Hold on tabloids, she’s going to let you finish, but first…
Jennifer Aniston is going to roast you on the Huffington Post. The Queen of No Social Media has spoken in the virtual world, even admitting in her first sentence, “that addressing gossip is something I have never done.”
But, for the record, she’s had enough.
In the article, Aniston addresses the multiple and duplicitous rumors that tabloids have created on her impending pregnancy. Aniston explains she is, “fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of ‘journalism,’ the ‘First Amendment’ and ‘celebrity news.’”
Just maybe, our forefathers gave us freedom of the press to speculate on more worthwhile topics than the state of a woman’s baby bump based on an unflattering photo of her after-lunch bloat. And it’s not just the photos, but the way the paparazzi obtain those close-range shots. Jennifer draws issue with the fact that paparazzi oftentimes place celebrities and innocent passersby in harm’s way as they hunt for the perfect flaw-ridden shot of our beloved stars.
Just last month, Calvin Harris reversed his SUV 4×4 into a brick wall as paparazzi bombarded the singer with a slew of questioning regarding his recent split from Bad Blood singer, Taylor Swift. He even tweeted an apology following the accident, blaming his own rage for the mishap.
I got mad as hell at a paparazzi today, I’m sorry, you did make me back into a wall but I know you’re just doing your job and I apologise
— Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) June 27, 2016
However, Aniston’s most recent remarks beg the question. Is it their job to corner, pester and aggravate a human being enough for them to try an escape route through a brick wall? There must be another way to procure these mindlessly juicy facts about star’s most personal matters.
The invasive photos are one thing, Jennifer says, but what the media does to manipulate the stories behind the image is another.
Aniston says, “We use celebrity ‘news’ to perpetuate this dehumanizing view of females, focused solely on one’s physical appearance, which tabloids turn into a sporting event of speculation.”
The ‘baby bump’ watch, the plastic surgery speculation and the anorexia commentary all serve to perpetuate a conversation based upon the way a woman looks and how society deems she shouldn’t. The nation is plagued by these barely-true magazine covers on every street corner. Right there, in black and white, we have proof of media’s obsession with pinpointing imperfection and degrading the idolized while paradoxically holding the same celebrities to a semblance of perfection.
To this, Aniston offers women a few words of wisdom:
“We are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child. We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies. That decision is ours and ours alone.”
The actress sees a future where tabloid rags are esteemed as highly as their news is rendered valid. Aniston sees photographers adopting a more “humanized” lens.
And a population that stops “buying the bullshit.”
Brava, Jennifer. We’d read your rag mag any day.
