As we discussed over the weekend, Amy Schumer is in final talks to play live-action Barbie in a feature film about Barbie dolls. Amy’s Barbie character will be thrown out of Barbie World for not fitting in or whatever, and Barbie learns a valuable lesson that homogeneous societies are for chumps, and we need to embrace our diversity, whether it be racial diversity, size diversity, what have you. I already know that I will not see this movie, so I didn’t have strong feelings one way or the other. But other people did have strong feelings. Feelings like “Amy Schumer shouldn’t play Barbie because she doesn’t have the Barbie physique.” I’m putting that mildly – Twitter people were calling Amy “too fat to play Barbie” all over the place. Well, Amy has responded to the criticism with an Instagram message:
Very very honored to be nominated for 2 Grammys and to be considered to play an important and evolving icon. Is it fat shaming if you know you’re not fat and have zero shame in your game? I don’t think so. I am strong and proud of how I live my life and say what I mean and fight for what I believe in and I have a blast doing it with the people I love. Where’s the shame? It’s not there. It’s an illusion.
When I look in the mirror I know who I am. Im a great friend, sister, daughter and girlfriend. I’m a badass comic headlining arenas all over the world and making tv and movies and writing books where I lay it all out there and I’m fearless like you can be. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and support and again my deepest sympathy goes out to the trolls who are in more pain than we will ever understand. I want to thank them for making it so evident that I am a great choice. It’s that kind of response that let’s you know something’s wrong with our culture and we all need to work together to change it.
Anyone who has ever been bullied or felt bad about yourself I am out there fighting for you, for us. And I want you to fight for yourself too! We need to laugh at the haters and sympathize with them. They can scream as loud as they want. We can’t hear them because we are getting sh-t done. I am proud to lead by example. “I say if I’m beautiful, I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will” #thegirlwiththelowerbacktattoo
Part of me thinks that this message was fine. That’s the part of me that finds Amy Schumer exhausting, like I just want to say “sure, whatever you say, Amy” and be done with it. But there’s another part of me that is just so irritated by how Amy handles these kinds of conversations about body image. She freaked the f—k out when Glamour Magazine included her in their plus-sized special issue, claiming that she’s a size six (using Kirstie Alley sizing, I’m assuming). Now she says she knows she’s “not fat” and then shows all of those trolls that they did hit the nerve they were aiming for. And of course, there’s an added level of Lena Dunham-esque controversy-baiting going on here. The studio would not have hired Amy Schumer to play Barbie unless they wanted this exact conversation and “controversy.” So Amy gets to play the victim publicly and promote the movie and whatever. She’s exhausting.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Shut up Amy.
My eyes rolled so hard it gave me a headache.
It would be nice if she’d just go away, ugh I REALLY dislike her! Her message is bullsh**. If she really believed what she said, she wouldn’t lie about her size. She clearly thinks it’s not okay to be bigger than a size 6, otherwise she wouldn’t lie about her size or get offended about being called “plus-sized” or “curvy” or whatever by that magazine.
I totally agree, she always puts up the naked pic of her with the microphone… sigh… clearly taken at least 5 years ago. That’s when I switched off from her ”body positive” messages. She’s put on a little weight since then which is totally ok! I don’t think she’s fat but she does need to accept her current body if she is to be a role model for others.
@tegteg Glamour Magazine didn’t even call her plus-sized or curvy. They didn’t say anything about her size. They reprinted several interviews with women they felt were inspiring for their body positivity in their special edition that was marketed to plus-sized women. It wasn’t about these women’s sizes; it was about their attitudes. However, Amy saw her name on the cover of a plus-sized magazine and completely lost her shit.
I cannot stand her, she is incredibly annoying and it has nothing to do with her body.
And she’s not fat but she cannot shut up about the weight issue and in doing so, it actually attracts more attention on her body (which seems normal to me; she just doesn’t seem to have a waistline but plenty of skinny people do not have it anyway).
Ok I’m a fattie and proud of it, as in incredibly proud!!!
*dives into a chocolate chip panettone*
*Merry Christmas to all of you*
Yum panettone! i love your message silver unicorn!
