I don’t understand why people take it SO personally that Kelly Clarkson has gained some weight. I mean… who cares? Kelly has never sold herself as “all about the body” or all about her looks. She’s always been the voice. She’s always been about the music, about positivity, about happiness and not throwing shade. Her weight has fluctuated over the years, and she just gave birth last year and she hasn’t lost the baby weight yet, nor is she in a hurry to lose it. And? Why is that a thing? Why does that offend people to the point where so many feel the need to publicly “shame” her? Or attempt to shame her, because Kelly doesn’t really give a crap.
Following that nonsense with the British professional troll Katie “Trollface” Hopkins, Fox News’ Chris Wallace is the latest to have some rude things to say about Kelly’s weight.
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace and radio host Mike Gallagher recently mocked Kelly Clarkson over her weight, in comments made on the latter’s syndicated show. Clarkson has not responded to them. Meanwhile, Fox News host Greta Van Susteren has come to her defense.
“Listen, don’t fat shame me. You do a lot of fat shaming. That’s the new phrase now. ‘Fat shaming,'” Gallagher, 54, who also serves as a Fox News contributor, told Wallace, 67, on The Mike Gallagher Show on Friday, as heard in an audio file posted on Media Matters. “Have you seen Kelly Clarkson? You know the singer, Kelly Clarkson? Holy cow, did she blow up.”
“Really? Do we want to talk about some of your friends?” he replied.
“Well, look at me. I got some weight issues,” Gallagher said. “I could take a little bit of weight off.”
The two offered compliments—Wallace said Clarkson has a “lovely voice” and Gallagher said he loves her singing—before delving back into the nastiness.
“She could stay off the deep dish pizza for a little while,” Wallace said.
“Well, she had a baby, but man,” Gallagher added.
Clarkson has not responded to their remarks. Van Susteren, 60, posted on her website an excerpt of the interview, saying, “Chris Wallace owes Kelly Clarkson an apology” and “This ‘guy snickering’ about her weight is obnoxious.” Several people echoed her request in comments made on the Facebook page of the host’s show Fox News Sunday.
For the love of God. I never thought I would say this, but Greta Van Susteren is right. Wallace should apologize. He’s the “legitimate newsman” on Fox News and if any other legit newsman had said this, we would expect an apology from them. Oh, and here we go… about 48 hours after Wallace made the initial remarks, he apologized. He said: “I sincerely apologize to Kelly Clarkson for my offensive comment. I admire her remarkable talent and that should have been the focus of any discussion about her.” The other guy had some words to say too – go here to read.
Meanwhile, when Kelly appeared on The Ellen Show on Friday, she talked about the Katie Hopkins thing (without mentioning Hopkins’ name, because Kelly is BOSS), saying:
“I love how people think that’s new. Like, welcome to the past 13 years! I was considered the biggest girl on American Idol. I wasn’t big, but people would call me big. People are like, ‘I’m so sorry that lady in London was so mean to you.’ And I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’ Like, get in line! I think what hurts my feelings for people is when I’ll have a meet and greet after the show and a girl whose, like, bigger than me will be in the meet and greet and be like, ‘Oh, God!’ And they’ll say, ‘If they think you’re big I must be so fat to them.’ It’s like, you just are who you are. We are who we are—whatever size. It doesn’t mean that we’re gonna be that forever. That’s the thing! Sometimes we’re more fit. Like, especially me. I’m such a creative person that I yo-yo. Sometimes I’m more fit and I get into kickboxing hardcore. And then sometimes I don’t and I’m like, ‘I’d rather have wine.’”
I love her. She’s so over it. And we should be over it too. She’s fine. She’s happy. Bless her.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I love her.
and I love wine, so I love her even more.
ditto to both!!!
She’s really cool. And those idiot journalists, snickering like a couple of frat boys. I believe in health and being in shape so you can be a warrior, but not for the pleasure of other people’s eyes. You don’t like what someone looks like, DO NOT look at them. Simple. I hope others listen to Kelly and think, whatever, I don’t need to care what others think. And we want KIDS not to bully? SMH
to me it just seems embarassing – some old dudes can’t come up with a wittier conversation? It’s like “dad joke”, only more like “weirdo granddad joke”. Goodness, 54 and 67 you say – and that’s what they talk about – eww
“being in shape so you can be a warrior” <<so much this!! But that looks different on everyone and it’s no one else’s business.
