Body Blows: Love Hewitt vs. the Bloggers
"Ghost Whisperer" star Jennifer Love Hewitt has amassed support high and low since her scathing message to critics of her fuller womanly form.
After glancing at the cover of People Magazine on the rack Monday morning, this writer was tempted to suspend his adamant objectivity and indulge in some fierce editorializing. Fortunately, the following material says all that needs saying.
People's Friday, December 7, cover story follows up on Jennifer Love Hewitt's recent media nightmare--from the online ridicule over unflattering candid bikini photos, to JLH's uncharacteristic response.
The "Ghost Whisperer" star--cruelly mocked for her fuller shape, as displayed in the pics--fumed in a November 29 blog:
"I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.
"What I should be doing is celebrating...my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and...like all women out there should, I love my body."
The 28-year-old actor-singer was enjoying a romantic break in Hawaii with fiancé Ross McCall when the pictures were snapped.
Hewitt's comments continued to reverberate at the recent Dolce & Gabbana fragrance launch party in New York, where several female celebrities--including supermodel Petra Nemcova and screen stars Rosario Dawson and Anne Hathaway--told People's JEFFREY SLONIM and ALEXIS CHIU they felt solidarity with Hewitt.
Regarding the unflattering photos, Nemcova said, "There are different angles that everybody, even if you're in great shape, can look bad in a photograph."
The majority of respondents to People.com's poll said that JLH was unfairly criticized for her physique.
KRISTIN, a commentor at jossip.com, wrote that JLH "is a good example for girls."
"I would kill to have a body like that!" wrote DONNA on the same site. "I’m a size 12...that USED to be considered normal, now a lot of people consider that fat."
"I had a health class once that had a discussion about Marilyn Monroe and the jerks in front of us said 'yeah she was a fatty though!'" Fellow poster HEATHER wrote. "People wonder why there are so many depressed women out there and men for that matter too!"
Heather also addressed a question to "anyone that makes comments about [JLH] being 'fat'...how fricking 'fat' are you?? These women/men put their bodies through hell for people who are for many of them NOT skinny to go out and say crap about them."
Hewitt ("Love" to friends) is not known for her physical confidence. The star of I Know What You Did Last Summer said in February that she's happy for people to stare at her famous breasts (which have their own websites) because "there are a hundred other parts that I feel completely insecure about and would rather no one talked about."
Despite her insecurities, the Saturn Award Winner did make AskMen.com's list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2007--but just barely, ranking at #91, a remarkable plummet from last year's 53. (Her career high on the list is 29.) However, 77.1% of 20,733 respondents declared that JLH should rank higher. Some declared it more loudly than others.
"She has gained a lot of weight lately and even so she is stunning," posted BAD KITTY. "Even with a fat @$$ she should be higher than a lot of these broads."
"What in God's creation is she doing all the way up here?!" agreed a poster named D. "Holy crap, she should without a doubt be in the top 10. But it's cool, she'll always be #1 to me."
Hewitt was ranked 29th in Maxim magazine's 2006 Hot 100 list. This year she did not make the cut.
[Thanks to jenniferlovehewittonline.com for the blog post.]