The influence on body image and internalized misogyny the media has is already a widely discussed topic, and also a concerning one.
Tabloids will outrageously scrutinize female celebrities and will pay close attention to even the most personal parts of their lives. One terrible example of this is their weight and appearance. Not only is this incredibly sexist, but also damaging to the young and predominately female audience.
The unrealistic standard of perfection is so enforced by mass media, that even with a simple article about how a certain celebrity gained a few pounds (and vice versa) still reminds young girls that nothing goes unnoticed; You are not allowed to experience your own freedom and life choices without being slaughtered by misogynists who disagree with anything outside of the “What’s Accepted” box.
There are a lot of reasons why a woman could have either a minor or a drastic change in weight, by which none of those reasons are any of our business. This could be the case for many other personal situations that are sprawled across social media and elsewhere, but we should remember that when a woman’s body is controlled or analyzed in negative ways, this is sexism in action which is usually heavily ignored.
This is not news. This shouldn’t be something to be discussed. This shouldn’t be shocking. This shouldn’t have the ability to create a wave of judgement.
Journalists should stop scrambling to find any pathetic reason for a headline, especially without realizing what message it is sending or enforcing, and how impactful it is to our already screwed up society when it comes to both sexism and body image.
