Oh for the love of God...

I tried to think of a wittier headline for today’s column. I sat and played with words for a good two minutes (it’s close to deadline for this column and I’m very, very busy) but nothing was forthcoming. Or at least nothing that could be printed in a newspaper read by those who may be easily offended by gutter language.
You see despite my ranting last week that the media need to make a concerted effort to try and say positive things about women who are larger than a size double zero, no one seems to have taken a blind bit of notice. On Wednesday my attention was drawn to an article in the Daily Mail about Kate Winslet and her appearance at the Lancome launch party in Paris. (Ms Winslet is the new face of Tresor perfume)
Now to the average person Kate Winslet looked amazing at the Lancome party. She looked toned, healthy but curvaceous. By no stretch of anyone’s imagination did she look overweight but this is what the Daily Mail reporter chose to comment on.
Currently no more than a size 10, Ms. Winslet looked “as though she had put on a few pounds” and the dress “showed off her wide hips”.
I can only hope and pray that one day my hips would be as wide as Kate Winslet and I can only assume the ‘journalist’ Nick McDermott (and I use the term journalist very, very loosely) responsible for the piece was having a particularly bad day or was under the influence of some form of hallucinogenic drugs to come to such a conclusion. Either that or Kate Winslet scorned his advances in a previous life and he hasn’t quite gotten over it.
I’ve always liked Kate Winslet. I think she looks amazing as a woman who isn’t afraid to show off her curves. Although she has toned up and lost some weight in recent years, she has never fallen into the waif trap and always looks healthy and happy (unlike the Victoria Beckhams of this world.). It’s all more remarkable when you think she has had a couple of children. I still, sadly, look as though I’m about seven months gone even though my ‘baby’ is nearly three and a half. (I live in fear of the day where I will be asked when the baby is due and I’ll have to blush and respond: “February 2004”).
And let’s face facts, even if Kate Winslet did put on “a few pounds” she would still be on the skinny end of the weight scales. She’s a size 10 for the love of God. I don’t think I’ve ever been that size in my life (both child and adult)!
What chance do us mere mortals have when we open newspapers and see rubbish like that spouted from sour faced columnists? What does it do for our self esteem? As someone who has had to have her photo taken much too often for my liking recently, and who hopefully will have her photo taken many more times over the coming months, I dread to think what Nick McDermott and his ilk would have to say about me. (As I write this the Daily Mail have just offered to do a photoshoot with me - I kid ye not).
Perhaps it was just a chance remark by him, but the damage it will have done to women struggling with their weight and self esteem will be immeasurable.
He could do well to take a leaf out of Gok Wan’s book and start to focus on making women - no matter what their shape or size - feel better about themselves.
I’ll admit I’m a little bit addicted to his programme ‘How to Look Good Naked’. To say that he transforms how these women look is an understatement but what is most impressive is how he transforms how they think about themselves. He takes women with wobbly tummies, wide bums, childbearing hips and saggy boobs and makes them feel like gorgeous goddesses. He persuades them to go on national TV in their undercrackers (I wouldn’t even walk down my hallway in mine for fear of scaring a passing bird) and by the end of the programme they love themselves.
Gok Wan seems to believe that if you feel good about yourself, the looking good follows naturally. Confidence and beauty comes from within and is not solely based on the size of your waist, the firmness of your hips or whether or not your dress ruches at the side.
I’d very much like to get Gok Wan and Nick McDermott in a room together and have Mr Wan give Mr McDermott a good talking too about how to create positive images of women and how to promote a healthy physical and mental attitude.
And for the powers that be in the Daily Mail, please think about what you publish in the interests of the mental health of all of us.