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Selena Gomez's emotional live video is a reminder to stop commenting on other people's bodies

"It's the medication I have to take for the rest of my life."

Selena Gomez/wikicommons Twitter/@taylenahq

Selena Gomez's emotional live video is a reminder to stop commenting on people's bodies.

Selena Gomez has talked openly about her diagnosis of lupus for several years now. We've seen her take breaks from music and acting because of it, and she's even gotten a kidney transplant from the organ damage the autoimmune disorder caused. With all of the changes Gomez has gone through, she continues to push forward and attend celebrity events when she is able.

But once again, the focus of her latest red carpet walk at the Golden Globe Awards was her body. Not because she looked stunning in her gown—which she did. No, it was because she gained a few pounds. Gomez has been in the spotlight since she was a child on "Barney & Friends," then later on "Wizards of Waverly Place." She's 30 years old now, and that alone should be reason enough for people to expect her to have more curves.

Since Gomez has spoken publicly about her lupus and bipolar disorder, it seems like people would be kinder and expect that her medications may cause weight fluctuations. Instead, people wrote articles about the state of her body and folks on the internet decided to leave comments about it. This led to the singer addressing the body shaming in an emotional TikTok live.

In the live video, she explained what happens when she takes her medication. "[When I'm taking it, I] tend to hold a lot of water weight, and that happens very normally. When I'm off of it, I tend to lose weight." During the video, Gomez got emotional, saying, "My medications are important and I believe they are what helps me. Not a model, never will be. And I think they're awesome, mind you. I'm just definitely not that."

It's a wild thing to watch unfold. This isn't the first time Gomez has had to come out and talk about her weight gain. It just makes you wonder why we are still commenting on people's bodies. Unless you're a person's medical provider and they've come to you asking why they've gained weight or how to lose it, then maybe we should collectively keep those thoughts inside the thought box.

So many people experience different things in life, and some of them cause our bodies to look different than what others may be used to. But commenting on what has changed about someone's body can cause harm that exceeds hurt feelings.

Studies show that body shaming can cause depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, eating disorders and more weight gain. Having someone give unsolicited commentary on your body just doesn't feel good, and celebrities are getting that experience times millions.

Fans of the actor have come to her defense on social media. One of them took to Twitter, writing, "The fact that selena felt like she had to go on a live and explain that when she takes medical for her illness she gains weight after being bodyshamed [sic] and asked why she looks different… like i feel so bad for her she looked so upset."

"I just want people to know that you're beautiful, and you're wonderful," Gomez said. "Yeah, we have days where maybe we feel like s---, but I would rather be healthy and take care of myself. My medications are important, and I believe that they're what helps me."

Gomez ended the live thanking her fans for their support and telling the haters to go away, saying, "I'm perfect the way I am."


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Criticizing women who didn't wear black to the Golden Globes is part of the problem.

Not every woman wore black on the red carpet, and that's totally OK.

With so many stars decked out in black for this year's Golden Globes, it was hard not to notice actress Blanca Blanco's bold splash of red.

The  all-black look, adopted as part of the Time's Up campaign to end workplace harassment, became a sort of de facto red carpet uniform. Many of the night's guests adopted a more conservative look compared to years past, transforming the often obnoxious (and occasionally sexist) "Who are you wearing?" type of questions into an opportunity to discuss important societal issues.

Actresses Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek, and Ashley Judd attend the 2018 Golden Globes. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Blanco and a few others, like Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Meher Tatna, donned bold colors — but with a purpose.

Blanco arrived in a daring red dress alongside actor John Savage, people immediately took notice. Variety reporter Cynthia Littleton remarked on Twitter, "I think I would call this look 'not reading the room' this year."

"The problem is that when millions of women [fight] sexism and the sexualization of the woman's body, you are just the image of what those women are fighting," wrote one Twitter user, placing the blame for sexism on women like Blanco. "Wearing a dress like this when women are asking to heard not just seen is so appalling," wrote another.

But these negative reactions sound a lot like the victim blaming and objectification of women in the workplace that the #MeToo movement is trying to address.

Blanco's choice to buck the night's unofficial dress code wasn't intended as some sort of rebuke of the Time's Up movement — in an interview with Fox News, she said that she she is "excited about the #TimesUp movement; true change is long overdue."