Deep dish pizza sounds so good right now.
Little Caesars Deep Dish is surprisingly good! I get extra cheese, extra pepperoni and extra pineapple. Soooooooo good!
Ikr, I’m sittting here starving cuz I’m not in the mood for “breakfast”. I want some pizza.
Kelly is so above all this crap, it’s ridiculous. Older men commenting on a woman’s weight is a dick move. Disgusting.
It’s a dick move for older men ,younger men ,older women ,younger women to comment on Kelly’s weight.
You’re right. Off limits
I’d expect an older man to stick up for the young girl. What if someone said something about his daughter
these men…just another example that age does not necessarily equal maturity
Sounds like they might be the kind of dads who would tell their daughter that she needed to lay off the deep dish pizza.
Totally agree with your analysis, Kaiser. You summed it up perfectly. Why is this even a thing?
Seriously! Why is her weight important to what she does for a living? She makes songs and sells them. If she sounds good, why does it matter? This just frustrates me to no end.
People take offense because when a public figure is unapologetically heavy or large (especially if that figure is female), it’s basically the equivalent of saying “I don’t care in the least what you think.” And that makes some people very, very angry. It’s sort of the same thing as when magazines shame women who dare to step outside without makeup on – clearly, she is not going out for you to enjoy the view, she’s just out.
Kelly is angering people because she is quite openly existing only for herself at this point. She clearly is happy as is and doesn’t really seem to care at all what others want from her. And that is infuriating for some people, and they need to make their opinions known.
ETA: I did read Wallace’s apology, and at least he did apologize. He didn’t throw out that “I’m just worried for her health” stuff or “sorry if you were offended.” So at least he managed to apologize. Most of them don’t.
You know what is really humiliating, or should be? Pretending to be a f_cking NEWS ANCHOR, while acting like a 1940’s washwoman, on a national news program. And people were pissed at Brian Williams?
I can’t wait for his in-depth coverage and analysis of Putin’s shirtless physique, (when he rides horseback). He must REALLY bust a vein while discussing presidential candidate Crispy Creme.
Do tell about Karl Rove’s fitness tips: working up a sweat through excitement about profit via killing through the war machine. And also Dick Cheney’s routine “How to lose weight while shooting up a companion with buckshot”.
Amen! !!
It should definitely be humiliating to be a “news” anchor on Fox News. Does he even know what he’s talking about?
Exactly. He should lay off the stupid but obviously goes back for second and third helpings.
I work with senior citizens (90 +) and most of them have fox news on. Its mind boggling what that network consider news.
And the special political guests are mainly raging on about their agendas while throwing the facts out the window.
When kirk Cameron was a guest one day I wanted to throw a chair at the TV.
Oh and CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC and CBS are ANY different? Hahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!!!
Thank you, KIDDO!!!
This pisses me off so much, I can’t even make a coherent point. Kelly Clarkson is a singer. How is her weight even subject to discussion? How is Chris Wallace the expert on how Kelly should look and what she should eat?
It doesn’t matter that she’s a singer. It deosn’t matter what you do, if you’re fat people will say horrible things, either to your face or behind your back. It’s always been like that. the world is a cruel place for anyone who doesn’t fit the norm.
The womenz is supposed to be purdy, they are put on Earth for the pleasure of men and to have deh baybays, the end.
Edumacate yourself, Bridget.
Yep. And after that women become invisible to men. It would be fascinating if it wasn’t so messed up.
Me, too, Bridget. Both of those men should be ashamed of themselves. I am just boiling mad. She is such a talented, sweet girl and she has to hear this crap from supposedly professional newsmen? Shame on them.
Love her. Keep doing you kelly. Hopefully others will follow suit and worry about themselves. A-holes.
She’s handling the whole thing like a champ. And I totally believe her when she talks about her body type, and how she goes back and forth between working out and chilling. She’s not neurotic at all about it. I wish I could be more like that.
Good god. I’ll just add myself to the list of people who don’t get why it’s open season on Kelly.
Chris Wallace is an idiot. I have so much respect for his late father, Mike Wallace, who was such a professional as a new man. Chris is the opposite. Wonder what is wrong with Chris for him to be such a douche. Shame-based people shame others. So he’s clearly got a load of crap going on.
