So, a week or two ago, I blogged about Kim Kardashian and her seemingly difficult time embracing her pregnancy. Boy, I was wrong. I talked about how I didn't understand how she could feel so uncomfortable in her own skin and not just embrace her body and the beauty that comes along with pregnancy. Then, I started noticing magazine covers on line at the grocery store. It was like they were jumping out at me.
KIM'S 65 LB WEIGHT GAIN
KIM CAN'T KEEP KANYE HAPPY
KIM'S PREGNANCY NIGHTMARE
My god. If I were in this situation, I would be losing my damned mind. It's bad enough that when you are pregnant, you feel so out of sorts. So uncomfortable in your own skin. Tired, anxious, overwhelmed. Then your feet get all weird, or if you're like me, your hands swell up to balloons (my first pregnancy gave me pregnancy-caused carpal tunnel and hands like baseball mitts). Then, your hips expand to the point that you have to pivot just to get through the turnstile on the subway each day. It's all natural, and it's all part of pregnancy, but it can't be helpful when everywhere you turn, people are calling you fat, making fun of you and saying your partner is disgusted by your TOTALLY NORMAL weight gain.
It seems like two years ago, the target of this awful attacking was Jessica Simpson. The worst part for her was that she was being compared to Hilary Duff because they were pregnant at the same time. Yes, there's a way to be healthy in pregnancy, and yes, if you feel up to it, you can and should exercise regularly. But to fat-shame a woman when she's pregnant? This is a whole new low.
It looks like the press has eased off J-Simp for now but moved onto Kim. And I suspect this is what's resulting in her insanely uncomfortable looking wardrobe. Of course she can't be comfortable and enjoy her pregnancy—she's being told left, right, and centre that's she's too fat. She barely looks pregnant, and she's got to be close to 6 months now.
What worries me with this is that Kim has talked at length about her workout routine and how it hasn't really changed. She has lots of money and personal trainers. It sends a dangerous message to women who are worried about their pregnancy weight gain and may not eat enough (or properly) or exercise too excessively to the point of dehydration or exhaustion which can have scary side effects in pregnancy.
I am not quite sure when or why this happened, but it appears that we're living in a society where mocking pregnant women is OK—these magazines fly off the shelves. Is it jealousy? Kim Kardashian is a millionaire based solely on having her own reality TV show. I suspect this makes people angry partially out of jealousy, and partially because she doesn't have any "discernable talent." That doesn't make it acceptable to call her fat when she's pregnant.
Pregnant women gain weight. There's literally no way around it. Women's bodies change through life. There's also no way around that. Women have it hard enough in our society as is. The last thing we should be doing is fat shaming a woman. Period. And fat shaming a pregnant woman? Despicable.
So, spill it! What do you think about Kim Kardashian's treatment in the media since announcing her pregnancy?
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