Skinny Girl Eating Ice Cream: A study in social morés. Eclipsed only by the Fat Child Eating Ice Cream tableau vivant, nothing brings out more opinions than a thin girl with a cone. Some people are jealous: “Lucky genetic freak gets to eat ice cream and still look like that?!” Others are sad: “I’ll never be thin.” Others moralize: “Ice cream is bad for you, skinnyfat girl!” Some diagnose: “That has eating disorder written all over it – I remember when I used to starve for an entire day just so I could eat ice cream.” And some resolve: “I want to look like that! Diet starts now!!” Yet others defend: “She’s naturally thin, stop hating on her! Can’t a girl eat what she wants?” A few will cheer, “You go girl! You eat that ice cream!” And anyone who’s left pretends not to care, “Eh, I don’t even like ice cream. Or hipster skinny girls.”
Hence this ad was born:
Say what you will but I think the Rosie the Riveter of our generation is Rachel Bilson fellating an ice cream bar. It’s a call to action that simultaneously plays to our strengths (We are confident, beautiful women! Who are not afraid to do what we want!) and our deepest fears (I can’t eat ice cream and look like Rachel!). Of course now that I’ve compared an actress best known for cute-as-a-button frivolity to a World War II icon, I feel a little dirty.
But the one thing that the Skinny Girl With Cone image really portrays is our belief that we can have it all – a belief that marketers simultaneously encourage and then rip away. Which is why this new ad for Magnum ice cream irritated me more than knowing that … So what if Karl Lagerfield and Rachel Bilson team up to sell ice cream – another day, another celebrity product endorsement, right? Consider: Lagerfield is the fashion designer for Chanel who famously lost nearly 100 pounds in just over a year so he could fit into Dior Homme clothing. He is also the man who said this about complaints about overly thin models in fashion:
“These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly. The fashion industry supports dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women.” Adding, “[Models] aren’t deliberately skinny because they want to be models, they’ve probably had family problems or suffered from other traumas. I’ve never seen any anorexic models myself, only extremely slim ones. […] It’s just as much a cliché as saying that all models take drugs and get drunk at sex orgies. Ninety percent of them are quite normal, properly proportioned girls with less fat and more muscles, who also eat pizzas and burgers.”
(Dear Karl, whether a girl gets too thin from wanting to be a model or because she’s endured a lot of trauma and family problems, being underweight is still unhealthy. Besides, most of the eating disordered girls I have known have had a combination of societal pressure and trauma.) So let me get this straight: the man who mocks “fat mummies” and glorifies not just thin but emaciated women is now trying to sell me ice cream. Using a gorgeous, thin model posing for a photo shoot. Is there a hidden camera? Or a garbage can to throw up in so I can purge the ice cream?
It is exactly this hypocrisy that has many people so confused and disheartened. Fat people are mercilessly mocked and yet how many commercials for food that will make you fat do we see in a day? Skinny people are deified and yet so is luscious decadent food. Marketers want you to buy the contradictory idea that you can have your cake and eat it too (and still zip up your Calvin Klein gown). Why? Because it makes money. If we’re not buying things to indulge ourselves (“I deserve this!”) then we’re buying things to cover up or undo those indulgences (“I deserve this…’).I’m not saying that skinny people can’t eat ice cream – I think most people can eat anything moderation – or even that fashion designers can’t shill junk food. I’m just saying that if you are going to pimp ice cream bars then you are not allowed complain about “the obesity crisis”.
Karl Lagerfield has an answer for this too, speaking of his epic diet, “I only like the things that I’m allowed to eat, so it’s not like I have to avoid anything, which is how I don’t put on weight.” Clearly he must not like ice cream. So then why is he selling it to me?
What do you think of this commercial – am I overreacting? What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you see a skinny girl eating an ice cream cone? Also, what are “crisps”?? (Chips? Cookies??)
