Glamour’s special plus-size issue isn’t getting the response the publication hoped for. Upon its release, there was small but valid criticism about the exorbitant newsstand price and repurposed content. Now, Amy Schumer is taking issue with the magazine for including her in the plus-size special.
Image Courtesy of Glamour
On the cover, Amy’s name is listed besides women like Melissa McCarthy, Adele and model Ashley Graham who have identified as plus-size. Amy, however, does not: she vacillates between size 6 and 8, as she pointed out to her followers. Alongside a close-up of the cover line that bears her name, Amy wrote on Instagram: “I think there’s nothing wrong with being plus size. Beautiful healthy women. Plus size is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size 6 and an 8. @glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn’t feel right to me. Young girls seeing my body type thinking that is plus size? What are your thoughts? Mine are not cool glamour not glamourous.”
We should note that in the fashion industry, sample size is a size 0. Plus-size tends to start at size 12, according to industry standards. Glamour responded to the criticism in a statement: “First off, we love Amy, and our readers do too — which is why we featured her on the cover of Glamour last year. The cover line on this special edition — which is aimed at women size 12 and up — simply says ‘Women Who Inspire Us,’ since we believe her passionate and vocal message of body positivity IS inspiring, as is the message of the many other women, of all sizes, featured. The edition did not describe her as plus-size. We are sorry if we offended her in any way.”
Bottom line seems to be we are done with these unnecessary labels which seem to be reserved for women. pic.twitter.com/VUnrgFseRl
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) April 5, 2016
It stands to reason that readers will associate Amy Schumer with the term “plus-size” if they see her name on the cover of a plus-size issue. Not only is Schumer’s inclusion in Glamour‘s plus-size issue confusing, it’s problematic. It implies that anyone above a size 0 is “plus,” further idealizing a thin, and in some cases unhealthy, body type. Schumer clapped back with a video of herself running in a bikini, captioned, “Bottom line seems to be we are done with these unnecessary labels which seem to be reserved for women.” Indeed.
[via CNN]