The only person interested in Amy’s weight is Amy.
She’s obsessed with it. Always going on and on about being a size 6 and whatnot. Amy is clearly at least a size 10, which is fine, but she’s attacked about her weight because A.) she lies about it and B.) she never shuts up about it.
Yes. It’s tedious. I’m a plump old lady. Had my thin years and not so thin years. Amy lost me with the size 6 nonsense. My daughter is a 4 or 6. That is tiny.
She’s not perfect for sure, but I think she can learn and do better.
i agree. i wish she would go to a therapist instead of working out her self loathing in instagram posts.
Exactly!! Get therapy, Amy, because your weight obsession is NOT healthy.
These are my exact thoughts and I am a therapist!
I get super confused when people on here talk about size…..
A size 6 is an AUS/UK size 10. Everyone fluctuates and it is totally believable that Amy would be a 10/12 (US 6-8). Look at a photo of her next to J-Law. She isn’t some giant hippo. In a photo of only her, it’s easy to think she could be larger but it’s out of context.
US – UK/AUS
12 = 16
10 = 14
8 = 12
6 = 10
4 = 8
2 = 6
0 = 4
Regardless of her weight, she obviously has a very high body fat %. So she might be able to fit into smaller clothes than you’d think because fat is more squishy than muscle. Still, I think she’s overweight.
I think she looks like a size 10 US. I do not think that is at all calling her a “giant hippo.” (?!) And I certainly hope you aren’t implying that a size 10 US is a “giant hippo.”
My issue with her is that she freaks out at the slightest implication she may be bigger than a size 6. Even if she WAS a size 6, I would find that weird. She acts like implying she’s bigger than a size 6 or even “plus-sized” (which I don’t think she is) is somehow insulting.
Being bigger than a size 6 is okay, Amy! Promise!
She is fat. I am fat. I confess, I love chocolate chip cookies crumbled on ice cream and topped with hot fudge. But I also know there is no way Barbie has a thirty inch waist.
Amy should not join the post Truth world. She needs to just embrace her body type. She is a cute little chunky gal. Go with it Amy.
I wouldn’t call her fat but she is clearly the wrong person to speak about body shaming and/or acceptance, depending on the day, because she seems so conflicted and insecure.
I think by fat, Annie means “overweight”. The word fat is thrown around loosely these days, maybe unhealthy would be more accurate. It looks like Amy is over a 25 BMI, which is medically considered overweight. I’m several inches taller than her and she probably weighs about the same as me, or more (and my BMI is like 24.5).
Correct. I mean overweight. But people carry weight differently. My BMI is also 24.5 but I have skinny legs and arms but a thick middle. No matter how much I walk, do weights, yoga etc.
Annie, we have the same body shape then! My legs stay skinny no matter my weight, but even at my thinnest I have a small “spare tire” around my middle. 🙁
Hold the phone…you think Amy Schumer looks OVERWEIGHT? I don’t think she looks “thin” but I don’t think she looks even close to overweight. She looks like a person that eats 3 meals a day but also works out 3-4 times a week. I consider that healthy, not overweight or unhealthy.
I criticized her in a comment above for being so hypersensitive about people calling her over a size 6 but maybe now I know why. Apparently some think looking like she does IS overweight and unhealthy. Yikes.
I think her weight is fine, but she needs more muscle definition. It would give her better curves.
@Megan, the thing is, you can train as hard as you want but if you don’t lose weight, those lovely toned muscles will be hidden beneath a layer of fat. Therefore, if she needs muscle definition she needs to lose weight.
Thesagem: true. However just HAVING muscle means your body burns more fat at rest. So lift weights and strength train, and your body will sculpt itself nicely and burn the fat over those nice new stronger muscles.
Needs more muscle definition for…what? To look the way you think she needs to look? To not be fat?
I don’t mean those questions in a rhetorical way. I’m really curious why you think she needs more muscle definition.
She gets on my last nerve and her defensiveness at any implication she’s not “skinny” is annoying. But I’m not sure why she “needs” more muscle definition. She looks healthy and good to me. Not as tiny as most actresses, but that’s okay.