Crisps are potato chips in “British”! And much as I hate advertising in general, I think it is easy to give it too much weight. The ad was a little silly, sure, and I doubt that the model (Rachel Bilson?) eats ice cream very often. But, I have lived in countries where few people are overweight (Japan, Morocco), and in both places, people did allow themselves treats…including ice cream! There’s nothing wrong with it! Unless one eats it as I did as a messed up teenager, by the carton-full, late at night, feeling shameful about it. I think we Americans (and the epidemic is spreading, sadly) over-think food in general, maybe because we have abandoned our traditions, who knows? But I loved your description of the model “fellating an ice cream bar”…my chuckle for the evening!
THis: ” I think we Americans (and the epidemic is spreading, sadly) over-think food in general, maybe because we have abandoned our traditions, who knows?” is so true. And something I am 100% guilty of!
My first thought when I see an ad like that is “Bullshit. No way she ever actually eats that.” I guess that’s a step up from believing that models actually eat and still have those bodies. It’s like when you see pictures of actresses eating burgers when they know the paparazzi is watching. Seriously, just admit you diet constantly! I for one would respect that more.
And if Karl Lagerfield honestly believes that anorexia isn’t rampant in the fashion industry and that regular women aren’t horrified, despite all evidence to the contrary, he’s a moron. Unfortunately I think he’s the norm rather than the exception. You’re right. It really is indicative of some of the greater issues in our society.
Oh, and crisps are potato chips.
Ok, so I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this way! This is a big reason why I quit watching TV – the ads drive me nuts. Also: good point about K.Lag being a moron. I concur.
Yep, same reason I got Tivo 🙂 I got tired of the silly ads that just made me feel bad about myself.
Charlotte that was a go move to stop watching TV. The programming on it turns our minds to mush.
I’m not one to be affected by images of other people (my demons are in my own head and devoted to me alone, not really influenced by others), so seeing a skinny girl eat ice cream doesn’t bother me. However, I don’t want Karl Lagerfield selling me any type of food…That man freaks me out.
That commercial was so confusing. He kept yelling “focus!” at her but it sounded like a completely different word … and now I want ice cream and potato chips so I guess it worked. Thanks Karl.
Hahahha! I didn’t notice that until you pointed it out but you’re right!
First of all, anyone can eat ice cream and be thin. It’s completely dependent on what else you eat that day, week, etc. as to whether you will remain skinny. So it’s not entirely a myth. I think it goes along with the post I think you (or someone else?) posted about guys digging women who eat. It’s just as ridiculous, and says more about the desires of the audience than anything else. It’s as you said – the contradiction of having your cake and eating it too. It’s true that anyone can eat ice cream, but what the advert leaves out is the (lack of) food the model would (not) eat to make up for it.
Secondly, that quote from him about models being thin due to trauma is disturbing. What a distorted worldview…but from where he sits it probably seems quite normal. He’s in a different world than most of us.
Finally, what is he talking about in regard to models being well-proportioned and having more muscle? I do not see fashion models that have much muscle at all. The muscles you do see are because they don’t have much fat. They don’t have more muscle than most people I know. Not in the least.
I definitely agree with you on both of the latter points – thanks!
Oh I def. agree that ice cream (and other treats) can have a place in any person’s diet (not diet as in “diet” but as in daily food intake) and they can still be wonderfully healthy. I just don’t like Lagerfield selling ice cream with one hand and criticizing women’s figures with the other…
And yeah… what muscle?!
I don’t know how I feel about the ad. I definitely know it doesn’t make me want to buy ice cream.
I used to have a fear that eating “bad” foods in public made me fat. I worked at the mall and would refuse to eat in the food court in fear of looking fat. So, perhaps that explains why the commercial confuses the heck out of me!
Ok, this: “I used to have a fear that eating “bad” foods in public made me fat. I worked at the mall and would refuse to eat in the food court in fear of looking fat. ” was totally me too! I worked at Godiva in the mall for a year and I don’t think I ever ate a single thing during my entire shift for exactly that reason. Kinda makes me sad looking back now though… we could have free chocolate!!
