Woman Shames Calvin Klein’s Plus-Size Rapper Billboard, She Responds And Starts A Heated Discussion
Fashion can be a truly divisive subject, even among those of us who aren’t all that much into style (or like to wear sandals with white socks, yuck). Whenever you bring up the words ‘weight,’ ‘beauty,’ and ‘health,’ it suddenly becomes apparent that nearly everyone in the whole wide world has an opinion on esthetics.
When Calvin Klein featured plus-sized indie rapper Chika wearing the fashion brand’s underwear on a massive billboard in Soho, the company sparked a fierce and fiery discussion online.
Some lauded the company for being inclusive and for breaking ‘harmful’ beauty standards. Others criticized Calvin Klein for promoting an unhealthy lifestyle because of the health concerns associated with obesity. While a third group of people expressed the opinion that Calvin Klein was only pretending to accept ‘progressive’ values in order to shore up its finances. Read on for Bored Panda’s interview and be sure to express your opinion on the topic in the comments, dear Pandas. Just remember to keep the discussion civilized and well-mannered because it’s such a sensitive and delicate subject.
Rapper Chika promoted Calvin Klein’s underwear, however…
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…she and the fashion brand came under fire for promoting ‘unhealthy living’
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Some Twitter users thought the advertisement was doing more harm than good
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The rapper hit back at her critics
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Rapper Chika hit back at one of her critics, Dominique Samuels, who called Calvin Klein out for promoting ‘unhealthy living.’ According to Chika, Dominique was simply ‘mad’ and jealous that she didn’t get on the billboard. The rapper went on to explain how she is a real role model and a loving person, and shouldn’t be judged based on her weight.
Bored Panda talked to Dominique Samuels to discuss what happened on Twitter between her and Chika. “I think Chika’s “comeback” to my tweet purposely ignored the point I was making. The things we see on billboards and promoted in fashion are the things that will impact and influence our future generations. If she’s confident enough to be put on a billboard, she’s confident enough to take some legitimate criticism. I knew when I made the post that I would get abuse, but the amount of people who have been threatening me, abusing me for simply having an opinion is very telling.”
“I definitely think the way we view the female body at least has changed in a positive way. The average size of a woman is around 14-16 in the UK, and I encourage that to be shown in fashion, because it isn’t a life-threatening size to be, and is relatively normal. I myself am a size 12,” Dominique revealed.
“The problem I’m having is the new trend of promoting the obese and trying to normalize it when obesity is becoming a global, growing problem. It’s not only irresponsible but dangerous. Tess Holiday is another example of this, as are the obese women being put on Fashion Nova. It isn’t representing women or even empowering women, it’s encouraging bad health,” Dominique shared her opinion on the matter.
“I’m no health expert or fitness freak, but I do try and watch what I eat and exercise when I can when I notice I’m putting on weight, that I feel more uncomfortable in my clothes or that I’m getting out of breath more frequently,” she said. “I’d say everything in moderation. Too much of anything (including food!) is a bad thing.”
We completely agree that nobody should be the subject of abuse because of how they look. However, those Twitter users, who exclaim that weight has ‘nothing’ to do with health problems, should really do a little bit more studying. According to the Centers for Disease Control, being overweight or obese leads to huge health risks. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, can also lead to Type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, breathing problems, and some cancers.
The CDC also adds that obesity is linked to low quality of life and mental illness “such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.” Can you have a good life if you’re overweight? Of course. But the quality of life increases when you do move and exercise a lot, eat and sleep well, have an active social life.
However, that’s no reason to verbally attack people for their size: be supportive, not hateful.
People had very different opinions about the advertisement, health, and beauty
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This was far from the first time that Chika had to defend herself from critics
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Unpopular opinion: this is just as unhealthy as the super skinny models.
not "just as" unhealthy..............obesity kills millions annually compared to thousands for anorexia
Load More Replies...To me, businesses are less interested in being inclusive, than they are their own image. Does Calvin Klein actually care about obese models, or happy everyone is talking about their underwear. A
She lost me at: "i'm rich". If anybody uses this as an argument, I loose the respect for the person. So, being rich automatically makes you right?.. As for the ad, why don't just use people sizes 10-16 without going extreme? Not unrealistically skinny and not morbidly obese?
