Monday, June 13, 2011

What I Wish LeAnn Rimes Would Say


I first remember seeing LeAnn Rimes accepting an award for her rendition of Blue. She was 13 or 14 and wearing a white strapless dress. She looked so young, had yet to be made over and still had that “baby” fat I see in my photos from that age. Only I wasn’t getting up on any stage and only my family saw the pictures. Well that was a long time ago. Leann has grown up. She was married, had a well-publicized affair, divorced her first husband and remarried. She’s also lost a ton of weight.

Unlike many shrinking celebrities. LeAnn has been quick to defend herself.  She’s also fueled the fire a bit posting photos of herself in teeny bikinis via Twitter. I read a brief Q and A with her. I do not know which magazine it was but it was one of the “manicurial” titles even I will not pay money for. It may have been Life and Style. In this article LeAnn first said something to the effect of “I eat but I eat very cleanly”. She went on to say she at mostly protein and vegetables. Try a couple of days on fish, egg whites and greens and let me know if you feel this is “eating.”



There was also the requisite quote from LeAnn’s trainer.  He came to her defense (after all we know where his paycheck comes from) and said she was healthy and worked hard in the gym. I was about to dismiss this as the typical celebrity cover up for diets gone too far ala’ Nicole Richie or Calista Flockhart.  I then read something else. LeAnn said that people criticized her for being chubby all her life. She said now they’re criticizing her for being too thin.  It sounded honest.

LeAnn has responded to people’s tweets about her body.  Granted her replies have been defensive “they’re called abs not bones” was one I read. LeAnn also tweets a fair amount about food. I wish, perhaps naively, that Leann could say something to the effect of “I’ve always felt pressure to slim down and have finally done so” and “I may have gone a little far.” I’m not sure Leann realizes the last part yet.  Previously, LeAnn Rimes has not really been a role model in many peoples’ eyes but I think she has an opportunity here.
Do you think LeAnn should respond to people's comments about her weight? What do you think she could say that is honest? Do you think it's good that she now feels good about her body (as she's said) or is that just sad?






30 comments:

  1. She's thin, but I don't think she looks unhealthfully so. If she has the energy to work out hard then I'd say she's doing OK. I think she should avoid being defensive and just say she feels good in her current shape and is satisfied with her body as is. Hopefully that's a true statement.

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  2. To be honest, I didn't know much about this whole LeAnn Rimes saga. I definitely feel her pain, I do. I was never called fat, my entire life, but there was a point when I thought I was happy with my body, but deep down I was miserable, and that's how I think she is. I do not think she has any obligations to respond to the commenters, but at the same time, I don't feel bad for her because she IS on Twitter, and she needs to respect the fact that since she is famous, she will get harassed if she posts these pictures! I bet a million dollars she will look at these photos in ten years and wonder what the heck she was thinking. There is no way she is enjoying trying to keep up that "figure", it has to be miserable. I do feel bad for her :(

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  3. Based off of what you said, it sounds like she genuinely believes that she's eating right and has slimmed down to a good weight. We have to remember that if she does in fact have some sort of eating issue, then she thinks she's being honest with her responses. People with psychological problems(i.e. eating disorders) don't know they aren't telling the truth.

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  4. Great comments.Bill/Gina I have to go with Gina. I have the sense she isn't content or happy and I don't think this massive weight loss is just eating well and working out. Jess, yes there's some denial but I think she knows what she's doing. You have to be restrictive to lose weight like this and I think that crosses the "eating right" line. Interesting just because she is joining the conversation to some degree and therefore perpetuating it.

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  5. I haven't followed the story, but she looks too skinny to me. I agree, it's not something you can achieve with "normal" eating and exercising.

    As far as the denial goes, I think it's hard to tell. When you are in the middle of it, I do think it can be difficult to acknowledge what' going on. It's easy to justify it as "I'm being healthy. Look at all the protein and veggies I'm eating." It's so easy to lie to ourselves...

    I also think that if you have been criticized (especially in a public way) for being "chubby," you may be more defensive now that you are thin.

    I like what you would like her to say, but I think she may not be ready at this point. I think it would be a good idea if she stopped talking about food and defending her body right now and quietly took some time to truly assess what's going on.