I can’t play the video, but I’m going to chime in anyway by just saying that this Karl guy is clearly a rhymes-with-coosch-hag. To imply that being skinny because of some “family trauma” is somehow, in some way, better than it being an eating disorder?
Someone get this man an honorary degree!
Hahah – yes, rhymes with coosch-hag for sure!
I take commercials for face value, and seeing a skinny person eating junk, to me, conveys: I don’t eat junk that often, but when I do, it’s BLAH brand. I don’t analyze commercials, but I’m glad others do, because they do have an overall impact on self-image. (I’m sure it makes some impact on me, but as of now I had more damage done by my mom (which she IS trying to undo, but only after we started to lift heavy and start comparing our muscles. Drives everyone CRAZY – Come, FEEL MY MUSCLES!).)
It’s nice to see a commercial where attractive people are pushing regular junk food instead of indulgences-too-good-to-be-only-15-calories-pseudo-health-but-really-full-of-organic-sugar food. Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking of this as a skinny person selling junk food, but more of a THIS STUFF IS GOOD in an expensive-therefore-not-for-me kind of way.
I really don’t want to get started on KL, the modeling industry, model issues, or anything of the like. Or on supposedly hip perfume-esque commercials that I probably will never see outside the internet. Let’s just keep it as *thank goodness I wasn’t exposed to KL until now*.
I hadn’t thought of it this way: “t’s nice to see a commercial where attractive people are pushing regular junk food instead of indulgences-too-good-to-be-only-15-calories-pseudo-health-but-really-full-of-organic-sugar food. ” but you make a good point. It does totally annoy me when celebs sell those stupid 100-cal snack packs too. I think I just remembered why I q1uit watching TV!
I thought this was a Victoria’s Secret ad when I saw it? Or I guess it’s both? I suddenly feel compelled to buy overpriced underwear…….
no just kidding. (but I DO like their clothing and undies!)
The commenters before me talked about how they mostly just take the ad for face value and don’t really believe they have their ice cream and eat it too like the model (or that it isn’t impossible to be thin and eat ice cream). I agree with both those sentiments however that is how I personally view it. I believe a lot of people who are not heavily immersed in the world of fitness blogs, however, likely think or feel differently. While this particular ad may not inspire anyone to go out and eat a giant ice cream cone, I think there are plenty enough ads that do, do similar things. My biggest pet peeve is skinny people advertising unhealthysomethingakintofood health food-like products, because people will and do believe that.
The bra I’m wearing right now is V.S.:) Good point about people with different health backgrounds will have different interpretations of this ad. I think the fact that I’m recovering ED’d taints how I see stuff like this.
The first thing that pops into my head when I see a skinny model eating ice cream/crisps/whatever is: How old is she? I think it’s fairly easy to be effortlessly thin when you’re still a teenager. Five years later it’s a different story!
The ads that always bugged me showed groups of kids in ecstasy because they had bought a certain game or toy.
Rachel Bilson will be 30 this year (in case you were curious). :o)
The first thing I did was Google her to find out what year she was born. Yeah, at that advanced age she’s probably starving herself!
You two crack me up! I do the same thing Naomi – I always think about how catwalk models peak at like 14. “Yeah, at that advanced age she’s probably starving herself!” ROFL.
Damn. No one’s talking about the fact that this oversized Dove bar is named Magnum??? Sheesh.
Charlotte, babe, all I see here is a power struggle between a photographer and a model, with the model winning. Why? Because she eats her ice cream. I guess it turns the photographer on to watch her stimulate some endorphins ’cause now, he’s a heck of a lot nicer to work for.
Stupid. And there’s no way in hell I’m eating ice cream named for both a gun and what some men name their nether parts… so it resembles a gun.
Sorry. That might disturb me even more than Lagerfeld’s statement. I mean, hello? This guy makes his living among this subculture. Of COURSE he’s going to see nothing wrong with it!
I agree! Same name as condoms, the tagline is ‘For Pleasure Seekers’, and the description even used in this post is “Rachel Bilson fellating and ice cream bar”! I definitely first thought it was using sex to sell rather than portraying a girl eating whatever she wants.
