When Jennifer Hudson joined the Weight Watchers program, her weight loss was closely monitored across America. We cheered her on as she went from a size 16 to a size 6, and we praised her when she announced to Oprah Winfrey that her current weight loss was 80 pounds.
So why is she now making headlines for losing too much weight?
Weight loss in Hollywood is a tricky thing. When you’re bigger than a size 8, you’re considered fat. When you succumb to media pressure (or that big movie role) and shed some pounds, you’re praised — that is, until you go overboard, and tabloids start wondering if you have a “problem.”
Perhaps the “problem” is the juvenile peer pressure put forth by the media.
Per Hollywood’s pin-thin weight ideals; one could conclude that Jennifer Hudson actually has a long way to go. However, when it comes to reality, she’s looking pretty great; we have yet to see a protruding ribcage or sunken cheekbones a la Nicole Richie circa 2006, for example.
After all, it’s Beyonce whom all the men are lusting after, and it was the bodacious Christina Hendricks who was named Esquire’s Hottest Woman of the Year in 2010 (based on reader-submitted votes), not Lindsay Lohan. So should Jennifer publicly be considered less appealing now that she’s lost some of those curves?
One might argue that it’s just a black thing. We love our curvy chicks, and when they get too thin, we joke about how they “need a sandwich.” When Star Jones turned to gastric bypass for her massive weight loss, eventually the attention turned to how droopy and hungry she began to appear. Even “skinny is evil” actress Mo’Nique has started to lose some weight, citing health reasons, but insists she’ll never be truly thin, because she loves the way she is. Then again, so did Jennifer Hudson. We could say that we just like a little meat on our bones, but even the aforementioned Lindsay got flack from mainstream media for her speed-induced weight loss – so who’s really to blame?
Frankly, Jennifer Hudson looks fantastic. And according to her, she feels great. So why all of the hatred? Simple: Because you can’t please everyone.
They say that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” right? Well, imagine being both trash and treasure to millions of eyes. In other words, while some might say that Jennifer’s finally reached a point of perfection, others are stomping their feet and wondering why she bothered to hit the gym in the first place. So who wins in this ongoing battle of opinions?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it’s a good thing she’s already happily married. So in honor of Women’s History Month, please: Give this woman a break!
Via: Alyson Mance of http://www.blackvoices.com