Really, she is not fat, not even chunky. She is basically the normal, average sized American woman with a tummy pooch and flabby thighs (also normal). It’s embarrassing that the movie makers think she is “fat” enough to make their point about diversity–they should pick an actress that actually is obese and does not conform to average clothing measurements.
An “average sized American woman” is not “normal”. That’s the problem. Getting sh**faced every weekend is normal in certain places and everyone’s doing it, doesn’t suddenly make it healthy.
The ‘normal average sized American woman’ is overweight.
‘Normal’ and ‘Average’ don’t mean healthy. In some parts of America morbid obesity is ‘normal’ and ‘average’.
She’s not even a little bit fat.
I also think it’s a subjective thing. Maybe this is the weight that her body is most comfortable at? That really does vary person-to-person.
I have no idea if Amy’s healthy in that I don’t know anything about her diet/exercise routine (or if she even has one) but I wouldn’t say she’s fat. That being said, she’s not fit either. I know women at my gym who probably aren’t too different than Amy in terms of size but to Megan’s point above, they have more definition because they work out. They look pretty damn awesome actually, like enviably so.
Annie, i have had that! It is the best dessert ever! Like heaven in your mouth! Yum
“She is a cute little chunky gal” actually made me lol. That’s how I’m going to start describing myself
It really bothers me that these threads always end up with us dissecting her body (or the body of Kate Upton, etc.). No matter what name you put on it, her body is what it is. And its hers. It’s like we all acknowledge that women’s bodies are held to a different standard than men…and then we jump in and roll around in the slop that is that double standard.
Sigh.
I normally agree with you but the subject of the post was about whether she is “too fat” to play Barbie which…I mean, is it ok to discuss her weight if she is talking about it herself? To me, it feels like she’s giving permission. Aside from that, Amy has made her weight a focal point of her career, I’m not sure if it’s fair for people to then ask that nobody discuss it when she continuously brings it to our attention.
Personally, I have no problem never discussing Amy’s weight ever again–in fact, I’d prefer it–but history leads me to believe that this won’t be the last time Amy brings it up.
No worries if you disagree with me! From my perspective, she’s talking about it herself because people came after her on social media after the casting was announced. Should she just not get cast in any role that people might not think she is thin enough for, so that she can avoid the criticism that follows?
Amy says problematic things all of the time, but it seems even when people are disagreeing about her words there also has to be an analysis of her body and whether she is really “fat” or what her dress size is.
She is not fat but I am fat and proud. *binging on mince pies at the moment*
She has a plump face – like Ariel Winter – and a slight double-chin. It can read as “overweight” before you even look south. That combined with the fact that she has low muscle tone (but not as low as Lena D. – I don’t know how that girl stands upright, she looks boneless) comes across as …well …not thin.
Honestly though, her “I’m not fat but everyone thinks I am” shtick was old five years ago. Is she that hyper-obsessed with herself? She needs to deal with this on her own time.
I do not like her personality, humor or likeness.
Errhh.. what?! Sit down Amy and have some humble pie.
She knows very well that accepting that part in the Barbie movie would have given her all the criticism in the world.
She just wants the attention and I am giving her NONE.
I’ve tried to defend her because I liked Trainwreck. But she reminds me here of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s “size four is not fat.” Like, she has no problem with the whole body-shaming male gaze, just don’t call *her* fat.
SO TRUE. You nailed it!
Exactly. She’s so grating.
I enjoyed train wreck too but after the hype of the movie giving her more publicity and exposure, it just revealed how annoying and self centred she is.
It’s obvious that she is thin skinned and I’m kind of baffled that she would even want to do a movie/character of Barbie. But then again, I’m still unsure on why she did the Beyoncé parody…? It’s like “You guys I’m funny. I can’t be rude, or steal other people’s jokes or offend people because im being funny and I’m a bad arse women. “
Yeah her defense makes no sense to me. Her whole little speech to me reads: “I am not fat, and I will deny being fat, because BEING FAT IS BAD.”