I don't think her point is that rich means she's right. She is just pointing it out as it's typically viewed as a modern day indicator of success.
Load More Replies...Well, I hope these companies are going to start using really overweight men to advertise their products. If a woman wants to be incredibly vast and ignore all the potential health problems associated with being so fat, then that's up to them but don't publicly glamourise or glorify it and certainly don't try and say it’s normal and completely safe and imply that women are the only ones who have unrealistic body expectations (three words I hope to never say again, I threw up in my mouth a little but just typing that). The amount of chiselled bodies men see all the time in the media, isn't the same thing? They also face unrealistic body expectations and it's insane how that's completely brushed under the rug. It's not equality these modern day feminists want, they want complete superiority. I’m from England and it’s extremely difficult to accept that America isn’t a fictional country, the things that happen over there are profoundly messed up and nobody seems to bat an eyelid.
I don't know how familiar you are with America media but overweight, even obese men have had representation in media for years. Its a farce to compare aesthetic pressures put on women to those put on men, they are very clearly NOT done anywhere near in an equal manner. Men are often represented with a myriad of qualities that make then interesting and/or desirable with their physical looks ranking somewhere down the line. In contrast, female representations may have varied qualities, but the first and foremost that overshadows any other quality is her physical representation. Men will NEVER be judged solely on their looks, either positively or negatively, the way women are. THIS is why its considered more of a controversy to represent an obese women in an ad than a man. If this ad were highlighting a man of equal weight, the reaction wouldn't be anger, it would be humor, no one gets outraged about a fat man in underwear and there's a very specific social engineered reason for that.
Load More Replies...BoredPanda: People who don't believe medical research on vaccines are dumb! Also BoredPanda: Healthy at any size!
Okay i'm all for plus size models and stuff, but I hate how Calvin Klein put a literal morbidly obese person to represent them. I'm also pretty sure that Calvin Klein is doing this for more attention.
I think there's a difference - plus is over the average sizes, whereas obese is people who are over a specific BMI. The problem is that people don't know the difference any more
Load More Replies...Can't we just see things with normal sized people? Especially with clothing so we know what it will look like on 75% of us? Neither extreme is good for people to see.
"I don't need to defend my existence". Nobody asks you to do it though. Raising concerns about advertising of an unhealthy lifestyle isn't equal to saying you shouldn't exist, so spare this fake drama.
After traveling between Europe and the US for work multiple times a year I can tell when I arrive in America because of the size of people. If it is natural or healthy to be this big, the rest of the world didn't get the memo....
I'm gonna get a little off topic here, but I don't get why the masses think that just because you show or mention something, you are promoting this. Okay, in this particular case, it's advertisement, called also "promotion", but even advertisement can be artsy and different, right? Anyway, regardless of what you think about health and lifestyle, even personal taste, showing various kinds of models in all sizes is a good product promotion indeed for a clothing company, it means they have something for everyone.
I agree. If you are looking at Calvin Klein as a lifestyle promoter than you have some problems. They are promoting their product and nothing more.
Load More Replies...Someone this size also puts more pressure on their heart, its already been proven that this size Especially is not healthhy for numerous reasons.
I know we cannot exclude people with weight problems (or any other problem). But on the other side, I agree it is promoting unhealthy lifestyle. Showing super skinny models is not better though! Commercials from fashion brands should just represent the society as it is: skinny people, obese people, people with an average weight, tall, small...
The absolute truth is she will die young because of her obesity. She needs to lose weight.
That's her choice . Or maybe not...did you read about PCOS?
Load More Replies...I don't get why people are so angry about this. Calvin Klein is a maker of underwear, not a promoter of lifestyles. Looking at this all I see is , "wow, they do a really good range of sizes" - some of the models are very small and some are very big.
1. Black woman because it's trendy 2. Obese because accept your body and whatnot 3. Overpriced underwear with a name printed on it. Show me just one single piece of that billboard that is sane and normal.
Why pay for over priced underwear. The cheaper items serve the same purpose. Isn't this much ado about nothing!?!
