Why I’m Going To Watch Jessica Simpson’s New Body Image Reality Show

 
May 28, 2009


Everyone’s favorite body image punching bag, singer/actress Jessica Simpson, is reportedly shopping a new reality program to networks called “The Price of Beauty.” The show’s premise: J. Simps and a friend "set off on a road trip around the world in search of what people find beautiful and why."

I know what you’re thinking: “Sigh. Another reality show. More of the same “love your body BS” these stars seem to spew. Poor Jessica Simpson, she must have it so hard.”

Well guess what? She does have it hard. I cannot even imagine going through the hell she has endured from millions of men and women and media vomiting up catty comments and nasty comparisons to large mammals when referring to her body. The girl is under constant scrutiny--it's as if we "real women" are sitting at home, just waiting for her to slip-up so we can yell, "Ha! See! She's fat, too!" People are absolutely HORRIBLE towards her and her body so we think she's got more than enough experience for the job. Take a look at her qualifications we drew up for her (as if she needs a resume).

Jessica Simpson’s Body Image Resume

name: Jessica Simpson

Objective:
To shut the haters up and empower women, teaching them that just because we make a little fashion faux pas and wear high-waisted light blue jeans with an unfortunate leopard belt while performing in front of thousands of people doesn’t not mean we should be eviscerated by millions.

Education: 

A school that did not offer adequate food science courses, which resulted in my whole “Is this chicken? Or is it fish?” debacle. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Prior Work History: 

My own mother recently Twittered, "Driving home in my GWagon with Jess...both are fast and top heavy!" In 2004, my own father told GQ that Jessica has "got double Ds! You can't cover those suckers up!"

I've made some questionable fashion choices like this and this may have assaulted the public’s eyes with their improbably bright shiny-ness, but they still highlighted the kind of bangin’ bod many of us effortlessly rocked before cellulite surfaced or our metabolisms slowed to a crawl.

-While filming Dukes of Hazzard, I looked lean and buff in my Daisy Dukes with that kind of fairy tale, curvy-in-all-the-right-places physique. But that clearly wasn’t enough. You may have read that during this time, I had a trainer/food cop who ate every meal with me to monitor what I ordered. One mystery “source” told the press, "She just can't resist junk food. She literally needs to be watched all the time. Jessica has a problem with binge eating, which is usually triggered by stress…Jessica's most recent violation was indulging in the terrible trio of chicken wings, nachos, and alcohol at the Great Dane Pub in Madison, Wisconsin.”

-When my younger sis Ashlee got a nose job, her ensuing hotness gave rise to all sorts of “Who’s the hotter sister now?” charts and graphs and contests which was hurtful to both of us.

-More recently, I was splashed across every magazine except Knitting Monthly for my HUGE BUTT! UNSUPPORTIVE BRA! MOM JEANS! MASSIVE WEIGHT GAIN!  Sure, it didn’t help that I was wearing this get-up at a Chili Cookoff (Note to self: Fire stylist), but that outfit would be unflattering on pretty much anyone. I guess when the public is used to me looking like this, (love you, duct tape!), high-waisted jeans and a top that actually covers one’s chest is cause for an uprising.

-Earlier this month, I performed at Sea World wearing this, prompting numerous obnoxious, totally unoriginal Shamu references. Which surprised me because I thought a) diehard bodysnarkers could be a bit more creative and b) I looked pretty damn good.

Special skills:

Ability to weather the storm and survive viscous, wide-scale, soul-crushing assaults on my body without sinking into a dark depression or going postal at the Country Music Awards.

References available upon request.

Is that enough proof to get you to watch?


Comments

From: jkrawl
Date: 08/18/2009 - 03:50 pm


Jessica still looks beautiful to me and I do not care what anyone says about her! We need to stop focusing so heavily on body image. My mom is a health nut who has more energy and stamina then most folks out there, but yet she will be laughed at as a joke when you look at her size.

Just my 2 cents.

Frank
Ab Rocket


From: Anonymous.Poster
Date: 06/21/2009 - 01:48 am


When is the starting date of this show?


From: Miss N
Date: 05/31/2009 - 10:32 am


The way a normal person looks is whatever they look like when they eat right and exercise.  For some, that might be a size 16.  For others, that might be a size 2.  Both are "normal."  I name checked America and Amber because they eat and they work out and they are both bigger than average for Hollywood standards, but they don't make a big deal out of it.


I don't dislike Jessica because she's blond and wears revealing clothes.  I can't stand her because for three seasons of Newlyweds she set an example that it's cute and endearing to act like you're stupid.  Then, when people got tired of that and it was no longer profitable, she got angry at the media for not taking her seriously.


Hope that clears things up!  :)


From: Anonymous.Poster
Date: 05/31/2009 - 12:02 am


AMEN to the previous reply!  I am so tired of people saying poor body image issues, eating disorders and worse are all because celebrities, models, magazines, movies, TV and Larry Flynt conspire to make the rest us feel fat and ugly.  I grow tired of hearing the words "normal," "natural" etc. thrown around like anyone who isn't bigger than a size 12 is abnormal. I'm a size 16, do I count?  My daughter is a size 2, not because she's anorexic, bulimic or addicted to drugs.  She's a "normal" young woman who has been naturally tall and thin her whole life.  No one likes to have their worth, whether it be as a celebrity, mother, writer, doctor or lawyer, summed up by their weight and body shape.  How post-modern feminist to blast Ms. Simpson because she is a blonde who wears revealing clothes.  What a grrrrrl you are Miss N! You're right, let's celebrate the normal people, the onees who wear mom-jeans and have a tummy roll!  Rock on Jessica!!


From: Anonymous.Poster
Date: 05/30/2009 - 08:17 pm


"My body image heroes are people who eat and look like normal people."  What does a normal person look like again?  I didn't know people came in that size.  I googled lots of pictures of America Ferrera walking the red carpet.  I guess I shouldn't feel sorry for her when she gets judged by her dress size or bulges, after all she ASKED for it, right?  She should get a picture of a normal person and put it on her mirror, huh?  Come on Miss N, GET REAL.  A healthy body image isn't about what "normal" people look like.  It's about accepting people for who they are.  Or, does that only apply if you are not tall, thin and blonde?  Normal people look like that too, I see one in the mirror every day. 


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