The Complicated Reason People Are Totally Fine With Rihanna Weight Gain
Twitter was full of supporters who insisted that Rihanna looks great in her current state of gaining a few pounds. Consistently if there is a noticeable change in a celebrity’s weight, especially if said celebrity is a woman, people talk about it. If she loses weight, fitness and entertainment blogs package it as a great makeover, a fresh start, or some other positive “transformation.” Onlookers cheer and congratulate them. We saw this happen with Gabby Sidibe, much to her chagrin. When a celebrity gains weight, those same publications speculate on whether or not she’s pregnant until they can rule it out. With procreation ruled out, people wonder if she’s sick, depressed, or undergoing some other life crisis. But when Rihanna gained weight, something different happened. Bad Girl Riri has been spotted out appearing to have put on some extra weight. While pregnancy speculations hit the gossip mill pretty quickly as celebrity pregnancy rumors are wont to do, the claims were quickly lost in a sea of fans who seemed to be pleased with the possibility that the Bajan singer will be better equipped to fill out a bodycon dress. Twitter was full of supporters who insisted that Rihanna looks great or better in her current state.
It’s worth noting that although these responses mark a departure from the usual reaction to famous women gaining weight, I don’t think we should necessarily be jumping for joy just yet. The fact that the internet and bloggers are having conversations about Rihanna’s body at all is a reminder of how much emphasis we still put on women’s appearance as important and valuable. Make no mistake about it, the celebration of Ri’s curves is about celebrating a different, but just as limiting, standard of beauty. Many communities of color reject thinness as the ideal body type. For black people in particular, someone like La La Anthony is closer to the “ideal” female form than Beyoncé or Rihanna are. It’s the reason Kim Kardashian is so marketable to black women. The explosion of butt augmentation is further proof of this. Many people are cheering on Rihanna’s weight gain because it’s a sign that she might be moving toward that ideal thickness. You can feel pretty confident that if Ri gains what people feel is too much weight, or is no longer proportionate to an hourglass, those celebratory emoji will turn to side-eyes.
Women’s Body Images Have Always Been Under Scrutiny For Either Being Too Skinny Or Too Fat!
Susan Z’s Conclusion:
As a fan of Rihanna, she has fluctuated in her weight before and just about everything else too…hair, makeup, henna tattoos, nails, etc. So, I believe most of her fans will take this weight gain all in stride as just being Bad Girl Riri unless as mentioned above, she starts tipping the scales beyond voluptuous, then the crucifying will begin!!
Six of Swords:
This card is of spiritual enlightenment and awakening in one’s life. It may be that Rhianna is just taking some time out and just enjoying life and sometimes with both women and men, we gain weight! Lol!
Four of Swords: Inverted (Upside Down)
This card is emotional exhaustion and wanting to retreat. Since pulled inverted, I will stand by my observation above that if she was at this weakened place before, she is not now.
Lovers: Inverted
This card speaks for itself. And as we have seen in the past, Rhianna’s love record is not the best but since it is inverted, I believe she has let the past go, does not care and just living life for herself at the moment.
Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.