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  6. not sure what happened to my comment?

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  7. I think that anyone (women especially) who has been ridiculed for not fitting a mold can fall into the trap of over-doing the diet thang. I was never a celebrity (except in my own mind) but I was a theater major and I did get a lot of flack to lose weight when I was in college. I was overly endowed in the chesticles from a young age. I hated feeling insecure and so I figured out how to diet. My entire life's goal became losing weight. And, even when I had gone too far and lost my period I insisted it had nothing to do with my eating/exercise habits. You are right, it is true that when you are "in it" you can't see clearly. Is she "in it"? I don't know. It's a fine line between uber clean eating and restrictive eating. When I was skin and bones I looked down on everyone else. I thought they were making comments because they were jealous and that they just didn't have the knowledge or the will-power I had. I thought they all needed to eat like me! I think it would bite to be a celebrity. You are seriously damned if you do, damned if you don't. In that picture, she looks very thin. But, no thinner than a handful of other celebrities. Is all of hollywood disordered? Maybe so. Should they be role models? NO! It makes me sad that actors and musicians have this aura of grandeur that children look up to. I wish our society placed more emphasis on the accomplishments of successful doctors and writers and artists. In answer to your questions, yes, I do think she should respond but I don't think we can expect her responses to be anything other than her own perception, which may or may not be skewed. She probably does feel good about her new bod. And, in many ways, it is "just sad."

    PS. Love the term, "manicurial"!

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  8. oh wow didn't know she had lost so much weight feel bad for celebrity high pressure to be slim and often goes too far its tough being in spotlight

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  9. Love the term "manicurial" too! U had me cracking up here. Such a complicated issue! In the midst of an ED it is common to get defensive as soon as people start focusing on your weight and eating habits. I don't think she should respond to the comments about her weight. If she indeed does have an ED I hope she gets the help she needs and that someone will step into her life to teach her how to nourish her body mentally and physically.

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  10. I have not been following Lee Ann's story, so thanks for posting. I agree with both Gina and Lisa's comments. I cant imagine she feels really good or strong on her current eating/workout regime-She really doesn't look healthy to me at all. Also, IF she has an eating disorder, I do hope she'll get help for it!

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  11. Lisa, I was struck by the word "nourished". She probably needs nourishment and not necessarily the edible kind. When I say "speak up" I mean LeAnn's tweets do not seem to be scripted so could be an opening to say, "yes I felt pressure" and "yes I'm being very [read overly] vigilant."

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  12. I have followed LeAnn's saga (a few too many manicurial magazines, admittedly!) and I think it's more than just eating 'clean.' I remember what she looked like when she first started out. Her body is a textbook example of "restrictive eating."

    Should she have to respond to criticisms? No, I don't think so. She's an adult and she is responsible and accountable for herself.But she is asking for it if she is going to pose pictures of herself on Twitter.

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  13. This is a great reason why I would never want to be a celebrity. First she is criticized for being too heavy..now too thin.
    She clearly is too thin, but I guess defending herself isn't doing a whole lot of good. Ultimately it's her body.

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  14. This is the only thing that I've read about this situation. No matter what she does, she is gonna have haters. As long as she is being true to herself and doing what she feels is best, then let her be.

    Others are going to try to bring her down to their level out of their own securities.

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  15. "Haters"? Spare me. Criticism and questioning do not equal Hate. Get over yourself. She's too thin, she could spiral further and be in trouble. Or not. At some point, any normal person gets bored with extremely restrictive eating, but she's living in the celebrity bubble, where this kind of silly food behavior is normalized. I'm sorry for her and all the other millions of women, and men, who think this is the ideal, and that food is the enemy, to be beaten into submission by only eating egg whites and vegetables.

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  16. I am not sure all "normal" people get bored with restrictive eating (as I know from my counseling). Perhaps, the absence of an eating disorder, this is the case. I agree with you that this is sad and that food cannot be enjoyed and appreciated.

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  17. I didn't know about all that. Interesting post and comments. She's an adult and can do what ever she wants. But when someone's famous, they can't forget that there are others taking their lead. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes---or any celebrity who has to justify their life to others. Too much pressure!