She’s brilliant and her weight is nobody business but hers, however I’m wondering why it’s okay to body shame and make assumptions about an underweight celebrity, I feel the same standards should apply to any weight problem.
I hope this comment isn’t deleted because I feel it’s an important topic and I’m certainly not targeting any particular blog because it’s a general problem. I mentioned on another thread I’ve lost a lot of weight recently due to medication. I’m worried and stressed and could do with some support but feel it’s a topic I can’t discuss with many of my close friends because they are struggling to lose weight and might not appreciate someone moaning about weight loss.
I think people comment on the extremes of both ends of the spectrum. You can be making a general comment about health without shaming. If you have an overweight person, sweating and looking breathless, and ill in the face and say, s/he doesn’t look well, or conversely, a very skeletal frame, obviously beyond the realms of normal metabolism, and you comment that the person looks sick, I don’t believe that it is said for the purpose of ‘shame’.
Kelly Clarkson, at least at this point in time, doesn’t seem to be having health consequences. Since she doesn’t seem to have a high metabolism, in that she was never seriously thin in the past, it will likely take her longer to shed baby weight. And the discussion wasn’t about her health anyway, it was about how pleasing she looked to (cough) news anchors.
Reading the exchange, it doesn’t seem like an assumption was made about Kelly Clarkson’s weight (or health?). It looked like the men were outright mocking her.
I totally agree. A persons body is nobody’s business. I’ve been reading a lot about Giulana R. and lots of comments are mean, and all based on an assumption because she’s really skinny. Kelly is a great singer, and just because she’s a little overweight doesn’t do anything to ruin her voice. Can anyone be perfect?
I’m going to start with saying that I disagree with the way we pick apart women’s bodies PERIOD and I’m really uncomfortable with the way that some of these conversations go. It’s not their bodies jobs to be aesthetically pleasing to me.
BUT when we’re talking about a lot of these celebrities and movie stars, these are the women who are considered the standard of beauty in our society, and the reality is that very few of these women are simply ‘naturally skinny’ and they’re essentially setting an unattainable standard while society pressures them to act as though they achieve it through healthy means. There’s a disconnect happening – we’re prizing thin above health.
I don’t think people should be shamed for their weight, period. In the case of GR, I honestly think most people are concerned although some comments are just mean, and that’s not acceptable. I would be just as mad if they had been mocking someone for being too thin. Our bodies are not public property. We don’t exist to be attractive to men.
But people can comment on obesity and be concerned about the health effects, as well. Why should it only be allowed, out of concern, for someone like GR, but if you have concern for Kelly, or, well, someone morbidly obese, it’s shaming and not ok?
@Claire: for one thing, there aren’t nearly as many overweight celebs featured here. And for another, people do comment the exact same way – see the Rebel Wilson thread for example.
Skinny shaming gets covered here A LOT. And yet it’s not often discussed that when it comes to Hollywood and celebrity, the vast majority of the facades we look at aren’t achieved naturally. They are created through long hours at the gym and stringent eating, and yet we want to pretend that it doesn’t take that kind of work. I frequently go back to Adrianna Lima’s pre-VS show cleanses – even she has to severely restrict herself to look “show ready” and yet when she was forthright about it she got a lot of flak. We want celebs to look a certain way but don’t want to hear how it happens. And to say that it’s just someone’s natural body type, how is it that they don’t start out this thin?
Certain celebs have been known to glorify dieting, exercise, drugs, and simply starving themselves for the sake of being very thin. I have no problem calling them out on that. And I also frankly loathe the people who do those ridiculous weight loss magazine covers and then complain about how everyone is judging what they look like. We glorify thin people and many celebs are cashing in on that as much as possible, and then boo-hooing about it.
It’s completely ridiculous the point would even come up regardless of what his opinion on was. The fact that from there he’d be stupid enough to share that opinion???
The arrogance and the stupidity! I’m going to go back to my old faithful opinion that anyone who cares that much about someone’s body has nothing going on in their lives. Not really shocked this came from a good ol boy on Fox News tbh, women’s bodies are the National Obsession of his party.
Chris Wallace is an a**hole. Full stop.
Well, to Wallace I say: You can change your weight, but you can’t fix stupid.
