… but seriously, what the heck!
MeMe Roth, on FOX News, says that Jordin Sparks shouldn’t be American Idol because she’s overweight, and that accepting overweight people in society means that we’ll be encouraging young people to be obese.
While the video is disturbing, we have to remember a few things: conservatives tend to dislike marginalized groups (like the overweight) and that there have been some famous conservatives who deny that anorexia and other major body image issues affect young women at the high rates that they actually do (so harping on mildly curvy young women must seem appropriate). So, this makes a little more sense, but totally doesn’t discount how hurtful and ignorant MeMe Roth sounds. Luckily, her more mindful Newsweek counterpart, Ramin Setoodeh, is much more sensible (and really cute!).
The Huffington Post put it well: The discussion is entirely loony and disconcerting because Roth harps and harps and harps on Sparks’ obesity, seemingly unaware that, uhm…Sparks…isn’t…even in the slightest way…obese. Roth talks about how when she looks at Sparks she “sees diabetes, heart disease…the picture of unhealth.” Setoodeh struggles to keep his conversation points on an even keel–constantly offering that Sparks looks “pretty normal to me.” We admire Setoodeh’s restraint in not calling for a straitjacket for Roth. Cavuto, for his part, sits there, aimlessly and dimly agreeing with whoever talked last. It’s like his brain is a busted Etch-A-Sketch that’s always being shaken clean. Ye Gods!
7 responses so far ↓
1 TCD // May 27, 2007 at 6:10 pm
“conservatives tend to dislike marginalized groups (like the overweight) and that there have been some famous conservatives who deny that anorexia and other major body image issues affect young women at the high rates that they actually do (so harping on mildly curvy young women must seem appropriate). So, this makes a little more sense”
You might want to rethink this. Shallowness isn’t beholden to any political ideology, especially when it comes to our celebrity obssessed culture. Conservatives are just as overweight as the general population, it would be difficult for them to effectively marganalize a group that they are apart of.
Just because a few conservatives are superficial idiots when it comes to body image issues, you shouldn’t assume that its conservative ideology to be superficial… Thats American ideology! ever watch Americas Next Top Model?
2 Mel // May 27, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Nobody would ever say a contestant is “too thin to win.” Nor would they say anything if it were a male contestant with a weight issue. That blonde lady is wrong wrong wrong! She should pick another example of poor weight management among youth; using Jordin does nothing but hurt her own cause.
3 Jamia // May 27, 2007 at 10:50 pm
i think this is outrageous. it is so sad that our society is petty enough to target talented people because of their body types. we’re all different and have different bodies, metabolisms, and lifestyles. we should confront these issues of intolerance head on by creating discussion like you are doing and pointing out the perpetuation of hate that comes from insensitive people.
our culture is so superficial and is driven by the money our insecurities fuel us to spend to go on crazy diets, halt aging, and get celullite treatments, etc.
it is time for us to love ourselves and make the statement that we have had enough.
4 Liz // May 27, 2007 at 10:56 pm
Plus, what I can’t get over: Jordin Sparks isn’t even overweight! Yes, she probably errs towards the heavier side of the NORMAL weight range for her height, but she is in no way, shape, or form “obese.”
Lucky, there are brilliant GHQ commenters to set things straight.
5 Emmy // May 27, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Fact. America struggles with obesity.
Fact. Americans should be encouraged to lose weight healthily.
Myth. Jordin is a beached whale who didn’t deserve to win.
I was so outraged by that nasty little blonde ragging on the perfectly healthy Jordin Sparks.
Sure, she’s big. But what I mean by big is very, very tall and a curvy (but still normal) girl. She has a lovely face and a beautiful voice, and usually a very nice pair of shoes on.
Isn’t that what American Idol is all about? People who insult Jordin as being overweight are only damaging their own cause, and a perfectly normal 17-year-old. It seems hard for me to believe that MeMe has already forgotten how sensitive seventeen-year-olds are. She was hurtful and uncouth and gained nothing from it!
6 Jamia // May 28, 2007 at 1:18 am
amen. its crazy. its so annoying to see magazines and tv features focusing on “voluptuous and curvy” women like jlo, beyonce, scarett, and mandy moore. is healthy suddenly considered overweight?
jordin sparks is HEALTHY and beautiful. i hope her strength and support systems will help her move past this intolerant and ignorant fat-baiting and remain a healthy woman. i would hate to see society drive her to lose unnecessary pounds in the name of fame.
the dwindiling heft of the girl-children
lalohan, bosworth, ashlee simpson, nicole richie, and so many others saddens me. it is contagious and i think we should stop the disease.
7 Maddie Lear // May 30, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Unbelievable. That woman is so completely traveling down the wrong path to where she wants to end up! The way to help with child obesity is not to come at it like it’s something disgusting, horrible, and vulgar, but come at it with a helpful and caring additude. I don’t understand people who approach things that they are supposedly passionate about, and they approach things that should be about love and making a difference in a hateful way.
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