Isn't it exciting? Melissa McCarthy is on the November cover of Elle. She's one of America's favourite funny people, who also happens to wear a plus size, for which she's endured much abuse. But before you rush out to buy the mag, consider this caveat: Elle has worked its magazine magic, yet instead of Photoshopping McCarthy, they've ostensibly hidden the star under big hair and an oversize coat.
Stylish, sure. But so much for forward-thinking. While Adele looked stunning as the face of Vogue last year, it's a very rare thing, indeed, for a less-than-skinny starlet to grace a cover.
And then when it happens, says an article in Slate, as in McCarthy's case, they go and bundle her in a "Marina Rinaldi coat so huge that she could hide her Mike and Molly co-star Billy Gardel underneath."
Isn't it time to celebrate a shape other than the typical Hollywood stick insect? When tasked with a larger model, fashion photographers gravitate toward one of two options: cover her fleshy parts entirely or zoom in for a close up that avoids the body altogether.
Sorry, Elle. With a single promising step forward, you've taken two enormous steps back.
What do you think of the cover?
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