Hey – I said she “fellated” the ice cream bar! I thought that was a pretty good nod;)
And good point about the model “winning” – I hadn’t thought of it from that perspective. I think the way I see these things is definitely tainted by my ED’d history. Thanks for making me think!
Yes, you did say fellated. (Is that even a word? Some high-falutin’ writer I am!), so I was expecting something like that VS woman with the waffle cone at the top of the post! I didn’t see Magnum woman as anything but on a power trip.
And the way you see things may be tainted by your ED, but my perspective is definitely marked by my power issues! We’re even lady! 😀
This frustrates me. I would venture to say that most models exhibit disordered eating even if it doesn’t fall neatly into the category of either anorexia or bulimia, and um…..what was that about models having more muscle than overweight people? Maybe they do but that’s still not a lot of muscle mass at all — please, someone find me a bicep bump on a Victoria’s Secret model. I’ll wait.
I think there are quite a lot of women that would be considered to have “sub-clinical” EDs. And yeah, what muscles?!?!
All I know is the ad didn’t make me want to buy ice cream.
I think I usually see skinny girls eating ice cream and go, “ooh! ice cream!” and then do some math to make sure I have calorie room for said ice cream 😛
As for this guy…definitely a skewed world view. A disturbing one as well.
Susan – thank you for pointing out the fact that this ice cream bar was named after a condom.
Also, I know this wasn’t the point of the post AT ALL, but why is the makeup artists, at 0:48, applying blush to Rachel’s boob and arm?
I didn’t notice that! You’re always finding boob stuff I don’t!! Good thing I have you to keep me up on boobage;)
I noticed the boobie blush, Leslie.Yep. And you’re welcome about the Magnum goodness. If it is, indeed, goodness.
I tend to think “damn her.” lol I know that’s silly but I can’t help it! I know it’s all marketing BS and not real. I also hate it when you read interviews with people and they’re like “oh, I don’t really diet or eat healthy. I eat whatever I want.” I feel for 95% of people that’s BS. Why lie about it? It seems more real for people to say I work my ass off for this weight. It makes them seem a lot more credible and “real.”
I totally agree with this: ” It seems more real for people to say I work my ass off for this weight. It makes them seem a lot more credible and “real.””
Karl probably needs to stick with fashion design and skip out on marketing. If you hadn’t told me that I was being sold ice cream, I’d have had no idea …
Why did he point to childhood trauma for making models thin? Clearly the less nut-job-esque statement would be something about high metabolisms and good genes. I guess no one really realizes how crazy they sound until someone else points it out.
I guess no one really realizes how crazy they sound until someone else points it out.” Heh, TRUE. For me as well!
Just an FYI–she’s a beautiful woman, but she is too thin.
I think it’s a bit silly to get all up in arms about what other people are eating, fictional or otherwise. Do I really think the models eat the ice cream? probably not, especially since things usually take more than one take and they’d end up eating buckets full of ice cream. But does it really matter? I don’t think so. Their goal is to try to coerce you into buying their stuff by hitting all the emotional and psychological buttons they can. It’s up to you to be smart about it and not fall for every advertising trick out there.
I’m sure there really are skinny girls who live off of ice cream (I actually have a friend who is rail thin, who used to eat 2-3 DQ blizzards a day). Watching her do that didn’t make me think I could do the same thing. Life just isn’t fair; all you can do is live the life that works best for you.
That said, KL sounds like a jerk, but I didn’t know about him before this post.
So true: “Their goal is to try to coerce you into buying their stuff by hitting all the emotional and psychological buttons they can. It’s up to you to be smart about it and not fall for every advertising trick out there.” This is one of the reasons I don’t watch TV anymore. My buttons are too easily pushed:)
That commecial was just plain stupid. It didn’t make me want ice cream, probably because I already know who Karl L. is and wouldn’t want to have anything to do with his products anyways. I can’t believe he’s selling ice cream after his weight loss and his comments about “fat mummies.” I assume he means mothers, not dead Pharoahs? ‘Cause I doubt any of them are fat. Or eat icecream.
