Social Media and Body Image Blog Series #3: Importance of Celebrity Advocacy for Body Positivity
By Jamie Nelson
Part 3 of a three-part blog series created for Psy 460W, Psychology of Women, in Spring 2023.
Serena Williams has 16.5 million followers on Instagram. Lili Reinhart has 27.6 million followers. Lizzo has 13.4 million followers. These female celebrities preach body positivity. Although their followings do not compare to Kylie Jenner’s 387 million followers, to say their outreach is impressive would be an understatement. They could relay a positive or negative message to millions of people with the simple click of a button.
Celebrities may feed into the compare and despair mentality by posting their extreme diets and photoshopped magazine cover images. Whether they intend to or not, each post is processed and analyzed by the audience of young girls and boys. For example, Vox dissected a conversation between the Kardashian’s that glamorized anorexia. “To most people, to be anorexic is to have a debilitating disease, an eating disorder. But in the mouths of Kim Kardashian West and her famous sisters, that description seems to have another meaning: to be desirably delightfully, thin.” That comment alonesends the message to the younger population that your value is based on thinness.
Rather than focus on the negative influence of celebrities on self-esteem and body image, I want to shine a light on the body positivity movement led by celebrities. They are collectively spreading a message that every imperfect body is perfect. We should embrace our love handles, stomach rolls, and cellulite because it is a natural bodily occurrence in order to sustain living functions.
Serena Williams speaks on behalf of female athletes who believe their physique does not fit into the societal mold. She has been dominant in the tennis world, but that does not shelter her from feeling insecure about her body. Williams said in a Bleacher Report interview, “That is really an important acceptance for some female athletes, that their best body type, their best performance build, is one that is not thin; it’s one of power.” Her outspokenness for function over physique is an important message for female athletes to embrace their athletic bodies.
Lili Reinhart starred in Riverdale, a popular teen drama. Her targeted audience on social media is the same audience that is subject to the compare and despair mentality. She takes advantage of her platform by consistently posting unedited images and body positivity messages. The first thing you see when you open her Instagram is her biography which states, “This is a safe space for body positivity and mental health awareness / acceptance.” Reinhart makes her message known. You do not have to scroll to figure it out.
Lizzo is an incredibly talented singer who uses her vocal and performance talents to spread body positivity and inclusivity. She is a strong black woman who understands the importance of being different and not hiding it. Lizzo narrated a video montage on Instagram to address diet culture criticisms. She says, "If you only knew the complexities your body possesses, you would be so proud of it…I’ve spent so much time in this body and I am no different than you still struggling to find balance, still trying to mend my relationship with food, my anxiety, my back fat. It gets easier. I’ve spent my hardest days trying to love me.”Her vulnerability sends a message of acceptance. She is unapologetically herself and exudes confidence while doing it.
Choosing who you follow on social media is a necessary step for protecting your self-esteem and body image. These women understand the importance of representation. Follow them, not the ‘cool’ celebrities that feed into the toxic culture of the compare and despair mentality.
References
Abad-Santos, A. (2018, August 2). Kim Kardashian West and her sisters joked about anorexia. the backlash is ... complicated. Vox. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://www.vox.com/2018/8/2/17639342/kim-kardashian-anorexic
Wells, A. (2017, October 2). Serena Williams, tennis stars discuss body image in New York Times interview. Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2519785-serena-williams-tennis-stars-discuss-bodyimage-in-new-york-times-interview