In case you missed it, “fat” is experiencing a resurgence in the beauty world as evidenced by recent photos of Kate Moss where she sports some extra weight in the form of actual breasts and hips – the latter only if caught in the right light. Of course everyone cried pregnancy first but Moss has denied all fertility rumors, instead saying she’s just getting “fat.” Has the famous model finally succumbed to critics’ demands that she “eat a sammich already”? Or has she decided to lay off the smack and take a healthier approach? Or is this some kind of grand publicity stunt? Did she just tie a gym sock to her abdomen and stuff her bra?
Fashionistas are declaring Moss’ unapologetic weight gain a coup for the healthy-girl crowd by stamping out skinny minnies everywhere. Of course anyone who has picked up a magazine, watched TV or surfed the Internet lately realizes how ludicrous that sounds. Almost as ludicrous as calling Kate Moss “fat.” Consider the evidence:
She gained maybe 10 pounds? Maybe? The UK Times exults over Moss’ weight gain, “After 10 years of maple-syrup diets, ashtanga yoga, low-rise jeans and rib-counting, something utterly unexpected has happened. “Fat” is no longer the ultimate fashion insult.” So basically they’re calling a still-quite-thin woman “fat” and then saying “but, hey, take it as a compliment!” The Times adds that since Moss is such a trendsetter, her 10 pounds mean renewed acceptability of older but “curvier” models like Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford. Not famous women may have to just hope for the trickle down effect.
The Times article adds that the recession may be helping this “new trend” gain traction, concluding:
“[…]that wearying daily analysis of jutting celebrity pelvises and matchstick arms. Crazy as it seems, only a few months ago, Madonna’s sinewy calves or Victoria Beckham’s angular collarbones seemed like bona-fide dinner-party conversation-starters. Now that we have some actual problems, debating some neurotic x-ray’s eating habits seems pointless, to say nothing of panicking about our own bodies. Clearly we had too little to worry about if “Is it gluten-free?” or “Should I eat carbs after 6pm?” were troubling questions. Who cares? Malnourished women aren’t interesting any more. They’re depressing. And the six-pack, once evidence of having luxurious amounts of time and money to devote to self-sculpture, now looks like a feeble attempt at control in an uncertain world. Even worse, it implies a desperately high level of self-involvement. Fat people, meanwhile, look better every day. Why? Because they look carefree. So heave a sigh of relief and let your gut out. Kate Moss might be “fat”, but it turns out she’s bang on trend, as ever. “
The skeptical part of me wonders if this is somehow a great publicity stunt or perhaps a stealth pregnancy or even just hollywood hyperbole but the rest of my fragmented, media-eroded personality hopes this is for real. That maybe our society is coming to its senses. That maybe we can start worrying about how to talk to our daughters about Darfur instead of their thighs. That maybe men will start looking for a strong woman who can pull her own weight rather than a delicate/emaciated trophy wife. That maybe women will start realizing that if we put all the energy into solving world hunger that we previously channeled into our arm fat, we could change the world. And if Kate Moss is leading that revolution? Well, I suppose stranger things have happened.
Did you notice there’s no “normal” any more? You’re either “thin” or “fat.” No in-between stage.
That’s depressing.
I like this one- but I dont have anything super intelligent to add- 🙂
Oh goodness. Kate Moss is most definitely NOT fat! She looks healthy and normal. The dress wasn’t flattering, by any means, but she is probably still at a very low BMI.
This reminds me of those super unflattering Jessica Simpson pictures a month or two ago. Duh, anyone looks bad in too-tight clothes, high-waist jeans and being shot from the legs upwards (instead of down). Yeah, she put on ten pounds. Whoop-de-doo. . . she probably was underweight, even by medical standards, to begin with.
I think a major problem is women are so used to being “hard” bodied these days from the gym that they forget that they can be “soft and slim” too. And it doesn’t mean flabby soft, just not rock-hard, quarter-bouncing abs/butt/thighs. KWIM?