Hahah – yes, once you’ve had all your internal organs removed and pickled in jars I bet you’ll never have to worry about getting fat again!
I want to be able to eat ice cream and not feel hopelessly guilty. pretty please!!
Oh you tot. can! Don’t let Karl win!! My point wasn’t that people (all people!) shouldn’t eat ice cream but rather that the fashion industry is super hypocritical…
BTW Magnum is a British thing – it has been an ice-cream here for over a decade and definitely does not have connotations with condoms or guns! The most exposure I get to the latter variety is through CSI…
Anyway, I think its interesting that several people here have suggested that ‘it’s up to us to be smarter than that’ and that it’s therefore ok for advertisers to sling this sort of crap out. A major problem is that people AREN’T that smart – not because they are stupid but because the message is so insidious and they have not been brought up in a way that means they are educated about healthy living, diet and body-image. It may seem obvious because you have been well-educated on these issues – but many people have not – as evidenced by the obesity crisis in much of the Western world.Moreover, it is extremely disturbing that adverts like this are broadcast to children who are incapable of critically analysing something like this and viewing it through their own values and beliefs. Continual bombardment of things like this form those beliefs, and they will not conform to the ‘smart’ ones we think we have.
It kills me to think that my eight-year-old sister is exposed to things like this every day. What about the kids that don’t have educated families? Or teenagers so caught up in an eating disorder that all they see is some skinny bitch eating junk food when they eat nothing and still can’t look like that?
I love this: “because the message is so insidious and they have not been brought up in a way that means they are educated about healthy living, diet and body-image.” I totally agree.
Honestly, when I see skinny girls eating ice cream, I’m jealous. Not because they can eat ice cream and not get fat. . . but because I realize they have the self-control to stop at *just one* and that when they have a treat, it’s just a treat and they move on. That is just so, so hard for me!!
I can’t stand KL. His opinions are what’s wrong with a lot of the fashion industry.
“That is just so, so hard for me!!” It’s hard for a LOT of us! You’re not alone in this:)
I happen to know a thing or two about posing with food props. And by the time you get down posing with the food it’s got drool all over it and you have to convince your kids that it’s no longer edible when they come begging for it. That ice cream picture must have been a melted disaster. Just sayin’.
Hahah – yeah, but I bet the prop guy had a blast!
Wow, first of all this Karl guy is unaware of reality. Apparently he doesn’t realize that when those “fat mummies” lose weight, he’ll be losing income because they won’t want anything to do with is products.
Secondly, it doesn’t bother me either way if I see a skinny girl eating ice cream. I’m a self-diagnosed ice cream addict and have proven that it’s possible to lose weight eating ice cream several days a week; sometimes daily. However, as was mentioned in a previous comment, everything is about balance. I don’t eat other junk during the day, meaning nothing other than healthy meals, if I’m going to have my ice cream fix. And I never feel guilty about the indulgence.
” And I never feel guilty about the indulgence.” This is awesome! I love it. Very sane POV.
Karl Lagerfield might know how to design clothes, but is it just me or was that commericial/”film” just awful?
If I wasn’t aware of how stupid his comments on body image were and the only thing I knew about Karl Lagerfield was that he made this commercial I would still think the same thing: idiot.
I might not be model thin, but at least I was in no way associated with the making of this cheesy commercial. That alone makes me feel so much better about myself.
Hee!
You’re not alone. It was awful. So was the idea of calling it “A Film by Karl Lagerfeld.” I’m kinda surprised he didn’t use “Un film de Karl Lagerfeld.”
Hahahah! Amen to everything you just said!
When I see a skinny person eating ice cream I think “good – she’s enjoying food”. That’s it.
