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View Full Version : Heidi Klum sparks controversy - Kathy Najimy fires back

JazmenFlowers
08-25-2006, 10:20 PM
looks like we weren't the only ones who noticed the judges' comments were a little :eek: inducing. here's what Kathy wrote to the producers of the show.
__________________________________________

Dearest Andy eye candy,

Hi Honey. I hope you are well. Congratulations on Project Runway -- I think it is by far the best reality show on TV. Smart, filmed so realistically like a true documentary, well produced, compelling, well done -- in fact I could watch an all-Project-Runway-all-day channel.

Sadly after last night's episode, I probably won't watch it again. Yes, I am one of the throngs who will miss sweet gorgeous talented Alison and her creations ... BUT, that is NOT why i am upset. Tonight I was aghast at the comments made about her model's size.

First, Tim Gunn refers to her as "zaftig" Zaftig? She is a MODEL -- 6 feet tall and probably all of 120 pounds! Zaftig? What does this say to the really average sized women?? And then, Heidi Klum, although she seems like a perfectly fine model and mother -- made some very very irresponsible comments, a couple of offensive remarks about her size. She referred to the outfit as making the model look like a GOD FORBID -- "Plus SIZE model!" -- like that was the ultimate in HORRORS... it was all she could do to contain herself from gagging. OK maybe the outfit wasn't great but Heidi's comments were hurtful and dangerous. Good thing Mr. Kors had the good sense to chime in and call the model "a beautiful girl."

Andy, the reason Heidi's comments were dangerous is that we all know what a powerful tool television has become on influencing the masses. I am sure hundreds of thousands of women and girls watch your program. And probably a very monumental amount of them, as a result of the messages we send women and girls in this country that are made to hate their bodies. They are either unhealthily trying to fit into some NARROW minded idea of what they are "supposed to look like," actually in the midst of dangerous eating disorders, or are, hopefully, some of the very lucky few in process of overcoming the avalanche of hideous pressure to be one unattainable size.

Please sincerely tell Ms. Klum this fact: six out of ten 11-year-old girls are on a diet or have an eating disorder. That's 11-year-old girls. Many of them die from the quest. Many grown women also die from these disorders every year. If you have seen it, it is a profoundly sad self loss. And this is not an organic occurrence. This is not bad gene we are born with. This is a result of the constant gnawing at women and girls that they are NOT right as they are. This is taught. This is drilled. This comes from shame. That they are too fat, or too wrinkled or too round or maybe they are beyond terrorized that they just might look like a... PLUS SIZE MODEL. The truth is that most women in the country are a size 14. A nice beautiful size 14 or 16 -- or more. Which I guess Ms. Klum would categorize as OBESE. She is lucky she has good genes... good for her. I hope she got there without hurting herself in any way like most women do. I hope she has the self-esteem most women in America are lacking. And I especially hope that Heidi Klum's beautiful daughter never has to grow up in the self-hatred and self-mutilation that occurs when girls and women are suffocated by irresponsible, dangerous comments like the ones Heidi made last night on the program.

I understand that this is a reality TV show and people can say what they want, but I was disappointed that Bravo or the producers didn't opt to edit her comments. Please pass this on. I think it is important. I know this has nothing to do with you. I just have your email address and not hers!

Much love to you Andrew...
Yours,
Kathy "plus size brains" Najimy
DrummerDeanna
08-25-2006, 10:49 PM
She's going on my hero list! SO TRUE! I don't watch that show, so I'd not heard the remark - and after reading this I will never watch the show.

These things are very destructive - I just saw an Oprah featuring a 4 and 6 year old girl - both of them completely and totally obsessed about their weight - it was the saddest thing :distress:
carrie721
08-25-2006, 10:51 PM
She's going on my hero list! SO TRUE! I don't watch that show, so I'd not heard the remark - and after reading this I will never watch the show.

These things are very destructive - I just saw an Oprah featuring a 4 and 6 year old girl - both of them completely and totally obsessed about their weight - it was the saddest thing :distress:

holy ****, 4 and 6 years old?
JazmenFlowers
08-25-2006, 10:52 PM
well there's no way I ain't watching it. :)

I think Heidi needs to clarify what she meant or apologize just to save face, although there's no good way to put it. it's just a world of wrong, but I don't think she meant it in a hurtful way. I think Bravo should have edited the comments out.

what if someone had said...that makes her look black or asian? you know.
amber
08-25-2006, 10:52 PM
People shouldn't let their kids watch so much TV. A bit snarky of Heidi.

