By Riley Dauber
Editor-in-Chief
We see it time and time again: a female celebrity has to answer embarrassing — and frankly, inappropriate — questions about her body even though she is attending the event to advertise her latest project.
The celebrity may be an actress, singer, dancer, athlete, director, writer, or producer, yet she must face frequent objectification in the public eye.
Not even superstar Taylor Swift, who was named Time’s Person of the Year in 2023, can avoid speculation about her body; some social media viewers film videos of her stomach in a bodysuit and speculate if she is pregnant.
More recently, actress Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington in the Netflix series “Bridgerton,” was named one of the “Next Generation Leaders” by Time Magazine. In the piece, she addresses media attention about her body.
“Don’t call me brave. I have a cracking pair of boobs. There’s nothing brave about that, that’s actually just me showing them off,” Coughlan said.
She is referencing a TikTok video posted by The News Movement, in which a journalist praised Coughlan’s bravery for filming nude scenes in “Bridgerton.”
The word “brave” is often used to describe plus-size women and their existence. These women may be “brave” for wearing revealing clothes, talking about their bodies, reclaiming the word “fat,” or, in Coughlan’s case, showing bare skin.
“It is hard because I think women with my body type — women with perfect breasts — we do not see ourselves on screen enough. I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breast community. I hope you enjoy seeing them,” Coughlan said in response.
Coughlan beautifully and humorously shut down the journalist’s question that focused on her body instead of her character or acting career. Her attempts at advertising the show were reduced to objectifying questions.
According to Time, Coughlan actively showed her support for a ceasefire in Gaza on her social media and raised over $2 million while on a press tour for the third season of “Bridgerton.” However, these philanthropic efforts have been overlooked in favor of conversations about her body and the show’s nude scenes.
Coughlan is not alone; women’s rugby player Ilona Maher has also received increased attention because of her body.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Maher and her team won the first rugby medal for Team USA in 100 years, according to Women’s Health. Her popularity led her to receive an invitation to compete on season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars,” where she has continued to promote body positivity on a national stage.
“It’s just important for these girls to see me constantly out there showing that being big can be beautiful, and it doesn’t take away from your femininity in any way. Growing up, I had no athletes — except for Serena Williams — who looked like me and played a sport like me. I want to be somebody out there [so girls] don’t feel like they need to change,” Maher said in an interview with Women’s Health.
While Maher is choosing to use her platform to fight for body positivity and highlight different body types, viewers’ constant focus on her body instead of her accomplishments — whether on the field or the dance floor — is tiring.
Placing women’s bodies above their interests, careers, or personalities continues the objectification of women and the belief that they are only meant to serve men and perform for the male gaze.
Coughlan is a talented actress fighting for peace, while Maher is a strong athlete with an uplifting platform. However, the media often pushes their efforts to the wayside in favor of never-ending conversations about their bodies.
This issue is reminiscent of past mistreatment of female celebrities, from the constant body-shaming of the early 2000s — but let’s face it, this trend never went away — to the #AskHerMore campaign in 2014.
The latter was in response to journalists only asking female celebrities about their outfits on the red carpet.
According to Mindless Mag, “The journalists, after asking these types of questions, then turn these talented women into fashion mannequins for the tabloids. The reports written portray women as passive figures, only invited to these events to wear pretty dresses and pose for the cameras.”
The fact that this movement began ten years ago and the public still focuses on women’s bodies is disheartening. Unfortunately, we have not progressed beyond the decision to put women’s bodies above their accomplishments.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Current “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Ilona Maher is catalyzing conversations on body positivity.