"Curvy" on the Red Carpet: What Does it Really Mean?

As the world pauses and catches its breath from the recent onslaught of award shows, one of the favorite pastimes is, of course, critiquing what stars wear. There are dozens of blogs and websites displaying snarky commentary on the best, the worst, and the weirdest of red carpet couture. Among these pictures of unbelievably attractive people, a few women stand out.

Jennifer Hudson. America Ferrara. Queen Latifah. Sara Ramirez. All of these women are often described as "curvy" as they parade the red carpet in their beautiful dresses. In a swarm of toothpick-thin starlets, they carry themselves with charm, grace, and elegance. Are these women, and their visibility in the mainstream, a step toward body acceptance or are we stepping back?

"Curvy" is a double-edged sword in Hollywood. At its best connotation, it is empowering and complimentary. At its worst, it's a euphemism for "too fat for leading roles". The women who carry this label should be applauded for their courage and ability to resist the norm, but the very fact that they are so visible in their curviness represents what exactly is wrong with our celebrity beauty culture. Why should Queen Latifah be described differently than Gwyneth Paltrow or Rachel Weisz? They are all three beautiful women and talented actors. Our rush to label Queen Latifah as "full-figured" or "curvy" marks her as something different than what is expected or normal, and that ultimately trickles down to the consciousness of regular women. The message being sent is that the pinnacle of attractiveness is being slender, but if you can't achieve that there is a consolation prize. This does a great disservice to women everywhere who are naturally larger.

The women I've mentioned so far all have something in common: they are all women of color. The fact that they've been able to become famous even in a world where they are not the norm speaks to our expectations about the bodies of women of color. Black and Latina women, like Hudson, Ferrara, Latifah, and Ramirez, are "allowed" to be curvier than average. Where are their white equivalents? They are relegated to obscurity or comedy, like Camryn Manheim or Rosie O'Donnell. This reinforces negative stereotypes about ideal, "European" (read: white) beauty vs. "exotic" beauty (non-white), and works to the detriment of women everywhere.

Every single person on the red carpet works for the way they look. Some of them, like Reese Witherspoon, look lovely and svelte, while others look lovely and curvy, but they all look lovely. It's fun and great to laugh and marvel at the fantastic (and sometimes unbelievably weird) clothes they wear, but it's also important to remember that words have consequences, and "curvy" is one of them. Why can't women just look great without constant comments about the size of their bodies? The natural beauty of women is much and varied, and the more we start accepting that the better off we'll all be.