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  18. Thanks for stopping by Nour. Aren't we all justifying our actions and choices to others? We may not be in magazines but coworkers, friends, even strangers judge and even comment. I see a lot of celebrity sympathy and I sort of don't buy their lives being so hard.

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  19. I really wish celebrities would be honest...though It might be scary if models and actresses starting quipping "I dont eat so I can stay skinny and I don't care what you think"... I can see that having the worst impact ever on young girls =/

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  20. I haven't been following her story too closely, but I find it very troubling. I get the impression she may not even be aware of how sick she looks. I just hope she's got someone she can trust looking out for her.

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  21. Really interesting about the trainers covering up EDs.
    I find it so weird and sad that she would post this bikini shot in the first place. But I'm not all that surprised about her extreme weight loss -- she has been under serious public scrutiny over the past year for her love life and unless she's a complete narcissist, I'd imagine there's some element of stress/anxiety/guilt (I'm definitely embarrassed I know this much about her personal life). Add that to a rise in celeb status and becoming a paparazzi target - not all that shocking it would take a physical toll and/or lead to a need for control in her eating. Hopefully she doesn't take it too far... I'm sure in a few years she'll sit down with whoever the new Oprah is and say everything we expect/want to hear.

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  22. I actually feel bad for most female celebrities (more so with actresses than musicians, but it's true pretty often). They are under a lot of pressure to stay thin, and not thin like the rest of us - really thin, because the camera really does add 10lbs or whatever. And I think that male actors are not under anywhere near as much pressure. I'm sure some of them are, but not nearly as many. A man can certainly be a successful actor if he's a little heavy - but an overweight female actress? Few and far between.

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  23. Thanks for the comment Jen. I don't feel badly for celebrities. I may be insensitive but I see it as a job requirement. As a nutritionist, I have to be thin (you may say no but I feel I do and will as long as I practice). Athletes need to stay in shape and for some jobs you need to travel a ton. It's par for the course. Could go on and on.

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  24. I agree that we all make choices and every job or lifestyle comes with certain sacrifices. And in particular celebrities are well-compensated for their sacrifices. But I was talking more about the double-standard that the women face in that industry that really doesn't exist to the same extent in most other industries. I just think it must be hard for a female actress to resist that cupcake every single day to maintain the 100-lb body, while her male costars can frequently have whatever body type they please and still enjoy plenty of success.

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  25. Agreed, more pressure on females. Do think men need to maintain some degree of fitness for acting etc. Thanks for clarifying.

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  26. I feel bad for her...she's had to grow up in the spotlight with absent parents and a whole lot of unnecessary attention to her weight. She's right! People were mean when she was chubby and they are mean when she's thin. I think that she should stop addressing anything to do with her weight because I know firsthand how it just makes things worse!

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  27. I feel bad that people criticized her when she was chubby and they are still criticizing her. I honestly don't feel like she has to answer to anyone.

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  28. An eating disorder is an addiction and a person who is addicted is not going to tell the truth. This whole society is completely lacking in compassion. None of this has anything to do with food, eating, dieting, working out....etc... it has to do with how we treat each other. No one has a right to say a word about anyone's weight--celebrity or now celebrity--I find it so sad that people said anything to this woman when she was a normal weight and then feel the need to drag her down even harder when she is thinner. Unhealthy or not, SHE is the only one who can come to a healthy conclusion about her own body and her own EMOTIONAL health. I just wish her inner peace and comfort. That is all.

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  29. I wish her peace too. I don't think an ED is necessarily "about how we treat each other." I think it's very personal and has more to do with self esteem and an outlet for unresolved feelings. I think we can be compassionate (as we can all relate to being criticized) and observant. Leann Rimes, unlike many celebrities, is a little less censored and talks back to comments about her weight. It is this quality that I thought could open the door to say "you people got to me" and "I'm struggling." She may not be there yet but that could help a lot of girls.

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  30. is amazing the way you look in tha vikini, sorry if you feel this like a respect lack, but is my nature as a men be honest with a pretty girl, for that reason I can't silent the voice of my head.

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