Top 10 Times Celebs Clapped Back Against Beauty Standards
#10: Billie Eilish
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American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is known for her haunting vocals and award-winning tracks, but her signature style has also garnered plenty of attention. Her oversized clothes are more than just a fashion statement, though. Body insecurities were originally a trigger for Eilish’s depression, and her baggy pieces were chosen to prevent people judging her figure. She incorporated the latter point into a Calvin Klein ad. These double double standards were the subject of a 2020 short. Eilish has since experimented with her style and is frustrated with the criticism she’s inevitably received. In 2021, she told British Vogue that “Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you.” We couldn’t agree more.
#9: Channing Tatum
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Women, especially those who are famous, have been forced to conform to crazy body norms for a long time, but the standards for men have become almost as unreasonable. Appearing on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in 2022, Channing Tatum discussed his role in the “Magic Mike” franchise. When the talk turns to his physique, he explains that there’s nothing natural about his movie muscles, and that achieving them required some seriously intense – and not necessarily healthy – practices. Other stars, such as Henry Cavill, have also discussed the questionable lengths they go to in order to achieve the best muscle tone on camera. There’s clearly a difference between looking and feeling good and a particular aesthetic on screen doesn’t necessarily signify good health.
#8: Simone Biles
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Simone Biles is an Olympic gold-medalist, and has left her mark as an athlete. She may be one of the best gymnasts ever, but a woman in the public eye is never immune to criticism from strangers. Indeed, Biles has faced her fair share of body shaming. Partnering with skincare brand SK-II, she took to social media to speak out against the unreasonable body expectations in her sport. “There is a growing competition that has nothing to do with performance itself,” she wrote. “I am done competing VS. beauty standards and the toxic culture of trolling” she continued. Despite her experiences with jerks, Biles has always stayed true to herself, and her achievements speak for themselves.
#7: Jessica Alba
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For women in Hollywood, the struggle for more layered, well-written roles is an ongoing battle. Too often, movies reduce the female characters to their looks. That’s something Jessica Alba knows plenty about. Her experience on the set of “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” almost made her leave acting behind for good. While filming an emotional scene, she was told that her performance was “too real” and that she needed to “cry pretty.” Discussing her director’s notes, she told Elle magazine: “He was like, ‘Don’t do that thing with your face. Just make it flat. We can CGI the tears in.” By recalling the incident, the actress rightfully drew attention to the way Hollywood often prioritizes ridiculous beauty standards at the expense of authenticity.
#6: Jonah Hill
In 2021, British tabloid “The Daily Mail” published paparazzi photos of Jonah Hill shirtless and in a wetsuit, and he called them out on Instagram. The actor felt the need to respond to the body shaming for the sake of those kids who are insecure about their physical appearance. Hill explained that he would have embraced body positivity sooner, were it not for the relentless personal attacks from the press, which intensified his childhood hang-ups. His post made it clear that the media’s toxic narrative could no longer get to him, writing “I’m 37 and finally love and accept myself.” The star powerfully took back control with his response, and his words undoubtedly resonated with many.
#5: Amandla Stenberg
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The idea that we should all be devoid of body hair is crazy when you think about it. Most women and increasingly, a lot of men, have felt the pressure to shave, wax or laser the hair away. But if we all stopped doing it, would anyone care? In 2018, Amandla Stenberg strutted their stuff on the red carpet for the film premiere of “The Hate U Give.” Dressed in Valentino with dramatic blue eye-liner, the star left their armpits unshaven and captioned their Instagram pic #drama #armpit. Earlier that year, Rihanna had posted some summer snaps with unshaven legs and Bella Thorne also stepped out with noticeable armpit hair. It’s only natural, but it’s a statement that’s still rare enough to feel radical.
#4: Pink
The media’s obsession with weight is something else. The fact that it stretches to pregnant women and those who’ve recently given birth demonstrates just how unrealistic our beauty standards are. In 2017, Pink questioned the idea of what constitutes a healthy post-baby body and encouraged folks to “stay off” the scales. Sharing a fit-looking gym snap, taken a few months after the birth of her son, she stated her height and weight. More than that, she and that although those measurements technically make her obese, she still feels great. “The only thing I’m feeling is myself,” she powerfully wrote. The number on the scale isn’t everything, and Pink’s post served as a great reminder of that.
#3: Yara Shahidi
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She may be young, but Yara Shahidi can thoughtfully deconstruct an unnecessary beauty standard with the best of them. The “Grown-ish” star has learned to love the skin she’s in. Speaking to Allure, she explained that embracing her unibrow marked a “turning point” in that regard. She said: “Even on a surface level, [it’s symbolic] of me appreciating my heritage.” Shahidi also celebrates her naturally curly hair. She loves that it “take[s] up space” and thus allows her to do the same in places where she might otherwise not. As for make-up, she thinks it should be fun - a way to express oneself, not something we wear because we feel forced to. Here’s hoping she never stops challenging the status quo.
#2: Lizzo
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Beauty standards can be restrictive, particularly for women and minorities, who aren’t generally encouraged to take up space. But Lizzo isn’t about all that toxicity. As a loud, multi-talented, plus-sized, Black woman, she flouts conventions and can teach us all a lesson in self-love and self-expression. At the 2022 VMAs, the artist stunned in a billowing couture dress, and was applauded for refusing to make herself small. She then reacted positively to a TikTok praising her. In 2019, she wrote: “I don’t think that loving yourself is a choice. [...] it’s a decision that has to be made for survival [...] I chose to live, so I had to accept myself." We couldn’t put it any better than she did, so we’ll just say preach, Lizzo!
#1: Alicia Keys
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When Alicia Keys did a make-up free photo-shoot back in 2016, it was just meant to be a one time thing. She’d used cosmetics regularly since she was sixteen, but going bare-faced made the singer feel more gorgeous and powerful than she ever had before. She decided to give it a go full time and has since regularly appeared make-up free, even attending award shows and red carpets with her natural look. Keys says she’s not anti-make-up. It’s more about not succumbing to the pressure to get her face on if she’s not feeling it. Her #NoMakeup campaign focuses on rejecting the societal pressure to always look done up, and encourages the acceptance of natural beauty.
