Jana Kramer is an actress, country singer and podcaster who married her third husband even after he cheated on her. I’m sorry for opening with that but she told everyone about it and that’s what I remember about her. That’s her brand. She’s good at selectively responding to trolls and telling people her business when it gets her headlines. She was also on One Tree Hill, but I didn’t watch that show so I only know her for oversharing. (I just looked over our archives on her and she went through some truly horrific times with an abusive ex, which was brave of her to share. However she also defended going to Seaworld after they gave her a sponcon so the verdict is still out on her.)
Jana had the top spot on People’s site for a while over the weekend. She posted a shot of half her belly and defended herself from people complaining that she’d snapped back quickly after having her second baby. Jana and her husband, former football pro Mike Caussin, welcomed their second baby, son Jace Joseph, on November 29. The also have a daughter together, Jolie Rae, who turns three in January. Jana posted the photo above to Instagram a little over a week after she gave birth. She wrote that she was going back to podcasting with Mike. They look so cute in matching denim and hoodies, right? I guess some people complained that she looked too good so soon after giving birth so she responded with this message:
Celebrities know that when they respond to trolls they’ll get coverage for it. That’s one of the ways Jana shot to fame a couple of years ago and she’s still using that tactic. To her credit, she does this somewhat sparingly. Also she just had a baby and is likely sleep deprived and emotional. How did it become a thing to criticize women for looking too good after having a baby? I shouldn’t think too hard about this because trolls are going to troll. I didn’t realize how much of a problem it was on Instagram too until I tagged some stories about Michelle Obama. I just block and delete deplorables, because no one is going to talk about me if I defend my stance as a decent human being who likes the Obamas.
Anyway I like that Jana’s response was to say she doesn’t look as amazing as people criticized her for, but that she’s not going to post her full stomach to give them more fuel anyway. Those “women need to support each other!” sentiments can be so trite though. I agree in theory but in principle you never know who people are online.
photos credit: WENN, Getty and via Instagram/Jana Kramer
I think the issue is what societal expectations are for post-partum women. It’s complicated because there are women who are naturally thin, who bounce back quickly from pregnancy, etc. But when the unrealistic expectation is that all women should do so then any celebrity who meets the expectation- naturally or not, intentionally or not- reinforces it.
Yes she would have been criticized for either pic but I think it would be two different groups of critics. The people criticizing her for reinforcing the unrealistic expectation are not the people who would criticize her for posting a pic of a real post-partum body. And that matters too. She is susceptible to those expectations as is shown by her deciding to post the pic that shows her meeting them, not the pic that doesn’t.
I don’t think she should be harassed for it but these are conversations that need to be had. And it’s not as simple as ”everyone is a hater, live your life.”
Chubcucumber, you make some excellent points, especially about societal expectations for what postpartum bodies are supposed to look like. It’s really, really time for everyone to quit worrying about women’s bodies before and during pregnancy and after giving birth.
For me there’s another additional conversation that needs to happen around this issue. Why do people post pics on social media and then get upset when the trolls come out? I have tried and I can’t get my head around that. Anyone on social media today is well aware that the troll network is alive and thriving. I’m NOT saying that makes it ok. I’m just saying that that is the reality. Trolls are woven into the very fabric of all social media and clearly aren’t going away. To that end it seems very simple to me: either don’t post the pics that you don’t want the trolls to comment on or post the pic and just ignore them. Trolls are gonna troll and whining about it on instagram or elsewhere isn’t going to change that.
I find all those post partum pictures so dull. (And i say that as someone about to give birth! – am 35w pregnant.) Maybe the question she should be asking herself is why she feels the need to post a picture of her stomach on social media.
Agreed. I seems like if you want to share immediately after having a baby, the actual baby is what most people want to see. She should have stopped with the baby photos, imo. But then people probably wouldn’t be talking.
Best wishes on welcoming your own tiny bundle!
Same! 24 Weeks with my second and I don’t get it. The least of my concerns after having my first was sharing postpartum pics of myself lol
I don’t understand why people immediately want to laser in on being thin after having a baby. You spent nine months growing another human inside of you, give yourself some credit and be patient. And other people’s obsession with it is uncomfortable. I have trouble gaining weight during pregnancy (hey severe morning sickness!) and was less than my pre pregnancy weight within a few days of giving birth and it’s gross how many people lasered in on that.
She posted it because she wants to post it. That’s all the reason she needs. There are no rules, despite what people seem to think. If everyone followed the strangely specific guidelines of what’s on, what’s not ok, what’s braggy, what’s boring, social media would suck. It’s fun because there’s variety, something for everyone, and everyone has their own voice, and their own bulletin board to showcase whatever they please, and that’s beautiful.
not to nit pick but that instgram picture doesn’t show her belly – at all. she wants to show the “reality” for head pats but didn’t show anything. if someone says you look “too good” – say thanks and move on.
I clicked on this because I thought it was Jennifer Love Hewitt.
married three times by 35?
Yeesh
Good luck to her!
Seeking relevance to catch another sponsor. In addition to Belly Bandit, I mean.
yeah-I can’t help but think a ‘celeb’ like her posts these pics as an excuse to back door brag about how tiny they are after giving birth a la hilaria Baldwin.
I definitely think there is a grain of truth to this when it comes to celebrities.
So stop posting your life for public consumption and comment! It’s not rocket science, oh thirsty ones.
I think part of the problem with this is people who have just given birth are expected to bounce back immediately, like “naturally thin” women. I’m interested to see how many naturally thin women are out there, because most women I know that look thin or what have you definitely put a ton of work into it, both post and pre pregnancy. I’m not out to offend anyone who is naturally thin, and I’m not out to offend anyone who isn’t. I think this obsession with being thin is unhealthy. But so is chalking up a lack of exercise and diet to not being naturally thin. And I say this as someone who was fit for most of my adult life until I started medication with some obnoxious side effects, so my weight has been fluctuating. But as difficult as it is, I can’t just curse the gods for not being naturally thin. If I want it, I have to work for it. And if I didn’t want it, that would be okay too.