Irrespective of the tenor, or the subject, of Wallace/Gallagher’s comments, for the most part, those herein read like a gaggle of oinker-apologists and/or axe-grinders.
“Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of poop by the clean end.” – An Observant Person
It makes sense when she says that she feels for fans who are bigger than her hearing this. probably thinking if they are saying this about Kelly what would they be saying about me? Kelly could be working with a trainer and on a diet plan for all we know. I refuse to make fun of someone’s weight or body, whether they be thin or overweight. I see all kinds of people of all shapes and sizes at my Zumba classes, I’m just proud of them for getting out there and doing it!
I think many people feel like it should be part of a celebrity’s job to be thin. Like they have nothing else to offer.
Makes me crazy.
I’m all for promoting healthy lifestyles and all, but girlfriend just had a baby. She is healthy and happy. Leave her alone.
Yeah, but not too thin remember. That’s bad too.
Even if Wallace apologizes, he’ll still think those thoughts about Kelly and will think he’s right. Kelly is fantastic. I don’t want to know this Wallace person.
Can’t stand Chris Wallace since his Bill Clinton interview. he truly has one of those faces you want to punch.
However, he did issue an apology late yesterday.
He’s still an ass.
Okay–I am putting a date to myself but do any of you remember the crap Kate Smith took over her weight. Before any pics of her got out, men were thinking of her as a pinup girl. Then they saw a pic of her. But guess what–her voice didn’t change….it was as beautiful as ever her entire singing career. To hell with expectations of everyone being slim and trim. It’s what a person does with their life and what’s inside that matters. I will never be a size 7 –or even a size 10 and I DON’T CARE!!! Just keep doing what you are, Kelly and ignore the ignorant, obnoxious idiots.
I don’t know and don’t care who these Fox a*holes are because I don’t live in America anymore, but I kinda hope she blows it off entirely – it must get so exhausting dealing with idiots. The funny thing is the vile woman who attacked her in Britain is just a former Apprentice contestant who now makes a living trolling people, being racist and nasty in a non-stop publicity train. She was reported to the police last week for the stuff she says on Twitter, she is that horrid. No one with half a brain pays attention to her, so it makes me sad Kelly even had to deal with publicity from it while she was here. She has the best possible attitude, the world just p*sses me off when that’s all people care about when she can sing most pop stars under the table.
This was so nicely written – I suddenly find myself a Kelly Clarkson fan. The images of men who are heavy are all over – they’re in commercials, sitcoms, movies, everywhere. We are used to seeing big guys. But there are maybe 5 ‘overweight’ women in popular media, and all we ever talk about is their weight. There isn’t an article about them that doesn’t mention it or have trolls all over the comments.
That was bullsh*t, lame apology.
What unnecessary vitriol! These guys are supposed to be news anchors? Sad. My own personal theory is that the unnecessary rage towards slightly larger ladies has to do with covert sexism. Women should always look pretty for the dudes, especially the ones deigned worthy of being in the spotlight. For some dudes, only pretty girls should be in the spotlight. Thus, women in all forms of media are highly sexualized to the hot weather girls to the hot moms on tv. Anyone who falls out of line of not looking good enough for the dudes is scorned and ridiculed (see Melissa McCarthy). Meanwhile, guys can look like Seth Rogen or Jonah Hill and get hot chicks all the time. That’s A-okay as far as some guys are concerned. So sexist.
I’m so sick of people thinking they have the right to comment on a person’s weight. Unless you’re my doctor, STFU!
Funny I KNOW who she is — but I don’t know who those two idiots who criticized her are. Who wins? KELLY!
Why they’re part of the prestigious Fox news network. Fair and balanced news! Their fearless leader like to tap phones of the rich and famous then let others take the blame.
If Wallace had any balls he’d resign out of journalistic integrity for the Rupert Murdoch debacle but let’s throw your balls in the trash and go for someone safe to bully.
I love Kelly. She looks radiant and happy. Not sure why she’s getting so much hate, other than that unhappy people can’t stand to see someone who is happy.
I don’t care about her weight, but man, that hair. I really wish she’d stop trying to be blonde. Or, at least pick a pretty color of blond that flatters her. That color is, and always has been, terrible looking on her.
