Extreme Skinny Celebrities: When Looks *Can* Kill
Showbiz’s Cult of Skin-and-Bones Is Nothing to Just Snark At
Skinny isn’t necessarily a bad thing, that is if you’re genetically inclined or have an energetic lifestyle or fast metabolism that sustains a thinner body type. But when I look at super skinny celebrities like Nicole Richie—who we all know from years past is not skeletal by nature, despite her continual claims to the contrary—I actually feel sorry that they don’t understand how sickly their physical appearance makes them seem. As a result of heightened awareness of eating disorders like anorexia that plague untold numbers of individuals of both genders around the world, it’s easier to understand now that self-starvation, often accompanied by obsessive exercising, is a genuine illness worthy of medical intervention. Yet, many stick-thin celebrities devote almost as much time to denying they have a true body-image problem as they appear to spend avoiding food.
Tonight, cable network WE presents the scary one-hour documentary Extreme Skinny Celebrities, a fascinating exploration of the cult of boniness that has overtaken too much of the celebrity world. The use of before-and-after images and elaborate CGI effects gives viewers a startling glimpse of how the aging process could affect serially skinny celebs, while discussion of the myriad repercussions of severe weight loss—including dental decay, early menopause, hair loss, heart disease, and osteoporosis—provides a shocking portrait of health decline that is most unglamorous. If that’s not enough to make an intentionally ultra-thin person run to the refrigerator and grab a hearty nutritious snack, maybe this observation will: the longer weight-obsessed people insist on continuing destructive lifestyles focused on remaining emaciated, the earlier they are likely to die from related complications.
It’s really unfortunate that young girls today have to contend with a celebrity-crazed society that places so much undue importance on the scrawny actresses and models who receive an extraordinary amount of press coverage. In the United States at least, there’s virtually nowhere to hide from images of gaunt women photographed everywhere they go. Given this reality, Extreme: Skinny Celebrities serves as a chilling wake-up call to reinforce the fact that although unhealthy dieting may make someone look good in the short term, the long-term consequences are what actually matter most. Thanks to all of the Kate Winslets and Jennifer Hudsons of the entertainment world who directly demonstrate that a woman can become successful in the industry without selling herself short through ridiculously restrictive eating and exercise regimens.
Other popular female figures examined in the documentary include Victoria Beckham (also known as the present spouse of British soccer star David Beckham and the former Posh Spice of the 1990s British pop group Spice Girls), Golden Globe recipient Teri Hatcher of ABC’s hit dramedy Desperate Housewives, and Academy Award winners Nicole Kidman and Renée Zellweger. [On TV: Wednesday, 21 March 2007, WE, 9pm EST]
Other Good Stuff on TV Tonight
- Cheerleader U.: In the latest pom-pom reality series to hit the tube, the University of Kentucky’s cheerleading squad brings it on in order to triumph at the National Championship. [Series debut/WE/9:30]
- Lost—THE MAN FROM TALLAHASSEE: Kate finds out about Jack’s deal with The Others, which doesn’t go down too well, while Locke’s past is finally unlocked when viewers learn all about his wheelchair phase. [ABC/10:00]
- South Park—LICE CAPADES: The title pretty much says it all. [Comedy Central/10:00]
- Survivor: Fiji—I’VE STRENGTH NOW TO CARRY THE FLAG: The island reality show gets a special Wednesday airing since it was knocked off the schedule last week by March Madness college b-ball. [CBS/8:00]
- Through Deaf Eyes: The lives of hearing impaired Americans over the past 200 years are explored through insightful interviews with members of the Deaf community. [Documentary Debut/PBS/9:00*]
- ‘Til Death—I HEART WOODCOCKS: Coupling rivalry strikes when actor-comics Margaret Cho and Anthony Anderson return once more to guest star as the Cofelds, who raise the Starks’ Ugly Green Monster after they become chummy with the Woodcocks. [Fox/9:30]
*PBS times may vary—Check your local listings to verify them
All times are PM and EST/Eastern Standard Time
