We Need to Talk about Rebel Wilson & the Dangerous ‘Year of Health’ Narrative
I’m tired of people acting like their words don’t have a real effect & that the ideas they choose to back are inconsequential.
The world can’t get enough of celebrity weight loss stories. Before and after pictures are prime time front page material, and once it starts it doesn’t stop for months or even years. What did she eat? What diet was she on? What is she wearing now? Who is her trainer? What’s her routine? How can I be like HER?
Most recently, we’ve been inundated with post-weight-loss photos of two high-profile celebrities: Adele and Rebel Wilson. The Adele story has been floating around the web for a year and a half now. She has never put out much narrative about it being related to her physical health, saying that she started exercising a lot because she had anxiety, which is common for people going through huge life upheavals like divorce. In an interview with Oprah, she said:
“I’m sorry if [my weight loss] has made anybody feel terrible, I feel bad that it’s made anyone feel horrible about themselves, but it’s not my job to validate anybody about their weight…I’ve got my own problems!”
