Celebrities, Body Image, & Bullying

            Today, it seems like every other magazine out there has images of celebrities with headlines like, “Pregnant or just fat?” and “Boob job or the real deal?”  These types of images and articles are what attract readers, so the magazines keep them coming.  A lot of people love nothing more than relaxing with a gossip magazine and perusing articles about which celebrity is looking pregnant, who’s got an eating disorder, who got Botox last week, and so on. 

            Is this a harmless hobby? Or is it unhealthy?

            In my opinion, these jabs at celebrities’ appearances are not healthy for readers OR celebrities.  For readers, it perpetuates the obsession with body bashing.  It’s hard to maintain a positive body image when you’re fixated on judging others’ looks; this fascination places too much importance on superficial issues and takes the focus off personal character.  Young girls who read these malicious headlines and articles may learn to perceive others based on how they look, and may internalize messages they read to the point that their own self-esteem is affected. 

            And this body bashing is certainly not healthy for celebrities.  It must be incredibly difficult for them to cope with all of the negativity and judgment.  These repetitive, deliberate messages are a form of bullying.  It’s not socially acceptable to walk up to someone on the street and ask if they’ve put on a few pounds or recently gotten a nose job, but in gossip magazines, that’s standard.  Perhaps fewer celebrities would be developing eating disorders and seeking plastic surgery if they weren’t always subject to appearance-oriented critiques?  It’s hard to tell whether the chicken or the egg came first.

            However, some people would say that if celebrities’ careers are based on the public nature of their work, then appearance-related criticism is just part of the job and they should just deal with it.  And if they aren’t comfortable enough with themselves to handle the good and the bad comments that circulate in magazines, maybe they shouldn’t have chosen this position of fame.

            What do you think? Is appearance-oriented gossip in magazines a form of bullying?  Is it acceptable or not?

If you’re struggling with issues such as bullying and/or body image disorders, there are different types of psychotherapy that may be helpful, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, and EMDR.  For more information, please visit markdworkin.com or email me at mdworkin@optonline.net.