By editorial intern Lauren Castner
On October 25, Marie Claire posted an entry from blogger Maura Kelly about finding overweight people on TV “aesthetically displeasing.” Kelly spends a large portion of her post railing on overweight people featured on shows like the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly. In her mind, heavy people should not be intimate with each other on television.
The blog post has caused such a stir that not only has Kelly updated it to add an apology for the tone, but Marie Claire has started a series of response posts from other editors and bloggers discussing the issue. One of the responses comes from Fatshionista, a blogger independent from Marie Claire. The responses bring up many valid points about the lack of full-figured television characters that look like the rest of us.
Many websites and blogs are weighing in too, including Jezebel and the Huffington Post. The integrity of the editors who allowed the post to be published has been called in to question – people want to know who thought the post was a good idea to publish in the first place. While I was reading the original post, at least 35 more comments were posted about it on Marie Claire’s site. Many women have publicly declared that they are cancelling their subscriptions and are calling for others to join them in doing so.
Body image and self-esteem issues run rampant, and fashion magazines such as Marie Claire play a role in perpetuating these issues. Instead of appreciating our bodies and all that they can do for us, we focus on being too fat or too thin. Let’s praise the fact that there is some diversity of size and shape on TV, not shove it into a corner. Being healthy, no matter what your size, is much more important than being thin.
What do you think about Maura Kelly’s post? Does it change the way you think about Marie Claire? Tell us what you think!
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This is absolutely ridiculous. I used to like Marie Claire, and think it was a relatively respectable fashion magazine. Reading this article completely changed my view. The fact that anyone would object to seeing realistically sized people on TV is unbelievable to me. The people one these shows aren’t even “fat” — they’re the size of many normal Americans. It’s awful that anyone would think these things, and that Marie Claire would publish it.
I think it’s just awful how people are so judgemental and careless about other people’s feeling these days. I definitely feel different about Marie Claire magazine. They should definitely appologize for their actions ans start to think about other’s feelings.
I think just by reading this article i find it very crazy. i feel like overweight people are the same as other people that weigh less. I feel like they should be judged whatsoever.Yes, it does change my opinion about Marie Clarie because she shouldn’t be about weight. this just isn’t right whatsoever.
I think it is despicable for someone to make such a remark. People are so closed minded and judgmental, and unwilling to look beyond the general expectations of our society to see beauty. I think it’s ridiculous and ignorant to say that a certain type of people shouldn’t be seen kissing on television.
first of all anyone can kiss if people got a problem with it then shouldnt look. cause really they wouldnt know how it would look if they didnt stare!……second leave your comments to your self if it aint positive. you dont have the right to judge so just keep it to yourself!
i feel as if this was an unfair article due to the fact that they are judging a book by its cover and everyone is the same no matter how big or small love comes in all shapes and sizes and she was out of line for posting that blog ” do onto others as you would want others to do onto you ” that simple 🙂
I think it’s awful that an influential figure in the media would criticize the bodies of actresses and actors. If she finds it aesthetically displeasing, she should keep it to herself and not make the thousands of more women and girls feel self conscious about their weight.
I can’t believe that this woman could publicly make such an ignorant statement. It’s one thing to believe it, but to say it to the entire world is another story– and has obviously angered many people. I think that the media doesn’t represent what most of the world looks like, and it’s refreshing to see people who aren’t a size zero on my T.V. screen. Every person is beautiful in their own way, and if this woman can only find something negative to say, then she shouldn’t say it at all.
I can’t believe Marie Claire made this claim!! There is absolutely nothing wrong with overweight people being on television and having intamacy on television. Her claim is baised and disrespectful to everyone, overweight, skinny, and average. Television shoudn’t be about weight nor how someone looks, television are for those who have talent and has something to deliver.
I find Maura Kelly’s comment to be very rude. Even though she might personally feel like that, it still doesn not give her the right to share it so publically. She should have thought before she spoke. Her comment adds to the stresses that people face everyday to maintain a model size, size 0. It is hard enough to try to ignore the pressures of the media, but now we have fashion magazines that girls read criticizing the size of how a teenage girl should be. This is very disappointing, and i wonder where the world is going to end up.
I was incredibly disheartened by Marie Claire’s comments discussed in “Heavy People Shouldn’t Be Kissing On TV.” This sort of ignorence needs to be addressed and society needs to be educated on respecting and celebrating everyone as individuals. After meeting Fatshionista blogger Leslie Kinsel in person, I learned how language being circulated in society and in popular culture has so much to do with why being a larger individual in love holds so many negative connotations. I hope more people address their opinions on this issue because voicing your opinion is one of the best ways to make a postive change on society’s standards on what is acceptable.
Congratulations, Maura Kelly. You’ve got your fifteen minutes. I don’t believe that she wrote this without any idea of the backlash she would receive.
Is it really that big a deal if an overweight couple is the center of a sitcom? We’ve seen chubby men before: that guy on the King of Queens, Peter Griffin, etc…I wonder if the real problem isn’t the shock of seeing an overweight woman who’s actually in a romantic relationship. Or am I wrong? Does anyone have any other examples?
Also–why do so many people want to blanket suggest that people can control their obesity (“just put your mind to it”) without talking about food deserts! Everyone doesn’t have equal, easy access to healthy, non-processed foods.
To judge another human being is wrong in all ways, I understand that you are pointing out your opinion but making people all over feel self conscious about their wieght even when were already dealing with Drama and Depression in different places due to self consciouness and besides im positive that the actor and actress can sue, and any other person that feel self conscious about their weight now because of this article.