I am morbidly obese. I am fat. I am a person. I am a human being who has battled weight issues for decades. My weight struggle has nothing to do with eating habits. Unless you have been large like me, you cannot understand the prejudices that come with that size. While I find Calvin Klein to be crappy brand that is WAY overpriced, I do find that this sort of ad is a good thing. People need to be reminded that we are human beings too. We may be bigger than most others, but we are still human. We have feelings, we have lives, and we are no different than others, except in size. To be tearing into the person instead of being glad for her that she has the level of confidence that comes with being on a billboard in her underwear just makes me shake my head...
Be truthful to yourself. Obesity exists only in the presence of excess calories (i.e. over eating) and lack of exercise (don't use the metabolism excuse, it plays a very small part in weight retention). I don't think anyone is denying your humanity, and I'm sorry that you experience prejudice (a lot of people do for a variety of reasons), but at least the prejudice you face can be rectified if you develop some healthy habits. It will not happen overnight, or quickly, but it will come. Obesity is not a healthy lifestyle choice (yes it's a choice, no-one is forcing food down your throat, or tying you down to stop you from exercising). It should not be lauded in the media as an ok thing (like cigarettes were 20 years ago). Stop complaining and start acting, for yourself and those you care about.
Load More Replies...I don’t want to be cruel, but I don’t believe this advertisement was created to showcase Calvin Klein’s dedication to inclusivity and body positivity. I feel like the ad was created with the intention of being controversial and getting more people to discuss Calvin Klein’s decision to use the model. It gets both sides taking and is a really clever and pretty cunning way draw people’s attention to the brand.
Indeed. Let's keep in mind this was the same company who once put a 15-year-old Brooke Shields flaunting her sexuality in that now-infamous banned ad ("You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.") from way back in1980.
Load More Replies...Regardless of your personal opinion, fat people still gotta buy underwear.
If there's something I dislike, it's people throwing arguments that are completely missing the point of the discussion. "I'm talented, I'm loved". Good for you. Not the point. The point of the discussion is your weight and the fact that it's not doing wonders for your health. Of course, it works both ways. Too big or too skinny. Pointing out that you're big has nothing to do with people being jelaous. Quite the opposite, actually. And it's not even an attack. Saying you're talented is just not a valid argument. Saying you're on a billboard; also not a valid argument. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, it amazes me how hard it is these days for anyone to say anything without it going in a completely wrong direction or offending someone. Especially when people are simply pointing out a fact. I also find it pretty sad.
Im stick thin I'm about 120 pound struggling, I'm sick I'm riddled with disease kidney, bladder, liver and my my body is struggling to live long enough to see my twin 8 year olds graduate highschool. I'll tell you right now I'd trade my skinny broken body for her big healthy one any day any time ... Why a big girl getting flank for underware ad makes me ugly cry.. stop hating and love before it's too late
Regardless of the original topic, I am so sorry you have to deal with this. I'm in almost the opposite position as you medically (not going to get into details, it seems too much like comparing) but I sympathise with your pain and your struggle. I wish you only the best of health and hope. Internet hugs
Load More Replies...I'm sorry I didn't know that overweight people didn't need to buy underwear or see what it could look like for their body shape. Also just because someone is overweight doesn't mean they are unhealthy, you can be thin and be unhealthier than some people who are overweight.
I'm sure 99.9% of doctors would argue that obesity is not a healthy state to be in. The model is clearly obese. I'm not commenting on overweight people, nor are most others. I'm commenting on the rise, and attempted acceptance of obesity as a societal norm.
Load More Replies...I am a plus sized woman and this ad makes me feel nothing. I am not for it or against it. I feel nothing about it because it doesn't reflect my purchasing habits.
This reminds me of when everyone was getting angry about the plus size athletic apparel mannequins. They said it encouraged people to be obese. So you shouldn’t be overweight but you also shouldn’t have proper workout clothes.
Exactly. You shouldn't be overweight but how dare you try to be comfortable/cute while you try to become not overweight. Ok, guess I'll just die then?!
Load More Replies...overweight people wear underwear. same for obese people. same for skinny people. showing someone in their underwear means that WE MAKE UNDERWEAR FOR EVERYONE, not that we would like you all to be obese. for f**k's sake.
I think we can safely say Calvin Klein achieved their objective; people are talking about them. The advertisement did its job.
