Standing at the grocery check out yesterday I happened to come across The Enquirer, and lo and behold was this splashy headline, "ALL NEW PHOTOS! Stars With Cellulite." There it was in all caps and an exclamation point like it was egging us on,"CAN'T GET ENOUGH?"
Of course not! Because this is not the first time The Enquirer or any other tabloid highlights the physical flaws of celebrities, and they continue to do it because we (mass consumers) buy it. So, I'm asking now, has celebrity cellulite watching become a spectator sport?
Let the cellulite games begin
Flipping through the article, I could not help but feel angry for the exploitation these women are under and pissed off at the Enquirer for pointing out (with circles and arrows mind you) the flaws of these beautiful talented accomplished women like they are slaves in the Emperor's Colosseum for his entertainment. It's like the tabloids feel they are allowed or even entitled to humiliate celebs like this just because they are celebrities.
I do believe that part of celebrity is that your life is put under the public eye, but it does not mean that the media should have free reign to exploit the physical body like this for sport and profit. And even deeper, does our culture have some kind of celebrity body schadenfreude? Does your average consumer on some level take pleasure in seeing a female celebrity with her cottage cheese thighs and broken heart?
Even teenagers are not off limits
As a specific example of downright blood curdling behavior in this particular Enquirer issue, there is a picture of Princess Beatrice from England in a bikini with a water ski vest on. (The picture is also on the bottom right of the front cover picture above with a "Guess Who?" on it.) The Enquirer points out her "bumpy bum." The girl is 19, and still a teenager for crying out loud. All I could think is that this is the kind of thoughtless thing that could lead this poor girl straight into body dysmorphia and an eating disorder. Even a teenager is not off limits to this kind of tasteless finger-pointing by a tabloid.
Cellulite is not the only body flaw with a photo spread
Then, to make matters worse, about 4 pages later there is a spread of photos called, "The Curse of the Cankles" where they show more celebs who have the "dreaded" cankle, where the calf and ankle look like one. I flipped a few more pages because I sware I was expecting to see the "Muffin Top Monstrosity" article with the pictures of celebrities with the muffin top.
I know that the Enquirer is just another sleazoid tabloid, but these kinds of cellulite and cankle type photos are becoming more and more popular especially around the Internet. Remember how Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt were "crucified" with fatty remarks. So, is it me, or is celebrity body schadenfreude on the rise?