Being a model, she probably really thinks in those terms. To her for her career, gaining weight was a reallly bad thing. She doesn't really have the same perspective as an average woman would. They probably should have edited it, I guess. Meh.
DrummerDeanna
08-25-2006, 10:53 PM
holy ****, 4 and 6 years old?

Yeah - it was awful. They were these beautiful little girls - not even the slightest bit chubby (though chub - NOT obsesity-but chub is good on a kid) - and both thought they were SO fat. Of course their mothers were ripped a new one by doctors, oprah and experts....
carrie721
08-25-2006, 10:54 PM
Yeah - it was awful. They were these beautiful little girls - not even the slightest bit chubby (though chub - NOT obsesity-but chub is good on a kid) - and both thought they were SO fat. Of course their mothers were ripped a new one by doctors, oprah and experts....

were the mothers telling them they were fat? :mad:
DrummerDeanna
08-25-2006, 10:59 PM
were the mothers telling them they were fat? :mad:

Not in so many words...but the things they let the kids do - dieting and such - and well ...I was only half listening when the mothers hit - since I was at work (I love my job) but once in a while a "real-life" vignette would come on - showing a kid on a playground "exercising" to exhaustion because she thought she was fat.

Now - I remember being 7 and telling my mom how fat I was - she freaked out - then took me to my aunt (health-nut and ex-anorexic) who assured me I wasn't fat - but I never believed it....so comments like that - that a kid or hell even an adult will hear can be hurtful -and subconciously a lot of people would pick up on that and take it on...

Too bad we're not one of those cultures where fat=good because it means you're wealthy and healthy :laugh:
diamondsnake
08-25-2006, 11:47 PM
I think Kathy is blowing it out of proportion. The model was clearly not plus size, but the outfit made her look that way. What is the point of wearing an outfit with so much fabric that it makes you look 30 pounds heavier? It doesn't matter if you are 120 pounds or 220 pounds, no one really wants to wear something that makes them look heavier. If you watched the show, I think that was the point Heidi was trying to make. I just hope the model didn't take it personally.

And, Heidi was on Larry King Live tonight and she tried to clear things up. She said that people shouldnot be offended by the term plus-size, etc. because it is a real thing, not a derrogatory term.
Gypsy-Rhiannon
08-26-2006, 04:11 AM
What size out there do you class as a 'plus size model'?

Excellent letter BTW
PsychCat
08-26-2006, 06:29 AM
I love me some Kathy Najimy...
although she should have gone full "Peggy Hill" in that letter!! :nod:
strandinthewind
08-26-2006, 07:31 AM
Interesting letter. I do think, however, most people want it both ways. I remember when Carnie Wilson had her stomach stapeled on the net. Prior to that, she was all about how plus size people are happy, she was not sick, etc. Then, she drops the weight and she is all about how unhappy she was and it is fabulous to be thin. Moreover, how many times have we looked at a magazine and drolled over the sexy model, all of which are so called under weight or at least no plus sized. What a sad commentary on society IMO.
GODDESS6
08-26-2006, 08:09 AM
Interesting letter. I do think, however, most people want it both ways. I remember when Carnie Wilson had her stomach stapeled on the net. Prior to that, she was all about how plus size people are happy, she was not sick, etc. Then, she drops the weight and she is all about how unhappy she was and it is fabulous to be thin. Moreover, how many times have we looked at a magazine and drolled over the sexy model, all of which are so called under weight or at least no plus sized. What a sad commentary on society IMO.

& now carnie is on celebrity fit club this season isn't she?, cuz after child birth she gained weight again~


i used to watch a 5 yr old girl who was beginning to be bulemic~ she wasn't over-weight by any means, she looked like any average size child, she has an older sister who had a different father that is very tall & lanky, so her sister had the same traits, she was also very tall & lanky~ the older sister is 7~ so the 5 yr old began starving herself & when forced to eat would go throw it all up~ then you would see her binging & trying to go purge~ i mean my god she was 5 yr's old~ i asked her mother to no avail, but it always really bothered me as to where this 5 yr old would know how binge & purge already~ it was so very sad~
SuzeQuze
08-26-2006, 09:46 AM
What size out there do you class as a 'plus size model'?

