After last night's Grammy Awards, I just wanted to yell,
"Suck it Karl Lagerfeld, Adele is Beautiful!"
Credit: AP Photo/Matt Sayles
If you're not sure what I'm referring to, recently fashion designer and icon Karl Lagerfeld, Creative Director of Chanel recently stated, when asked about women pop stars, "The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice."
He seems to think he's complimenting her, but it seems a bit back-handed, doesn't it? He can't just talk about what a wonderful talent she is. His opinion of her is tainted (for lack of a better word) by her appearance. He just can't get past it because she doesn't fit his ideal. And therefore, he can't just compliment her talent without putting her down for her weight.
In response, Adele responded in People magazine:
'I've never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines. I represent the majority of women and I'm very proud of that.'
'I'd lose weight if I was an actress and had to play a role where you're supposed to be 40 pounds lighter, but weight has nothing to do with my career. Even when I was signing (a contract), most of the industry knew if anyone ever dared say (lose weight) to me, they wouldn't be working with me.'
I loved Adele before this statement, but I think I love her even more now. This issue highlights a problem in the fashion world. Fashion designers only see women as beautiful if they are overly skinny. To them, women are hangers for their creations, not real people with real value. Adele's weight and appearance shouldn't be an issue at all. What is an issue is her gift and her character both of which seem very strong. What she looks like has nothing to do with whether she's a great singer. It should be a non-issue.
New York Magazine's Amy Odell said it well:
And so, when we get someone like Adele, who is incredibly popular despite her refusal to diet since she has no desire to conform to a ridiculously unrealistic ideal, and put her goods on display like those Victoria's Secret girls and so many women in her industry, Karl and everyone else don't know how to react.
Even so, last night at the Grammys Adele was beautiful! Absolutely stunning! And I swear, she has the best lips in show business (is that weird?). At the Grammys Adele showed her real value. She swept the Grammys winning 6 awards, including Album of the Year. She also showed herself to be funny, adorable, charming and humble.
Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
Adele is the type of women I'd like my daughter to see as a role model. She's a strong woman who refuses to be defined by her body shape or her appearance. She's not trying to be "perfect." She's not afraid to make it known that anyone who does try to define her by her weight won't be riding her coat tails. And, at only 23 years old, that's a very enlightened and mature attitude. It takes some of us a few more decades to be that comfortable in our skin.
Is Adele overweight? It's not relevant and none of our business.
For more on this check out:
Karl Lagerfeld Isn't the Only One Who Doesn't Know How to Divorce Adele From Her Weight
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