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Posted on May 24th 2011 12:00PM by That's Fit EditorsFiled Under: Celebs & Entertainment
By Lilit Marcus for Crushable
There are a couple of "types" who always get cast on a season of Dancing with the Stars -- the former child star, the retired athlete and the mom who mentions her kids every week. And then there's another, more insidious "type" -- the contestant who is on the show hoping to lose weight. Tia Carrere said on season 2 that one incentive for doing the show was to lose her baby weight, and even Jerry Springer said that he needed to slim down (and learn to dance for his daughter's wedding, which elicited plenty of awws).
This season, the contestant in that category is Kirstie Alley, the former Cheers star who has made a veritable cottage industry out of her struggles with her weight. It's almost impossible to go a day without reading something about Kirstie's tenure on Dancing without also reading something about her weight. Almost every article, blog post, or discussion thread about her as a competitor on the show talks about her weight -- whether she's lost any, whether it's hindering her ability, whether it makes her look stupid in Latin dances -- more than her skill. It's pretty typical for tabloids to run articles about different celebrities' "new bodies" when they compete on Dancing, but the difference between fellow competitor Kendra Wilkinson (focusing on her post-baby body, athleticism and sensuality) and Kirstie's portrayal as an old, overweight, out of shape lady going on a crazy diet so she won't feel self conscious on TV next to Kendra Wilkinson -- is gross and demeaning. It's turning into the storyline where Hurley had a secret stash of food on Lost -- a plot that was reportedly created to answer viewer questions about why Hurley never seemed to lose weight despite being stranded on a deserted island. The fact that other cast members still had perfect hair and contact lenses while also on a desert island was apparently not worthy of a cringeworthy and offensive story arc.
However, Kirstie isn't blameless in the ongoing discussion of her body. She has managed to turn the criticism and discussion of her weight into a way of furthering her career -- she's had two TV shows, Fat Actress and Kirstie's Big Life, about her body image. On one hand, I commend Kirstie for taking something perceived as bad for a woman in Hollywood and managing to turn it around into something beneficial. But on the other, I worry that working on multiple projects where her weight is the main storyline means that she's giving in to the idea of her size being her defining characteristic.
I don't want Kirstie to win Dancing with the Stars (team Hines!) and I don't think she will. But I'd rather she lose votes because her dancing isn't the best than lose them because of what she looks like.
More from Crushable:
Nikki Blonsky Weighs in on Body Image and Her New Show 'Huge'
Will Scientology Help Kirstie Alley Win 'Dancing with the Stars'? No, But Mormonism Might.
Interview: 'Skinny' Author Diana Spechler Went Undercover at a Fat Camp
Adam Taylor, ABC/AP
This season, the contestant in that category is Kirstie Alley, the former Cheers star who has made a veritable cottage industry out of her struggles with her weight. It's almost impossible to go a day without reading something about Kirstie's tenure on Dancing without also reading something about her weight. Almost every article, blog post, or discussion thread about her as a competitor on the show talks about her weight -- whether she's lost any, whether it's hindering her ability, whether it makes her look stupid in Latin dances -- more than her skill. It's pretty typical for tabloids to run articles about different celebrities' "new bodies" when they compete on Dancing, but the difference between fellow competitor Kendra Wilkinson (focusing on her post-baby body, athleticism and sensuality) and Kirstie's portrayal as an old, overweight, out of shape lady going on a crazy diet so she won't feel self conscious on TV next to Kendra Wilkinson -- is gross and demeaning. It's turning into the storyline where Hurley had a secret stash of food on Lost -- a plot that was reportedly created to answer viewer questions about why Hurley never seemed to lose weight despite being stranded on a deserted island. The fact that other cast members still had perfect hair and contact lenses while also on a desert island was apparently not worthy of a cringeworthy and offensive story arc.
However, Kirstie isn't blameless in the ongoing discussion of her body. She has managed to turn the criticism and discussion of her weight into a way of furthering her career -- she's had two TV shows, Fat Actress and Kirstie's Big Life, about her body image. On one hand, I commend Kirstie for taking something perceived as bad for a woman in Hollywood and managing to turn it around into something beneficial. But on the other, I worry that working on multiple projects where her weight is the main storyline means that she's giving in to the idea of her size being her defining characteristic.
I don't want Kirstie to win Dancing with the Stars (team Hines!) and I don't think she will. But I'd rather she lose votes because her dancing isn't the best than lose them because of what she looks like.
More from Crushable:
Nikki Blonsky Weighs in on Body Image and Her New Show 'Huge'
Will Scientology Help Kirstie Alley Win 'Dancing with the Stars'? No, But Mormonism Might.
Interview: 'Skinny' Author Diana Spechler Went Undercover at a Fat Camp