Excellent letter BTW

Plus size models are a size 10!!! :rolleyes: It's regoddamdiculous.
DrummerDeanna
08-26-2006, 11:04 AM
Plus size models are a size 10!!! :rolleyes: It's regoddamdiculous.

:eek: :eek: WHAT!?! That is ridiculous. I already hated the fashion industry - and now I do even more. 10..give me a break!
Gypsy-Rhiannon
08-26-2006, 12:27 PM
Plus size models are a size 10!!! :rolleyes: It's regoddamdiculous.

A US 10 is a UK 14. That's just crazy.
strandinthewind
08-26-2006, 12:30 PM
But, the funny/ironic/sad thing is wouldn't most people give their eye teeth to be that size 10 or thereabouts? That is what I was getting at earlier when I said that we want it both ways.
Rickypt
08-26-2006, 12:54 PM
I don't watch the show, but all my colleagues were buzzing about this.

I just know that I love, love, love Kathy Najimy. :xoxo:
DrummerDeanna
08-26-2006, 01:22 PM
But, the funny/ironic/sad thing is wouldn't most people give their eye teeth to be that size 10 or thereabouts? That is what I was getting at earlier when I said that we want it both ways.

I know I would! I'm dying to get back to a 10 - but then I'll STILL considered a plus size? That's ludicrous - a 10 is a good healthy size - I looked fab at a 10 -though ideally I wouldn't mind getting into 8s :p
skcin
08-26-2006, 01:51 PM
^ No, not really. Plus size for us normal every day women is above a 14, I believe. Anything 16 & up is almost always in the "plus size" department. But for models, it's much lower - I think even an 8 is considered large for them. 10/12 they're "plus-sized models."

I saw them on Larry King last night too. Tim Gunn apologized & said he deeply regretted using the term "zaftig." Heidi said there shouldn't be a negative connotation associated with the term "plus size model" and that they are beautiful & she thinks it's great because there weren't any plus size models 20 or 30 years ago. They both said they should have chosen their words more carefully, what they were actually trying to say is that the fit of the garment was unflattering (on any shape or size) and that it made the model appear larger than she actually was.

Chris - I know what you're saying, but please understand that eating disorders among women are on the rise, and for a woman (especially a young girl with poor self esteem) to hear these people, who they think are so cool & chic & knowledgable about fashion, say that the model was huge, or fat, or whatever, when you can clearly see that she's probably a size 6 or 8? That can be catastrophic to their psyche. I'm not saying one comment heard on TV will force someone into bulemia, but they may start thinking "well, if she's fat, I must be enormous" and it can be very damaging.
DrummerDeanna
08-26-2006, 01:58 PM
^^

Exactly.

And the thing that makes it seems not so "innocent" was the use of the term zatfig - so at least he apologized - but too little too late - you think the millions of women/girls/little girls watching the actual show where watching Larry King Live or have read Kathy Najimy's article?

I think the damage has been done - hopefully not more "slipups" like that will occur.
SuzeQuze
08-27-2006, 10:10 AM
I know I would! I'm dying to get back to a 10 - but then I'll STILL considered a plus size? That's ludicrous - a 10 is a good healthy size - I looked fab at a 10 -though ideally I wouldn't mind getting into 8s :p

That's the thing, you're not a plus size, but the models for plus sized clothing are a size 10. It doesn't make sense. I would also love to get down to an 8, it's been many years since I was that small!
SuzeQuze
08-27-2006, 10:12 AM
But, the funny/ironic/sad thing is wouldn't most people give their eye teeth to be that size 10 or thereabouts? That is what I was getting at earlier when I said that we want it both ways.

I don't know, some of us have deprogrammed ourselves from thinking that extreme thinness = beauty. Although I think that a healthy weight with muscle tone is attractive. I'm not so much into the skin and bones look. But I am pretty hard on myself about my weight and would rather be thinner, almost all the time. But if I actually got down to a 6 or something I think people would begin to worry about me. In real life that is very thin for me. But if I were an actress, I would feel fat. It is just crazy.