Like which is it? Is being fat ‘bad’ and thus you don’t want to be labelled fat. Or is being fat okay, and therefore if people call you fat it doesn’t hurt you because there’s nothing wrong with being fat.”
So I agree with you. Her message seems to be it’s only bad to fat shame if you’re trying to fat shame her.
I would have said her message was empowering except that it’s coming from her. She tries so hard to convince us that she’s “badass,” which makes her seem anything but to me.
And the fact she is best friends with JLawrence speaks volumes. Both so relatable (not), funny (not), badass (not) and incredibly self-deprecating (not).
I can’t decide who I can’t stand less.
I can’t decide who I can’t stand less.
This cracked me up so hard.
exhausting is the perfect word for it
If you have to tell me you’re all those things, you’re doing something wrong.
God, I want to like her. I want women to be confident. But I prefer women like Ashley Graham (who, in yesterday’s post, really did get fat-shamed once again it’s so exhausting) who carry it effortlessly. I know that doesn’t come overnight and it’s a tall order but my Lord, Amy Schumer is neither confident nor an inspiration. Yes, she’s successful and we need more successful female comics which is why I desperately try not to sh*t on her too much. But then she releases a statement like this one where she tries to convince us that she’s not like us. That she’s everything and more and beyond criticism, whether it’s coming from a superficial place or a very real one. She’s hot and the ultimate feminist. Oy.
I feel like her message would have been much better if she weren’t so defensive – “I’m not fat and I’m a great person!” She could have said something along the lines of “so you think I’m fat, who cares? People, women in particular, are more than just their weight/appearance, and that’s what this movie is about.”
Part of me feels bad for her. Even though I think she’s a terrible person, she seems to hate herself (esp. regarding her appearance) deeply. I would not be surprised if she was upset about being offered this role, because it implies that she’s not physically “perfect.”
The only thing I would change about the message is the emphasis. I’d have said “is it ‘fat shaming’ if I’m not ashamed?” That’s a stronger message. It’s saying, you can call me what you want, but you don’t get to shame me; I know who and what I am and I’m proud of it.
I also like the “you will not determine my story. I do.” Because, yeah, women have been told to sit down, shut up and look pretty since the beginning of time. No more.
Agreed, that would have been a much better message! While Amy is not “fat” in my opinion, she is definitely bigger than a typical Hollywood actress, and unfortunately we live in a society where anyone above a size 0/2 is considered less than ideal. So why even argue that point, like you said? Why give the body shamers that power?
+2
Yes that would me MUCH better! Perhaps Amy should hire you for PR.
Exactly. Such a weird reply to say that it’s not fat shaming if she’s not fat. By saying she’s not fat, she’s buying into the cultural standard (of size/beauty) that I thought the movie was supposed to be rejecting.
Now that’s a message I can get behind. But Amy apparently does not have your self-awareness.
Edited: Double Post. Sorry!
“I am a great friend”, “I’m a badass comic”, I am, I am, I am… Aren’t these qualities someone else should be saying about her? Hmphh
And while we spend posts and posts measuring up what should be considered fat, heavy, chunky, plus-size, dudes are somewhere else online discussing beard versus goatee, to manscape or not to manscape, and good gym tips to shed the bear belly. Oh to be a xxirst century man (thinking of the nice, respectful ones, not the one lurking at bikini paparazzi posts).
I don’t think there is anything wrong with self-affirmation or acknowledging we feel that we are succeeding at being the person we’re trying to be.
I think I’m a good friend. I put work into being a good friend. I put work into being a good daughter too. I go to therapy and talk about that kind of stuff and I don’t see why we shouldn’t be allowed to think we’re good at being a friend or cousin or daughter if we know that we put conscious effort into those friendships and relationships.
My friends and family have told me I’m a good friend and a good daughter, should I not believe them? Should I not repeat that sentiment to myself to remind myself that the effort I put is recognized and appreciated by the people who are the receiving end of that?
Maybe her friends and family have gone out of their way to say to her ‘thank you for being you. you’re a good friend. you’re a good daughter and im proud of you and grateful for you’.