"I'm talented as f**k". Yet I'ver never heard of her or her talents. So...
Well I'm glad your scope of knowledge represents the entire world's.
Load More Replies...What ever happened to. Live and let be. Life is hard enough. Who needs a bunch of strangers being negative trolls. I hate social media. I don't do it. Accept here.
What doesn't spark a fiery debate nowadays BP... Even a post of how a "cute blind puppy saved a little girl's life" can spark a debate about how there's no information on why the puppy is blind and why didn't the parents saved the little girl instead of leaving it to the puppy with no eyes to save her, and so on.
The hilarity of saying that obese people in media "promotes unhealthy lifestyles" because its a similar argument ultra-conservative people gave about the media showing gay persons as potentially turning people gay or "promoting their lifestyle". Oh the irony.
I like how she added that shes rich.. Well, considering that you’re seriously obese, it’s probably a good thing you’re rich. Airlines gonna charge you for two seats and such. And I can’t imagine it’s comfortable sitting anywhere. And I mean anywhere as nothings made for something big. I’ve always wondered this myself. It’s gotta be so uncomfortable going places and sitting. Your butt taking the whole chair and another and a half.. seriously.... obesity shouldn’t be promoted and neither should anorexia.. She says she’s healthy. Lets see her run then... needing baby powder just so you can walk.
I find it kinda amusing, people start the body positive movement to promote healthy body shapes but somehow obese people start using it to justify their size and now whenever you say body positive instead of thinking of people with ideal weight and size you auto related to obese people.
No one has to "justify" their body-type to anyone, thats kind of her entire point...
Load More Replies...Well she is the exception when it comes to overweight people. It's going to be hard to convince me she is a healthy role model for fashion. I suspect for a lot of people too. Lets not compare with anorexic models. One topic at a time.
Sorry, looking at an obese woman does not make me want to run out and buy CK anything
'In fact, you can choke'. Ms.Chicka obviously has more serious anger issues
A smart one that also feels good in her own skin would just ignore this kind of comments and move on,but...shes not one of those. Her after comments like " stay mad. in fact,choke. we dont need you here or "im rich" shows the ugliness in her ,too. And the minions supporters? disgusting!
And what about the logo #I tell the truth in my Calvins ? How stupid is that? Compared to this the model problem is overated. By the way, yes, do not make unhealthiness attractive, whether it's obese or annorexic or whatever...
They don't glamourise smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug culture, reckless driving etc. etc. etc. Why start glamourising a habit (over eating/under exercising) just as destructive to both individuals and society. Obesity exists and obese people do deserve respect, but more importantly help in order to lessen the damage they do to themselves and the societies which pay for their bad habits.
It happens because people cant make difference between fat and morbid obese as they cant make difference between slim and anorexic. And because lots of morbid obese people always complain they are body shamed etc. There should be more worked on awareness and promoting a healthy life style. There should not be a body size standard, but a body size healthy. We all come in different shapes and textures.
I totally get both sides. If you're big like her or even Lizzo, love yourself and love the skin you are in. I'm a gay man and the whole weight thing is all across the board in that community. Some guys like them thin and some guys like them obese. Everyone has a preference, I get that. But being too skinny or too fat is very unhealthy. I see it to be gross on both spectrums. I've been skinny most of my life but just recently I was pushing 200lbs at 6' and at 47 yrs old. I don't want to get any heavier unless it's muscle so I workout and eat healthy. Now if Chika doesn't have a problem being big, than let her have her moment to shine. She will eventually and hopefully recognize as she gets older, getting any bigger is healthy for oneself. No matter how rich you are.
The worst part of this whole thing is that she says she's talented as f**k... Other people could say that about someone but please dont stick feathers up your own a*s! ;-)
She's a rapper. They're often the opposite of modest. Can be confirmed by her "I'm rich" line.
Load More Replies...This chick says she’s healthy.. I see this type of looking people being rescued from hiking Diamond Head all the time. It happens so much, they built a switch back to avoid the tower stairs and they still collapse, needing helicopter rescue. So please, Tell me. How healthy are you again? And your body lost being your own business when you decided it needed plastered on billboards, showing it off to the world....
