That's not what has me shocked, though. What woman hasn't been criticized about her weight? You don't have to be a celebrity to have commentary on your body broadcast publicly. To a famous woman, criticism shows up in a gossip rag or on TV. To the rest of us, it's yelled at us as we walk down the street or take a seat on the bus or nervously get naked in front of a guy. We've all been there, the target of some unnecessary, inappropriate phrasing that burns itself into our brains and body image and that we must resist, resist, resist with all of our might.
No, what has me shocked is that the woman the finger was pointed at didn't just take it. She didn't come back with a comment about wanting to lose weight quickly, and there weren't any rumors about her hiring a diet cop or nutritionist or new trainer.
She blasted back. In sort of a (dare I say) feminist way. She stood up, waved her hand and said, "Oh no, you di-in't" from behind a mane of very blond hair.
Here's the best part: The woman who did all this is a Republican. And the daughter of presidential candidate John McCain.
Oh, and one more thing. Did I mention Meghan McCain, the body image back talker I'm surprised to be emphatically rooting on right now, is a size 8?
Well, we can't leave out that detail, can we? Her size is important. Critical, even.
No, of course it isn't. Her size doesn't mean a damn thing. What counts is that Meghan McCain, clearly an articulate and engaging blogger (who knew) who calls herself a "progressive Republican" told critics who made a headline out of her waistline that they can "kiss my fat ass." On (and oh, how I love this) "The View."
Presumably in front of God and Barbara Walters and even (gasp) Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
It apparently all started when Meghan McCain spoke openly on her blog and in an interview with Rachel Maddow (love. her.) about Ann Coulter's political views, which McCain views as too extreme. At that point, Laura Ingraham, a conservative political radio host swooped in to criticize the senator's daughter.
Except that Ingraham didn't criticize the political commentary McCain made. She took a jab at her weight instead, using what's been described as a "caustic 'Valley Girl' voice." Classy, right?
Meghan McCain responded with a post that was, in my opinion, on the money, asking why in the world we would distract ourselves from larger political issues by focusing on how large (or average or whatever) she is, how skinny her mother is, and how pantsuit-ish Hillary Rodham Clinton is.
Then comes the part that I love most, when Meghan McCain turns her (supposed) fat into a (yeahhh!) feminist issue, writing:
The question remains: Why, after all this time and all the progress feminists have made, is weight still such an issue? And in Laura’s case, why in the world would a woman raise it? Today, taking shots at a woman’s weight has become one of the last frontiers in socially accepted prejudice.
I agree, Meghan McCain. I completely agree. It is devalidating and distracting and a tactic used for hundreds and hundreds of years to shut women up.
I just wonder why we have to know, in all of this ridiculous back and forth, what her size is. Although Meghan McCain is the person outing the number on the back of her own jeans here, I don't get why that is even a part of the conversation (or virtual shouting match). I don't know very many women who ever admit what size they are to each other, so why must we know the number every time a famous woman's weight issue lands on screen or online?
Maybe when the numbers disappear from these discussions (or misogynist radio bombs), we will know, Democrat or Republican, that we really are progressing. And progressive.
I don't know where you stand on abortion and gay marriage, Meghan McCain, but so far, I like you. You've got moxie, McCain. Surprisingly, sister to sister, I like what you've got to say.
What do you think of the conservative's criticism of Meghan McCain's weight? And is this an issue women can fight back against, even across party lines?
[Photo credit: Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images Entertainment]