Oy!
Great post!
I just looked googled, Kate Moss who is listed as being 5’7″ and 105 pounds (pre-weight gain) so if she did gain 10 pounds… “fat” is 115 pounds??!!! I give up! Where is normal?
Plus, you can only be “cool fat” if you gain weight in the right place ie: boobs and butt (kind of like a camel). Too bad my baby belly doesn’t count as “cool fat” 😉
Sigh.
I agree, to call someone who is still slim “fat” and say it’s now getting more acceptable because she’s no longer skeletal–that’s a funny definition of progress.
I also was taken with how clueless the times author was who tried to equate “gluten free” eating with some sort of vanity induced obsession. People who avoid gluten generally do so because they have a serious disease! It’s like making fun of diabetics for avoiding foods that could put them in the hospital.
So much ignorance and superficiality out there, it makes the head spin sometimes!
Kate Moss fat? Think she would have to buy anabolic steroids to get fat. She’s not fat, she’s normal and even a bit skinny if you ask me…
I love my emaciated trophy wife!
Oh wait, that’s my human skeleton from anatomy class, my bad 🙂
She looks much better than she used to, for sure. But maybe someone should tell her now that she has breasts, she should invest in a bra? 🙂
Im kinda with becky.
had thought the Moss was pregnant. she isnt? that’s all the better.
whats not allthebetter? 115 being fat.
I had no idea any of this was going on. Which I think is a good thing, actually. I’m glad she’s putting on some weight, sorry it’s referred to as “fat”, even if it’s considered a good thing…
She still looks pretty darned skinny to me. Except she forgot to put on her control-top pantyhose. And a bra.
Now that she’s “fat” (what a joke), she’s going to have to take lessons in what the rest of us already know.
Articles about Susan Boyle in the local paper in Winnipeg on Saturday: 5. Articles about Darfur in the same paper on the same day: 0.
I guess I’m cynical… I’m a little skeptical that this will go places, but I have hopes! And I agree with what Merry said- why can’t we have that in between stage?
I will never stop channeling my energy into my arm fat!
Merry and Crabby put it perfectly.
(And, Anonymous, I kinda doubt you’re gonna find many takers here for your anabolic steroids!)
This is an older and curvier model. Come on. Who are they kidding. If the message they are sending is that this Kate Moss is now "big", that sure sends out a messed up message for the average women out there & for kids too!
Although, just comparing this newer pic to her older pics, she looks alot better. She was way too thin before!
If that’s fat, please sign me up.
I think “no longer emaciated” is a better description of Kate Moss than “fat.” Yes, it would be great if society came to it’s senses about body weight, but I won’t hold my breath. We just seem to swing from one extreme to the other in new and creative ways.
There is nothing fat about Kate Moss. Nothing.
By the way, I linked you in my blog. Thanks for giving me inspiration. 🙂
~Lisa
That’s not a pregnancy-looking bump, that’s just the muffin top you get from wearing really tight control-top tights, and they slide down a little bit, and then stuff hangs out the top.
I don’t think I’d wear a slinky jersey dress in this case. I’d lose the tights or the dress, one or the other… Or I’d make sure I pulled my tights WAY UP.
Hi there! I just want to say that I have been lurking here for about a month, and I adore your blog. I love the way you write, what you write about, and the way you think about things. I am overweight and trying to get healthy… and you are both a source of inspiration, and the instigator of a lot of self-reflection on how I got where I am and the best way to get back to where I want to be.
Thank you for another great post!
Lori
I just read that Kae Moss is now weighing in at 115 lbs and is 5'7 tall…I'm not sure about that. She definetly looks bigger than 115 lbs, but I personally think she looks amazing…her face has filledo ut perfectly…such a lucky lady.
I weigh 120 lbs and I'm 5'7.5 and I've no idea how someone half an inch shorted and five lb lighter could have the tummy curves Miss Moss now has…but I'm loving them.
Go Kate!