Ever heard of live and let live? If you don't wanna " be fat and get diabetes" or whatever... then dont. Go eat your carrots. The fact that fat people exist should not bother you to shame them. Everyone has something...if you can live with your own faults leave others alone .
fr tho she's over there living her life and all your doing is eating junk food, on your couch tweeting trash about people cuz your insecure about yourself
Haha You know what's funny? Being too skinny is also considered unhealthy. And besides, she's actually really pretty. I'm not just saying that because people said she was living an unhealthy lifestyle I'm saying it because it's my honest truth. Fight me, Karen's of the internet.
As much as skinny shouldn't be a model, nearly morbidly obese should not either. This is saying that it is normal to be that way when it is not.
It's not SAYING anything. It's advertising clothing because fat, thin and everything in between BUY UBDERWEAR!!!
Load More Replies...Fat people need underwear too, why is this even an argument? Why do all ads for products have to be skinny white girls?
By all means, keep only the anorexia promoting, air brushed, 13 year old models on billboards- those issues NEVER killed ANYONE.
I wonder how many people talking about how unhealthy and wrong it is to "promote obesity" spoke up when the trend of anorexic models was the norm. I'm guessing zero. And acknowledging that overweight people exist and need underwear isn't anywhere near telling the world that being overweight is healthy. It's insane how many people are equating a billboard with an overweight woman with "normalizing" obesity. If the billboard bothers you so much, the problem is you.
One obese model out of the millions of underweight ones. Get over it! It's not encouraging obesity, it is about seeing the beauty of all women, even obese women! Also, representing normal women, and obesity is pretty common these days!! I'm sure the people in charge at Calvin Klein don't really care about inclusivity, they are cold business people; but the effect of representing an under represented body shape is still there; which I see as a good thing. Don't be ashamed of your bodies people!!
Imagine calling yourself 'talented as f**k' the girl needs a reality check. She obese, representing your brand with sick people is not that great of an idea. Get some common sense..
Google searched "Dominique Samuels" (@dominiquetaegon) and "Esther K" (@EstherKrakue), found them instantly: both members of Turning Point UK. They are the Candace Owens twins of alt-right England.
I would argue that showing ALTERED photoshopped bodies of both men and women is far FAR more harmful than showing the body type of a larger person. No one ever talks about the people who try to attain this unrealistic standard of beauty, harming themselves in the process, and what psychological damage this can do to the viewers who are constantly bombarded with these ads everyday (even worse now because of Instagram culture). No one is going to look at an ad of an overweight person and think, "Ooh I WANT to look like this!" but rather, "Hm, this body is similar to me." or simply shrug it off because it doesn't apply to them and there are more important things in life to fret about than overweight people simply existing. >:/
And every skinny model is photoshopped to the point of having unrealistic/freakishly thin bodies.
Bottom line. MYOB. It's not Calvin Klein's business, my business, or ANYONE else's business how much one weighs or how they look. C. Klein was inclusive when making larger sizes. Too bad we can't lose the moniker "plus sized" and just include all sizes from all makers.
It is underwear! How does the issue of health come up about that? She is a large woman. There are plenty of us around. I'm just glad that Calvin Cline makes well made underwear in my size. Whether or not she is healthy doesn't matter. People of all sizes, shapes, handicaps, and health, basically need underwear - unless they are in diapers.
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-healthiest-weight-could-actually-be-overweight-huge-study-finds
"If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you're considered normal or 'healthy', and if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you're considered 'overweight'. A BMI of 30 or more is classified as 'obese'. The study also found that those in the 'obese' category ended up having the same risk of death as those in the 'normal' range, even when factors such as age, sex, family history of disease, socio-economic status, and smoking were taken into account. This means that in the past 40 years, the weight category associated with the longest lifespan has gone from 'normal' to squarely in the 'overweight' camp, which suggests that either our classification for 'normal' weight is wrong, or the link between our weight and our overall health is far more complicated than we thought."
Load More Replies...People come in different heights. Why isn't it obvious that they come in different widths, too?
public shame make obesity worse. how? these people won't participate in social interaction due to fear or shame of their body. most of them suffer anxiety so they become more isolated and even suffer mental issues and it's consequences like over eating... here start an deadly loop; they don't come out so they don't become interest to change their unhealthy lifestyle and become more overweight. people should be supportive and let them to be comfortable then you would see they start to change because we all love to have a healthy body that is pretty too.