It doesn’t make me want to eat it though. Tell me about how good it tastes and I’m there, but I don’t care if someone cute eats it or not…that doesn’t mean it tastes good 🙂
The biggest thing that I am worried about is the “girl who eats anything” on sitcoms and movies but “still stays skinny” without “working out”. Gilmore girls comes to mind. Eat, Pray, Love the movie condones this with a vague “I’m not interested in obesity” but no other words of what is over indulgence, or how to discipline desires.
We want to have it all, but we don’t want to pay for it. THat is what bothers me. We can’t do that.
And this: “We want to have it all, but we don’t want to pay for it.” is exactly what Hollywood wants to sell us…
I just ordered 8 cases of Magnum ice cream bars. When does Rachel Bilson show up?
I honestly can’t imagine the societal pressures that women deal with on a day to day basis. Although I did lose weight to fit into different clothes. Not Calvin Klein, just something that didn’t require an elastic waistband or pregnancy panel.
Pregnancy panel…rofl! And Mrs. NoMo would like a word with you now… she says she hopes Rachel knows how to do toilets…
I guess I’m biased because I have a tall, model skinny sister in her 30s who, after two babies, can still eat whatever she wants without exercising who has never had an eating disorder. The kicker is that she’s always eaten things things in moderation and that while she’s tiny, she isn’t fit. It’s not physically possible for me to be as small as she is (my ribcage is bigger than hers for starters) or as tall (she’s over six inches taller), but I’m strong and (sort of) fast. So the idea of a thin woman eating ice cream…. doesn’t make an impact on me at all.
Uncle Karl is an idiot, but I already knew that. I didn’t think the commercial was good. Not only did it not make me want to buy ice cream, it didn’t make ice cream look appealing.
I’m totally calling him Uncle Karl from now on!
I think I’ve said/thought every one of those lines at one point or another when seeing ads like that… sometimes at the same time.
I think you’ve nailed it on this. It’s no overreaction – these kinds of ads are what contribute to body image issues and negative relationships with food and our bodies.
Thanks Sagan – glad I’m not the only one who has these reactions!
Maybe I’m way off-base but I didn’t find the commercial offensive at all (and I’m usually sensitive to that kind of thing). Rachel is a thin movie star, but she looked cute and I didn’t think the way it was filmed emphasized her “skinniness.” (She was shot from the shoulders up most of the time.)
I thought she looked spunky and cute – ripping her wig off and kind of being put out by the director’s annoying comments. The director ended up looking like an ass, and Rachel had a sort of “screw you, I’m fed up with you all fussing over me and I just want some damn ice cream” kind of attitude. I also didn’t think that the way she ate the icecream was overtly sexual (although Charlotte’s description of her “fellating” it was HILARIOUS) – she looked like she was just enjoying the indulgence. But then maybe I enjoy icecream wayyyy too much. 🙂
As far as KL directing it – I don’t think it’s anything to be proud of. The editing was choppy and the concept was weak. It was cute because Rachel made it cute – she was so fun and natural. But it’s nothing for KL to brag about.
Not trying to be the voice of opposition here – just sharing my take on the clip!! I was honestly surprised by everyone’s reaction.
I like that you posted the opposing view! I think I’m honestly oversensitive to this kind of thing because of my history but it’s nice to know that it doesn’t have the same disturbing effect on everyone. And hey, I think everyone should enjoy their ice cream that much! I have had ice cream that’s been pretty close to good sex;)
(Crisps are chips. Did someone already answer that? I’m doped up on cold medicine, so I can’t remember…Chips, in the UK, are fries. Oy, so confusing!)
If Karl Lagerfeld lived in the real world, he might have a little more perspective on the “average woman”‘s body. But her has spent the past (???) years in the fashion industry, so he really knows nothing.
Have you ever noticed that women on TV and in movies/commercials rarely eat? You’ll see a woman pull an empty spoon out of her mouth, or take nibbles, or sit next to a guy and sip water while he scarfs pizza, but you’ll hardly ever see a woman actually EAT.
And I know a number of successful models and actresses. They are VERY strict about what (or even if) they eat, and very few of them ever indulge in ice cream.