Similarly, there was no hidden meaning behind HFPA's Meher Tatna's outfit. PR firm Sunshine Sachs tells us Tatna stands with and supports Time's Up but wore a dress custom-made for her by Anamika Khanna because in her culture, it is customary to wear festive colors during a celebration. And this was the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globes. Tatna did, however, don a Time's Up pin in support.

Blanco, too, stands by the movement. "I love red," she offered Fox. "Wearing red does not mean I am against the movement. I applaud and stand by the courageous actresses that continue to break the cycle of abuse through their actions and fashion style choices. It is one of many factors leading women to a safer place because of their status."

After the awards, Blanco took to Twitter, saying, "Shaming is part of the problem" and "The issue is bigger than my dress color."

Shaming really is part of the problem, feeding into tired tropes about scapegoating women who were "asking for it" based on what they were wearing at any given moment.

HFPA president Meher Tatna, model Barbara Meier, and Blanco opted not to wear black to the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. Photos (L-R) by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Arguing that Blanco and her dress (whether the color or the style) are somehow at fault for sexual assault and harassment is patently ridiculous — a contradiction of the spirit of the #MeToo movement and feminism itself, which is focused on equal rights for women, who should be granted the agency to make their own choices for their own reasons.

The only people to blame for harassment and assault are, by definition, those who harass and assault others, reinforcing the act's cultural acceptability.

Whether you see Blanco's red carpet dress as a fashion hit or miss, it's unfair to take it that extra step further to criticize her for the culture that made movements like Time's Up and #MeToo so sadly necessary.

Savage and Blanco attend the awards. Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images.

Black dress, red dress, or something else altogether, we should work to make blaming women's fashion decisions for sexism a thing of the past.

Clarification 1/9/2018: The headline was updated because not all women pictured in the share image are actresses. Additional update 1/11/2018: Information about Meher Tatna's red outfit has been included.

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Women in Hollywood are uniting to deliver an important message during awards season.

As the brightest stars in Hollywood gather at the SAG awards to celebrate the best films of the year, these time-honored celebrations may look a little different — and for good reason.

For the first time ever, the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards will be hosted by a woman, Kristen Bell, and all of the night's presenters will be women.

This is not a coincidence. It's a very intentional, kickass decision to honor the women who made 2017 such a game-changing year when it comes to speaking up about attacks on women and families, sexual harassment, and misconduct.

“Beginning with the Women’s March in January, it’s been the year of the woman," SAG Awards Executive Director Kathy Connell told The Hollywood Reporter. “This is a unifying salute to women who have been very brave and speaking up.”

Kristen Bell attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Patron of the Artists Awards. Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

Putting women front and center is not an attempt to slight or punish men for their performances or contributions to the industry this year. (Though frankly, some of them may deserve it.) Instead, the all-women lineup is a way to honor the strength and talent of women in a unique and highly visible way.

"It’s still an awards show and a celebration — we’re not here to preach to anybody,” Connell said. “To me, just having some of these fabulous women onstage sends its own message.”

Niecy Nash and Olivia Munn speak at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations Announcement. Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

Just prior to the SAG Awards, women attending the 2018 Golden Globes will make a statement before the show even begins by wearing black on the red carpet.

According to US Weekly, a small group of actresses decided to wear black to protest the pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct against women in the industry. The idea has since spread, and some stars are even changing their gowns in time for rapidly approaching Jan. 7 award show.

Since the fashion at these award programs is as closely watched as the talent, every photo and red carpet interview will be an opportunity for women to share their own story or the impact sexual misconduct has had on the industry.

It's sure to be a powerful demonstration.

Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.

Official or unofficial, these coordinated efforts to center women and equality are right on time.

As more women (and folks who aren't women) break the crushing silence that often follows sexual harassment or assault, it is becoming abundantly clear just how toxic and pervasive this problem is. Not just in Hollywood, but across every industry.

By prompting the discussion of these important issues at some of the most-watched events of the year, this long-overdue conversation continues — hopefully leading toward safe and comfortable workplaces for all.

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9 must-see patriarchy-smashing moments from the 2017 Golden Globes.

"I think the world could do with a few more women in the center of it."

At the 74th Golden Globes, the patriarchy was smashed so many times, a sexist army of misogynistic sexists couldn't have put it back together.

A number of women received accolades for their incredible work, while also taking public stands against misogyny and bigotry over and over and over again. Well done, 2017, you're off to a not-totally-terrible start.

