As we all know, history is doomed to repeat itself. Early 2000s nostalgia has plagued us since Gen Z discovered “vintage” Wet Seal and Forever 21. And, unfortunately, the toxic diet culture of the early aughts came with it. And with trends of “buccal fat” removal and Ozempic taking over Hollywood, it’s clear female stars continue to get the brunt of it. In a recent episode of Good Bodies, the podcast formerly known as Diet Starts Tomorrow (because diets can no longer sit with us!), tackled the question that’s been on our collective minds for a while now: can we please stop overanalyzing celebrities’ bodies?!
“It creeps me out how we look at female celebrities’ bodies through a microscope,” Lauren says in Good Bodies’ May episode. Obviously, the hypercriticism of celebrities’ bodies is nothing new. Every millennial woman’s Roman Empire is the infamous tabloid photo of Jessica Simpson in high-waist jeans, which clearly gave us all a collective sense of dysmorphia. But thankfully, we’re finally seeing pushback from celebs like Sam Smith, Lizzo, and Billie Eilish.
The co-hosts applauded Billie for calling attention to the bullshit expectations to be skinny in her new album, Hit Me Hard And Soft. “In the age of Ozempic, Billie Eilish is singing a song about how losing weight doesn’t make you happy,” Lauren says.
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The first track on the album, “Skinny,” addresses the very real phenomenon of people treating you differently depending on your body size, with verses like: “People say I look happy/ Just because I got skinny/ But the old me is still me/ Maybe the real me and/ I think she’s pretty.”
While Ozempic has become an umbrella term for the expensive “weight loss” drug that every celebrity and their mom seems to be on these days, the expectation of thinness still applies to normies. The way we criticize celebrities’ bodies becomes the same scrutiny that is applied to our own bodies, a theme Billie has been vocal about before.
In 2021, the pop star opened her Where Do We Go world tour with a clapback at body shamers. “If what I wear is comfortable, I am not a woman. If I shed the layers, I am a slut. Some people hate what I wear. Some people praise it. Some people use it to shame others. Some people use it to shame me. While I feel your stares, your disapproval, or your sighs of relief, if I lived by them, I’d never be able to move.”
Emily reminded us in the episode that there’s a reason why Billie is known for her oversized looks, and it’s not just because they’re trendy af. For the May 2021 British Vogue cover, Billie received harassment online for going full Marilyn Monroe with platinum blonde hair, satin pink corset, and a form fitting skirt.
“It was the first time that anybody really saw her body because even when she started out as a young teen, she had this signature look with these baggy tracksuits and baggy t-shirts and huge jeans,” Emily continues. “The whole reason why that became her signature style is because she didn’t want people commenting on her body when she was just coming out because she was, you know, an insecure teen like the rest of us.”
“She has access to the internet! She saw what we did to Britney [Spears],” Lauren replies. “So, of course, she’s trying to click an unsubscribe box like it was a form of protection. It’s a suit of armor.”
Three years have passed since Billie’s Marilyn moment. She opted to embrace the old Billie for her Rolling Stones’ May 2024 cover story with an oversized button-up and her go-to baggy pants. The singer opened up about her sexuality, her love of masturbation, and how embracing these parts of herself has helped with her lifelong struggle with body dysmorphia. It looks like the kids are going to be okay.
In the meantime, our favorite entertainment wellness podcast, Good Bodies, keeps us sane. Finish the “Can we please stop overanalyzing celebrities’ bodies?” episode here.