Unless they have a colonic scheduled for later that day. Gross, but true.
I too am on a ton of cold meds! And the only colonic I’ve ever had was for my colonoscopy – and I do remember thinking “huh look how flat my stomach looks after 24 hours of shooting it out my butt!” For the record, I loved my colonoscopy – whatever meds they gave me to knock me out made me happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.
That is too funny!!!!
Wow. Thanks for enlightening me to all of this!! I just received a coupon from Foodbuzz for this icecream, and will likely reference this post when I review 🙂
This Karl dude scares me!!! I have to admit, my pants that fit me the best are a double zero, that is disturbing writing, and of course I buy extra small for shirt. I actually have a hard time finding clothes that fit me. What I hide well under my clothes though is a MASS amount of toned muscle. I always impress people with what I can do and how much I can lift because they think I have nothing. Anyway, even with being the size I am, I would be afraid this guy would call me fat and tell me I needed to lose 20-30 pounds. Which of course would be unhealthy. He just has a way of wanting you to be anorexic.
The problem I have with the models that are SO skinny, like the one from the link, is that they do not look like a woman. I want to see clothes on a woman who looks like a woman, not a stick that has no shape. At that, they do not look healthy either.
To note, I do eat. I love my food, lots of butter, cream, whole raw milk, the fat on my meat, eggs and the like. I can pack more food away than my husband. I am also in my late 20’s, not a teenager! Go traditional/primal way of living!
For the commercial, it was really stupid and I would not buy the ice cream. For marketing, they failed me.
Mmm…. fat! I am so happy I (re)discovered cream, butter, coconut oil, eggs etc.! Now I want breakfast…
I love fashion, but I hate Karl Lagerfeld. The man used to walk around with a geisha fan in front of his face because he was so embarrassed by its chubbiness. Then he loses 100 lbs and acts like he was never overweight and makes up for lost time by constantly insulting overweight people. He has no empathy or sympathy for others and he makes the rudest comments (the above one isn’t even the half of it, he has also said he hates kids). I would never buy ice cream from that hypocrite.
He’s lying about the anorexia thing too. In the past 5 years there were three deaths from anorexia in the modeling industry, after which Madrid set a minimum BMI for models during the fashion week. I know he knows about these deaths.
Regarding the skinny girls eating ice cream, I try not to judge too much. I admit I get jealous that I can’t eat whatever I want and not gain a pound, but I know several girls who don’t work out and eat absolute garbage but wear 00 pants and can’t gain weight no matter how hard they try. Some people are just luckier than others when it comes to metabolism. I will say that I dislike that the more unhealthy the food being advertised, the skinnier the person selling it is (I swear).
Okay, now I have to go look up his comments about kids! Not that I need more reason to dislike him… I agree with you totally about your last two points!
It was part of an interview he did for a magazine. They have it up on Jezebel (i think). Someone asked him if he regretted not having a son to pass on his wisdom to and he said “That’s the last thing I want. I hate all children.”
We all have different takes on this but all I know is I am tired of what the media & advertising push on women…. we just can’t win no matter what. They talk a game about changing but it does not really happen for the most part.
” They talk a game about changing but it does not really happen for the most part.” True. And they never will as long as we keep buying it…
Oy, I saw a different Rachel Bilson for Magnum add the other day (one where she is stuck in traffic and runs over cars to get to the Magnum ice cream truck). I’m all for eating what you want and not depriving yourself but I hate the mixed signals that advertisers put out. If I tried to do everything they suggested, I would be a deeply confused oxymoron of a person. As you said, it’s all about making money, selling ice cream, whatever. People probably wouldn’t be as enticed by these ads if they depicted a fat person on the couch enjoying a Magnum. Still, I think this ad is ridiculous and I don’t like it. It makes it seem like “having it all” (in the sense of being skinny and eating decadent food) is easy, when we all know it isn’t; and that contradictory reality can, I think, make people feel really down on themselves.