Good point @MissMerry and with what you say I am pretty sure you are not a good but a great friend, cousin, daughter etc. I guess I was thinking about Amy herself and not in absolute terms. After all, she keeps bringing the discussion back to her and her imaginary size, when she has a very cute body for god’s sake, but not the one she thinks she has.
Anyway, I actually think it is pretty awesome to be able to know where we stand and what we are trying to achieve and if we are doing it. I guess that if I am talking to someone and that someone says that he or she is a good friend, fair enough. In a statement such as this one, I understand the goal, i.e. empowerment. But I don’t buy it from her viewpoint. Like Louis C. K. or Sarah Silverman, her whole persona is about being gritty and slightly beyond the barriers of what we are discussing here, that is what is acceptable and nice. Now that she is in a mainstrean film, she is difficult to believe as this positive image spokesperson. I may be a bit cynical, but I tend not to believe much of well-meaning official messages that focus on self. As opposed to someone telling me like you did that you are a good friend because you work hard at it.
would it ‘work’ better to not say anything at all in response to the word ‘fat’?
Like, responding with ‘no, i’m not fat’ is just fuel on the fat fire…
if she didn’t respond, or even said ‘maybe I am ‘fat’ in this industry, but I’m going to keep working and haters calling me ‘fat’ isn’t going to distract me from writing and acting and performing…
I’m not a huge fan of hers, but I don’t see why going back and forth with people with ‘you’re fat’, ‘no i’m not’, ‘you’re fat’, ‘no i’m not’ is the best way to handle it…
for the record, she’s not fat. she’s not as thin as we expect people in her industry to be, but the word ‘fat’ is a trigger for people in that industry (and even outside of it), so maybe it would be a bigger statement to either refuse to acknowledge somebody used that word to describe you, or say ‘yeah i’m fat in my industry’ and roll with it until the word is meaningless and people know they can’t get a response from you by trying to trigger you with that specific word.
I like her. She makes me laugh and nowadays more than ever, that’s a big plus. Her Old Navy commercial gets me every time. I’m a Barbie Girl.
You used the words big and plus, Amy won’t like it. Leaving her weight aside: unlike Melissa McCarthy, Adele and Ashley, who she didn’t like bring grouped with, she isn’t really very pretty. Is that a Barbie drawback?
It’s not fat shaming. It’s face shaming
OMG – Yes. Yes!
I was about to say that the part of her body that offends me the most is her face. Her cabbage doll face.
I agree with you. And I hate to criticize her because I’m really trying to support woman… but why does she always have to be, I’m not fat! There’s fatter people then me! Seriously girl? Can’t you say it in a better way. Like “it’s a shame that media stills tries putting these unrealistic ideas into young girls heads about what a body should look like.” And then just accept the way she looks, and not go around telling people she’s a size 6. Just because you are a 6 in one store doesn’t mean that’s your size. FYI, I’m a size 10-12. I’m curvy and I’m proud!
She is worse than the people who “shame” her. Normalizing higher and higher amounts of body fat as “not fat” only serves to lower everyone’s standards, if we all accept her assessment. The problem, Amy, is not the label, but how you feel about it. You are not obese. But you are at least chubby – a.k.a. “fat.”
It’s hard to take her seriously when part of her whole becoming a comic thing was about being fat and not having an issue with how big she was etc. And now that she ‘made it’ she’s so butthurt about the fact that people consider her fat/heavy…which is what she claimed she was all along.
*rolls eyes so hard I actually looked into my own brain* Stop this wounded crusader act Lady, we were laughing cause you picked the wrong live action doll movie AND we dont like you… it was that easy
I read and liked everyone’s comments. I am a professionally successful woman my mid 40s. I am about Amy’s size. I am incredibly and ridiculously insecure about my weight- especially given how old I am! The thing is though, I’m not alone. Every woman I know is insecure about her weight and her appearance. It’s ridiculous how much emphasis we all put on it, but we all do. I don’t blame Amy for being insecure but I think the best thing for her and me and all of us is to just keep working on focusing on health and character and not appearance.
