"Fat" Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson is fat, or so a recent media frenzy would like you to believe.

The 28-year-old’s body has been painstakingly picked apart over the last few weeks, all due to a 15 pound weight gain. That, and she allowed herself to be seen in those unflattering high-waisted jeans that will, no matter how thin you are, give you a horrible “mom bum.”

It would seem that in the celebrity world, or at least in the opinion of low grade entertainment news--think TMZ--even the slightest shift in poundage is breaking news. 

Poor Jessica, who has faced similar criticism before, after splitting with John Mayer in 2007, and ironically paparazzied wearing a very similar pair of high-waisted jeans, has yet to respond to the overwhelming coverage and concern encircling her “noteworthy” increase in size.

While it’s pretty apparent that a celebrity’s small fluctuation in weight is not a necessary piece of information the average person cares about, it appears that Jessica’s fellow “beautiful people” are just as confused--not to mention a little sickened--by the bloated size of the story.

Jessica’s little sister, Ashlee, sounded off on her blog, saying, “I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister’s weight . . . I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on Fox News.”
Sure, it’s completely reasonable that a family member, especially her sister, would defend her own blood when criticized, so even those who would agree that Jessica is now an enormous whale would have seen this one coming. 

But even Nick Lachey, Jessica’s estranged ex-husband, put in a few good words, expressing nausea and awe at why his ex-wife’s 15 pound difference is such a big deal to all forms of celebrity news. I think that was quite big of him, after all the “fat cow” apparently broke his heart, or at least according to that one whiny song of his.

Kim Kardashian, a woman shamelessly famous for her exaggerated curves, also stood up for Jessica, pointing out that if she beats Jessica in size, it brings forward the question: what then does the world think of her?
The words ‘obese’ and ‘monster’ come to mind.

Jessica herself, while admitting to the occasional weight gain or loss, appears to be satisfied and rather comfortable with her 5’3, 135 pound body--the general measurements of the average North American woman.

It’s not a surprise that eating disorders are hitting girls younger and younger if women like Jessica Simpson, and in recent years, Mandy Moore--women with body types deemed medically healthy--are relentlessly labeled the far worse of the two F-words.

It would almost seem that the covers of the gossip magazines should be reverse their target inwards, with headlines that read “DISTURBED.” and “COULDN’T FIND A BETTER STORY.”

But I guess this is news, Jessica Simpson is now apparently “grossly fat” and the world should know about it.

See the performance that inspired the "fat" controversy

-Melissa Hayes