Yes: ” It makes it seem like “having it all” (in the sense of being skinny and eating decadent food) is easy, when we all know it isn’t; and that contradictory reality can, I think, make people feel really down on themselves.” My feelings exactly. Thanks for saying it better than I did!
I can’t believe the amount of jealousy and hatred on this page! Aren’t we better than this?
Some people are naturally skinny, most of us aren’t. Some people can eat ice cream every day, some people can’t. To get up in arms or direct anger at others about being in the “can’t” category is ridiculous, self-defeating, and futile.
I get that people think it’s hypocritical, but it’s not like the ad shows a thin model sitting around on the couch for seven hours watching TV and eating her day’s worth of calories in the form of sugar (and remaining super svelte) – _that_ would be hypocritical.
Karl Lagerfeld is an extraordinarily talented, intelligent man; he’s also an out-of-touch douchebag. But what does it matter, in the end? Is anyone on here _really_ offended by what he said? If so – why does this man matter so much? He’s one man, with one opinion – isn’t your sense of self-worth strong enough to confront that?
People on here talk about how disturbing Karl’s rant was. I have to say that Charlotte, while I love your blog: I find your obsession about food and weight (when you are obviously gorgeous, healthy and very slim) far more concerning. You can hold a plank for over 10 minutes and you’re worrying about a skinny woman eating one ice cream? Priorities, sister!
First, this: “Karl Lagerfeld is an extraordinarily talented, intelligent man; he’s also an out-of-touch douchebag.” cracked me up!
Second, I think you mis-read my point (and the points of a lot of the commenters). I def. think that anyone (fat/thin/Lagerfield-clad) can eat ice cream and be healthy and happy. I also eat plenty of ice cream. My concern wasn’t over a skinny woman eating ice cream but rather the mixed messages the media sends us about being healthy.
Third, while I will totally admit to being obsessed with food and weight in the past, these days I think I’m doing a lot better with it all! Barring the one bad blip with the bod pod a month ago (shudder) I haven’t weighed myself in almost a year. I don’t count calories, forbid any foods or (for the most part) feel guilty eating treats. We’ve stopped measuring our BF% and all my goals on this site are now performance goals – better, faster, longer, stronger (love ya, Kanye!) I will never say that I’m totally recovered but let’s give me a little credit for how far I’ve come;)
That ad is pretty ridiculous, as are the mixed messages we always get from the media. It really is crazy-making, and creates a definition of femininity that ricochets between deprivation and indulgence, virtue and sin. And most of us fall somewhere in the middle, without seeing ourselves reflected in the culture at large. Really, it seems like a cruel trap.
I think that your article was great and your first comment was spot on “Americans over think food”. That is just it. We as a people have so much freaking baggage about food that it seems impossible for most of us to have any kind of healthy relationship with food.
I think we (as in society) like to see skinny people eat because it makes us feel better about our own food decisions. As in “she’s eating ice cream and she’s still a size zero so ice cream can’t be that bad for you! And I didn’t even eat ice cream so I must be healthier and superior to a Victoria’s Secret model!” It’s the same reason thin people tend to get food pushed on them a lot, as well as snide comments like “that’s all you’re eating?” On the other hand, we dislike seeing fat people eating because it’s an uncomfortable reminder that food can make us fat. I think many people are even MORE uncomfortable seeing overweight people eat moderately healthy (say ordering a salad) because it makes us worry that salads can make us fat too. So we convince ourselves that they’re probably downing donuts on the sly and thus ease the cognitive dissonance.
When I saw this ad on tv the other night, since I am dieting, it made me feel annoyed bc at the moment ice cream looks so good to me and yet I am dieting so that I can look more like her. So, I got some sugar free ice cream to help me but I know once I am at my ideal weight, like Rachel I can enjoy it once or twice a week too. Not a big deal…and I have known women who are naturally very very skinny and can eat whatever they want (I hate them!)…in fact they try to eat alot too GAIN, so they can look better! I think models are those rare people who have those genes but also an interesting or beautiful face as well. But probably there are some who have to try harder to look that thin, in the fashion industry.