Why just Chris Wallace? To be honest it sounded like the other guy was being the bigger a-hole and Chris Wallace was being kind of one of those pathetic idiots who chimes in too to try and sound cool. Not that I don’t think he thinks that way.
LEAVE KELLY ALONE! Seriously. People don’t talk this way about male celebrities.
I love her voice and always admired her stance on her weight. She knows she has talent so she’s sure of herself and within right because weight comes off or on and her voice and music are amazing, remember the presidential inauguration?
That’s the problem these days, all these so call singers are all about body image rather than actually making good songs because that’s all they sell, good music from solo artists that are not manufactured is so hard to come by these days and I for one couldn’t care how she looks
What gets me that large size male stars from singers to actors are never called out on their weight or gaining of the weight…..Chris Farley was never raked over the rails, neither was Biggie Small’s..and Kelly Clarkson gain weight during her pregnancy
This makes me want deep dish pizza tbh.
I used to truly believe that men who were attracted to women found something attractive in most women. Have men changed? I remember 12 year olds being mean like this but puberty set them straight.
Chris Wallace is NOT a man. And why should he say anything against a woman, when he looks the way he looks. SHAME on him for 1,000,000 years after his death. Team Kelly.
I always knew that Kelly would gain weight that would be hard to lose after pregnancy because she’s always had that kind of body type that easily gains weight. It isn’t her fault that her body is built that way. I have a similar body type to hers. I’m petite and curvy. Gaining ten pounds is very noticeable on my frame because I’m short. I love my body and that with enough exercise I look curvy and sexy. The unfortunate side to that is I know I’ll probably gain a lot of weight if I ever get pregnant and it will take a lot of exercise and dieting to lose it. If I even take a short break from the gym I start to balloon again.
Some people just aren’t genetically thin and I know how hard it is to maintain weight with a body type that isn’t anything other than tall and thin. Kelly loves motherhood and is probably more concerned with her baby than losing a few pounds to make a blowhard like Chris Wallace happy, as she should be.
Oh, and I took a look at Chris Wallace’s wife. She seems naturally thin, but her husband’s comments should be a red flag for her. Guys like this always give me pause because you have to wonder what is their threshold before they have a wandering dong. I would not be surprised if he has been unfaithful or if he ends up dumping his wife in the future if she puts on weight or gets to an age where he no longer finds her attractive. These kind of men who think it is okay to degrade women based on looks are much more likely to step out on their spouses.
Im not genetically thin. I just can’t eat a lot. There is no other way to put it. I can size out of clothes after 1 meal. I gained 70lbs pregnant. I sucked about eating and I didn’t even walk around Target. I was lucky I lost 50lbs in about 2 months. The last 20 though took 3 years
@kibbles. Totally agree on these comments being a red flag. I knew a guy at work who cheated on his wife when she gained a few pounds. He used her weight gain to justify the reason he stepped out on her! He said she broke her end of the bargain by gaining weight. Unbelieveable! I know another guy who did this to his wife when she was pregnant! He said he wasn’t so attracted to her anymore and he had “needs.” These guys should NEVER get married. Completely immature and selfish behavior. 🙁
Chris Wallace’s wife authored two cookbooks but named them “Mr. Sunday” for her husband and has him on the cover with her. Ewwww
She could, but doesn’t mean she wants to.
Also, Chris Wallace kind of looks like a turnip, so…
I have to say, I like opening stories like this about Kelly Clarkson just to see her amazing replies. Kelly’s so f*cking boss about it. So much respect and love for her.
And Chris Wallace should stop dyeing his hair with leftover shoe polish from 1986 and think about doing something about those jowels if he wants to criticise someone else’s appearance. For God’s sake. She’s the one with the talent, HE’S the talking head…
The idealization of conventionally attractive people is a two sided coin that denigrates everybody else.
Good for Kelly. Who the hell cares what that idiot thinks about her eating habits.
Of course people take it personally. She’s a WOMAN in the media spotlight. How dare she have priorities other than looking attractive as possible!
Recently heard Jann Arden say that a music industry exec told he she was 20 lbs away from being a superstar when she was first starting her career. So Kelly’s right – this is absolutely nothing new.
BTW – Jann said she recounted the conversation to her mum, and her brilliant reply was “did you tell him you didn’t want to gain another 20 lbs?”
Love her, love Kelly!