From same-sex kisses on the red carpet to gendered fashion statements, we've seen blips of such expression at awards shows in the past, but it's difficult to recall another award show so ripe with memorable feminist moments.

Here are nine of our favorite instances of patriarchy-smashing from the 2017 Golden Globes:

1. Evan Rachel Wood rocked one smokin' hot suit.

Hello, gorgeous! Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Sure, Wood isn't the first woman to sport a suit at an awards show (let's not forget the illustrious Diane Keaton), but she made the decision to wear this custom Altuzarra suit to send a powerful message to any girls watching at home.

She told USA Today:

"I decided early in the year not to wear any dresses to awards shows to be a gentle reminder to young girls and women that you're not required one if you don't want to, to really be yourself and that your worth is more than the dresses that you wear."

2. Sarah Paulson and Amanda Peet's BFF red carpet kiss.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Sarah Paulson (who is currently in a relationship with Holland Taylor) and Amanda Peet are not dating, nor was their kiss a stunt for publicity (although it definitely received a ton). It was just the friendly way these two BFFs decided to greet each other on the red carpet.

It also wasn't the first time the friends kissed publicly, so it suggests they're simply trying to do their part to make such a loving gesture part of the norm rather than elicit the standard "OMG two women kissing" reaction.

3. Tracee Ellis Ross dedicated her award to "all the women, women of color, and colorful people whose stories, ideas, thoughts are not always considered worthy and valid and important."

Ross is the first black woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, since Debbie Allen in 1983. Not to mention she's a 44-year-old black actress looking fierce and casually killing it in Hollywood. It's definitely time to check out "Blackish" on ABC if you haven't already.

4. Everything Viola Davis said.

Photo by Roberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

There was literally nothing Davis said at the Globes that wasn't awe-inspiring. She continues to bust through glass ceilings, and she does it with power and grace.

She won Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for "Fences," but the highlight of the night was her epic speech honoring a fellow female giant in Hollywood: Meryl Streep.

"You make me proud to be an artist," Davis told Streep. "You make me feel that what I have in me — my body, my face, my age — is enough.”

Which brings us to...

5. Meryl Streep's kickass Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech.

Watch the whole thing. No additional comment necessary.

6. Claire Foy's acceptance speech for winning Best Actress in a TV Series Drama for her role in Netflix's "The Crown."

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Foy won for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II — a woman who ascends to the throne and quickly learns how to work within the patriarchy while also subverting it just by doing her job.

Appropriately, Foy's speech honored the Queen, but she added an important sentiment to the end saying: "I think the world could do with a few more women in the center of it."

If this Golden Globes is any indication, Foy's sentiment is well on its way to reality.

7. Ryan Gosling's recognition of his supportive partner, actress Eva Mendes.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Gosling has spoken about gender equality before, but his heartfelt acknowledgement to the hard work his partner Eva Mendes did "behind the scenes" so that he could shoot Golden Globe Award-winning film "La La Land" was a wonderful reminder of what it looks like when people acknowledge the often invisible work women do.

"If [Mendes] hadn't have taken all that on so I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today," Gosling told the crowd. That kind of support from a partner is definitely worth shouting out.

8. Lola Kirke's "F*ck Paul Ryan" pin and glorious underarm hair.

Photo by Ari Perilstein/Getty Images.

Who says award shows aren't a time to make your political opinions known? Kirke even matched hers to her dress! She supported women's rights to do whatever they want with their own bodies by confidently sporting underarm hair on the red carpet as well as a small pin that read "F*ck Paul Ryan."

9. Octavia Spencer spoke about the importance of getting girls involved in STEM fields.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Spencer's involvement in the movie "Hidden Figures" — which tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, three black women working at NASA who were integral in getting the first men into space — has been a box office success so far. That kind of turnout is great because it means a huge audience is learning about a part of history often not taught in schools.

At the Globes she told told reporters that she hopes "future STEM girls will be inspired by our movie."

Public events are always the right time to make waves for feminism and equality and to take a stand against bigotry.

The more people see these acts, the more chance they have of making a lasting impression and changing things for the better in this country. With an incoming president, cabinet, House of Representatives, and Senate brimming with people looking to strip women, people of color, and other marginalized groups of their rights, we need as many of these patriarchy-smashing moments as possible.

As long as we keep publicly standing up for what's right, whatever our race, gender, or economic status may be, those who wish to put us down will not win.

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