A plus-size blogger is calling attention to the double-standard that exists in men and women’s magazines after a Cosmopolitan cover featuring model Tess Holliday prompted backlash.
The October issue of the UK edition has been the subject of criticism over Holliday’s weight and UK 24 size - with some suggesting that the magazine is “promoting morbid obesity.”
However, men’s magazine’s frequently feature plus-size men - which blogger and writer Stephanie Yeboah pointed out on Twitter.
“Hello all the people still upset over the @CosmpolitanUK cover, where was the outrage when these covers went live?” she questioned. “Why are we not discussing the health of these plus-size men? Where is that same energy?
“Answers on a postcard. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.”
To further prove her point, Yeboah attached photos of a Vibe cover featuring Rick Ross, a British GQ magazine cover of James Corden, an XXL cover magazine also featuring Rick Ross, and a Nylon cover with Jonah Hill.
The evidence of the existing double-standard has resonated with people on Twitter.
“Send this to Piers Morgan. Men can be overweight and it’s seen as okay, because men can look like crap because they’re men; whereas women are expected to be a size eight every minute of every day and if they’re not they’re berated. It’s absurd,” one person responded.
Another agreed, referencing the common explanation for adversity to plus-size models - false concerns over their health.
“It’s never about their health. That concern-trolling is always exclusively reserved for women. #Effyourbeautystandards,” the woman wrote.
Since the cover was released, Holliday and Cosmopolitan have received less-than-positive reactions, including from British TV host Piers Morgan who called the cover “dangerous and misguided.”
In response, the editor-in-chief of Cosmo, Farrah Storr, defended the decision to feature Holliday.
“The reason [Holliday] is on my cover is to show there is a different way to look,” she said on Good Morning Britain.
Holliday also fought back against body-shamers on Good Morning America, where she said: “Unlike Piers Morgan, I don’t need to troll people to stay relevant.
“I get to have an awesome job and do what I love and hopefully change people’s lives.”