She was picked because she’s a popular star at the moment who doesn’t fit a visual of what Barbie should look like; it gives a narrative to an otherwise assinine movie concept and she has something to talk about. They would be crucified if they used a person who was anything similar to the beauty standards we assume when we talk about “Barbie” size. It will be sold as something little girls can look up to and a mold breaking movie, as far as beauty perceptions are concerned, but really it’s a soft lob, patronizing, money grab concept. Congrats movie people, you managed to attach the outlandish concept of feminism to an otherwise useless endeavor. All the eye rolls.
Exhausting is an understatement.
This message is on target.
I don’t love Amy Schumer, but she can be free to love herself. She can call herself beautiful. She can state as loudly as she likes that she isn’t fat. And that magazine was absolutely implying that she is. Of course it was. And I don’t think that Amy is saying there’s anything wrong with being larger, she’s pointing out that she is not.
But, less Amy Schumer; more Geena Davis and Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Obama and Serena Williams and Emma Thompson, please.
Can we talent shame her? Is that allowed??
If her BMI and waist to height are ‘normal’, shut up and just get on with it.
Look I feel sorry for anyone who is attacked by internet trolls. It is horrible and just so unnecessary. That being said I find her exhausting and I just can’t like her, she isn’t funny, she is rude more then she isn’t and I often wonder if she wasn’t famous if she’d be one of those trolls.
With all that said- she didn’t deserve to be attacked because she got a job, if you don’t like her just don’t watch her stuff that’s what I do. I really don’t get people.
Its not her weight that makes her a bad choice but her brand of feminism and white privilege attitude that make her a bad choice.
ITA that she didn’t deserve to be trolled the way she was.
I’d watch this movie if it was star by Rebel Wilson as I find her hilarious. Amy not at all.
Wonderful acting idea!
She got her sizes mixed up..shes a size 6 shoe.
Don’t care what size she is but if she is such a confident woman, why does she lie about her size?
It’s fat-shaming regardless of whether the person is fat or not, many size 2 and 4 celebrities were fat-ashamed. I do agree she overreacts/reacts in a funny way but hey, it’s not that big of a deal, what’s more important is why won’t the fat-shamers direct their energy somewhere useful like go help with Let’s Move or smth (learn what constitutes obese, at the very least, and also probably get a mirror tbh)
Isthis really about her weight or is it about her being a sincere azzhole? I don’t think she’s fat I think her behavior makes me dislike her face.
She rubs me the wrong way. She always has this look on her face that reads like “smug bitch” to me.
Her having to tell how wonderful, great and awesome she is..*sigh*. You know who I see as strong, competent, warrior women: the non BSers whom don’t remind you everyday about how awesome they are and why you should fall at their feet. For a comedian she has very little self- deprecation.
She is SO not a size 6. I’m 5’8″ and 135lb and i wear a size 6 and i am considered skinny by my peers. I used to like Amy, but she’s become so annoying with the body image issue. If you want to help the cause proudly declare “I’m a size 10 (or whatever size) and i love my body how it is! Plus, it’s no one’s damn business! ” Then I’d respect her. But don’t lie and then body shame anyone smaller than you.
All I think when I see articles about this sh!t and comment sections like this acting as if the conversation is really about what size the woman is and not about the fact that the world is dissecting the woman’s size in a way that they would never and I mean NEVER dissect a man’s, always makes me think of this charming song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjWn-ueeeLw
Looking over weight and being overweight are definitely two different things
even when you don’t look overweight, a visit to a doctor would tell you how much you need to loose.
That being said, Amy should be comfortable in her body. No one is going to like her the way she is, if she is so massively insecure hitting back at any random troll.
And I think she is totally inappropriate for a barbie movie, which is aiming towards young girls and early teens and their parents not because of her waistline bur because of her personality behavior and crass attitude.
I know its acting and all but her sketches , her general behavior is mostly screaming white feminist and general hypocrite. I would not want my daughter of impressionable age to follow her any way.
And if they are so eager to promote diversity and being comfortable in your own skin, why couldn’t the studio get a black/ latin/ asian south asian actress?
Why this joker?