does eat is usually junk food. As she was ranting the other day, people would look at us and say I’m the unhealthy one and never comment about her, even though we’re both unhealthy. My cousin is also at the lower end of her healthy bmi range but maintains it by starving all day and then eating crap. So when people tell fat girls they’re “just concerned about your health” its total bullshit, all you want is for everyone to fit your definition of attractive.

By: ginasf

ginasf — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:55:13 +0000

In general, I think we make the world a better place by avoiding body-related comments period. I’ve seen a lot of remarks which were supposedly intended as compliments “oh, you’re so curvy” “oh, I wish I had a big booty like yours” and the one I get all the time “oh, you’re soooo tall.” Personally, I’ve had it with good intentions, if you don’t really explicitly know how the person feels about what it is you’re supposedly commenting on, then JUST DON’T SAY IT. Not every woman wants to be reminded she’s thin, a large chest, a big butt or is tall. Just because you think it should be a positive doesn’t mean the person whose body is so often defined by it feels that way.

This all also relates to being trans and having people saying things like “oh, but you don’t look trans” “oh, but you’re actually pretty” “oh, I’d never know you weren’t always a woman.” Gee thanks… I know, intentions are magic and your intentions override my lifelong feelings about my body. You get a golden ticket to say what you want. *sarcasm over*

By: DJ_Keke

DJ_Keke — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:33:57 +0000

Gabrielle, I mos def co-sign to your statement. Where I’m from, Amber’s weight wouldn’t even be an issue. Sista would get love from erry’body!

I’ve always felt like tv, magazines, Hollywood, etc can mess with a person’s self esteem. It’s entertainment that tells us what is beautiful and that is something that we have to fight against…. I think that overall, you have to continue to love yourself no matter what and not succumb to what outsiders define as beautiful. I’m happy that Amber loves herself and surrounds herself with folks who love and appreciate who she is because it is definitely needed to make it, not just in Hollywood but anywhere.

*sidenote, Amber’s character on Glee should have been given more of the limelight. Not only is she a good actress but a really great singer. I liked her more then Rachel.

By: Rose

Rose — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:20:37 +0000

That whole thing where she kept insisting that the guy on the plane must be an air marshal had me dying… and then when she [SPOILER ALERT] turned out to be right I was like “YES!”