LOS ANGELES: Jennifer Aniston says she’s not pregnant and she’s fed up with predatory tabloid culture that defines women by their looks and maternal status.
In an essay published Tuesday in the Huffington Post, Aniston says constant paparazzi coverage contributes to a “dehumanizing view of females, focused solely on one’s physical appearance.” She says the further speculation over whether she looks as though she’s pregnant or may have eaten too much “reflects the warped way we calculate a woman’s worth.”
“For the record, I am not pregnant,” she writes. “What I am is fed up. I’m fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of ‘journalism’, the ‘First Amendment’ and ‘celebrity news’.”
Her essay called for women to engender a change within tabloid culture to prevent it from damaging younger generations, and it has struck a chord.
She says the amount of media resources spent on trying to find out if she’s pregnant perpetuates the idea that women are incomplete until they marry and become mothers. She says she doesn’t expect tabloid practices to change, but she hopes consumers will become more aware of the messages such publications put forth.
“Here’s where I come out on this topic: we are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child. We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies. That decision is ours and ours alone. Let’s make that decision for ourselves and for the young women in this world who look to us as examples. Let’s make that decision consciously, outside of the tabloid noise. We don’t need to be married or mothers to be complete. We get to determine our own “happily ever after” for ourselves,” she concludes.
Aniston’s takedown of tabloid culture is winning support among fellow celebrities.
“Ghostbusters” star Melissa McCarthy told Entertainment Tonight that she agrees “one hundred thousand billion percent” with Aniston’s essay for the Huffington Post.
McCarthy says “everyone needs to stop tearing down women” and calls the attention to women’s looks “a ridiculous thing.” She says she hopes “it gets to the point where it’s embarrassing for people to have such a shallow thought.”
Aniston’s piece also has received positive mentions on Twitter from actor Jason Bateman and comedian Margaret Cho.
Aniston slams tabloid culture ‘I am not pregnant, I am fed up’
Aniston slams tabloid culture ‘I am not pregnant, I am fed up’
Small dog sole survivor of Peru helicopter crash that killed 15
- Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter
- Local media reported that the dog appeared OK, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic
LIMA: The only survivor of a military helicopter crash in southern Peru that killed 15 people was a small dog belonging to a colonel who was among the passengers, an air force source told AFP Tuesday.
Rescue workers found the caramel-colored dog among the twisted wreckage of the Mi-17 helicopter that crashed Sunday. It was lying next to the body of its owner, Col. Javier Nole, 50, who was on board with his wife and two daughters.
“It’s Col. Nole’s pet; it’s the only survivor,” the source, who requested anonymity, told AFP.
Local media reported that the dog appeared OK, but as a precaution was taken to a veterinary clinic.
Seven children were among the 15 fatalities when the Russian-made aircraft crashed in the Arequipa region. The helicopter had been recently deployed in rescue operations for victims of floods there.
It had taken off from the city of Pisco, in the Ica region. Rescuers located the wreckage on Monday just over 300 kilometers (186 miles) away near Chala Viejo, a town close to the Pacific coast in Arequipa.
The air force has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
