Kimberley Foster writes...
Forgive me for a moment while I blow off some steam by having a bit of a rant. Tell me, when did it suddenly become okay for the media to pre-diagnose celebrity illnesses? Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely oblivious to those in the spotlight who are clearly having some form of weight issues, but when did we all become medical experts? Too often I open a magazine, newspaper or read a blog and I'm hit with a picture of a under or overweight celeb followed by what the article assumes is the cause - anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism, drugs, stress, depression, all of the above. Better still is the new medical terms that are conjured up, e.g. thinspiration, stressorexic, skinny-obsessives, etc. Talk about jumping the gun! While I absolutely in no way condone the rapid rate at which many Hollywood stars shrink their bodies, there is a distinct line between publishing a picture and immediately assuming that the celeb in question is suffering from a specific eating disorder. In fact, all it is does is glorify the problem by creating a new buzz word for it.
This issue was further brought to my attention with recent pictures of Cate Blanchett attending this week's Costume Institute Gala in New York. Looking rather pale (although she is usually always pale) and rather thin (although she was never exactly big), the Aussie star has drawn criticism and concern over the state of her health. I admit, the pictures did unnerve me a little especially because I adore not only her acting ability but also her style however, I refused to jump the gun... unlike so many other media outlets.
Suddenly Cate is "fading away," as one newspaper called it and has possibly caught the so-called "Hollywood plague" of anorexia. All this just made me want to shriek, "hold your horses! Slow down!" Before we begin to vilify the woman and chuck her on the next "who's skinny now" list, let's just take a step back and get some perspective for a minute. Perhaps she's simply lost weight due to working long hours or switching diets or just maybe she is preparing for her next movie role as some have speculated.
Rumours that she's signed on to play a cancer victim in the film Cancer Vixen based on the true story of author Marisa Acocella Marchetto’s battle with breast cancer have been linked to her sudden weight loss. In which case brings up a whole other list of concerns, for example if she is preparing for a film role by taking such a drastic approach, then why is she still allowed to traipse down the red carpet in front of millions of impressionable young women? Or why not choose something to wear that bears this fact in mind? Many actors have taken similar extreme approaches to film roles before and I'm sure I never saw them attending any high-profile events.
I assume that as a celebrity you eventually become somewhat immune to such comments and criticisms about your physical appearance but as your average Jane I'm not that comfortable on how this type of commentary translates over to the masses. Just like in fashion, these new labels stick celebrities into categories where the public are then left to identify with them. For example, from these reports, one may begin to think that just because Miss Celebrity is depressed and that's why she is thin, the solution to their own depression might be to follow suit. And herein lies the problem!
So, before we start to pre-diagnose the reasons behind a celebrity weight gain/loss in an attempt to find our next story let's wait until we have all the correct information, for who knows what impact we could be having on someone's life. It's the difference between what we call fact and that other thing known as fiction.
Kimberley Foster is editor of Catwalk Queen and despite viewing countless images of celebrities each day she still refuses to diet.