Alice, only 30% of Americans are of normal weight, or are underweight... your argument does not hold, well, it may have some truth if we are talking about the morbidly obese, thay are also going up in numbers. "An individual is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his/her ideal body weight, has a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes." https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/highland/bariatric-surgery-center/questions/morbid-obesity.aspx My heart aches thinking about how they have created a perfect hell for themselves.
Load More Replies...Well, it's just underwear. Even we morbidly fat people wear underwear. Even we morbidly obese can have good health, of course there are risks. However I'm anyway most likely going to get diabetes at some point, it runs in the family. It doesn't mean that I'm not trying to lose weight. However I have a right to be seen and accepted even at this weight. They're my kilos (somewhat unfortunately) and my problems, please just let me try to live my life.
My mother was a teenager on the 1930s and a young woman in the 1940s. When I was a teenager, she showed me a fashion magazine from, I think, about 1939. Of course there were pictures of the latest 1939 styles, but this magazine was very different from contemporary ones. Every outfit was shown on three models: one typically model slim, one average sized, and one plus sized. I always loved that idea, because it allowed you to see what the outfit would look like on a body that has real curves. Calvin Klein showing Chika, who is curvy and not rail thin, in their underwear makes it a brand that anyone can wear, and that every woman—-not just the size 0 ones—-can say "Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing”.
I don't look at weight. I look at 'attractive' versus 'not attractive'. This pic is not attractive. If that's what CK wants, go for it. Not what I would have chosen. Plenty of full-figured, voluptous women out there that photograph well and look dynamite. This pic wasn't one of them.
Wow, the comments section seems to be littered with people who actively hate based on size. BTW my very large grandmother, perfectly healthy, my skinny cousin tons of health issues. So maybe quit with the assumptions. Everyone has their own battles. There are actually health issues that lead to weight and not necessarily the other way around. Also, if the thing you're most ashamed of or your biggest personal battle, was advertised all over your body for the world to see, how grateful would you be for people raking you over the coals for it?
I don’t care if she’s healthy or not, she’s not selling health products. She could be skinny and dying of lung cancer and it wouldn’t matter to me, the viewer. Bottom line is she looks horrible. They are trying to sell clothes, and the way to do that is to make them look good. She looks awful, and I’d hate to be compared to her in any way if I decided to wear Calvins. As someone into trends, I guess I’m a potential customer, and this definitely scares me away. It’s super annoying that she used PCOS as an excuse for her morbid obesity. I have it and my weight is usually in the 130s, which admittedly isn’t easy, but that’s the point. If you have PCOS then you work harder, not just get huge and embrace hugeness and then blame it on PCOS. No, you overcome it and feel tougher because you beat PCOS. You can’t just walk around all proud about something that you put zero effort towards. Like you don’t get proud of building a house if you only have a pile of wood.
Sarah Kate Lemming, if you see this, I am so sorry your comment got spam downvoted so much I can't reply directly. You're right, especially about the last point - are we all really just going to ignore that creep? So many things wrong in the 1999-2019 post I can't even begin to discuss all of them
Never heard of this woman, but her response is awesome. It's terribly sad that people feel the need to comment on women's bodies, still, in 2019, because it's an affront to THEM. Everyone buys underwear, fat and skinny people. It's nothing more than smart business to show less represented people, especially if they (fat people) make it the majority of the American population. CK would be stupid to still only show anorexics, especially while their brand isn't thriving.
Some people just always find and concentrate on the negative and have too much free time, especially for the internet :)
while I would totally rather look like the 1999 woman, this rapper.. never heard of her till now... chose to do the ad. she wasn't photographed thru her bedroom window without her knowledge. to me she looks extremely uncomfortable. like.. how does she wipe??? butt, (-: ...you can't blame calvin klein.. they didn't exploit her. it was her choice.
I'd see that ad and think, wow, CK makes larger sizes of undies? I might take a look, thanks. THAT is what diversity in advertising does. Most ads, I don't look twice because I am no longer a slender twig of a child.
I have no idea who Chika is, never heard of her before or heard her stuff, but damn - she has a fan in me now.
This post was extremely disheartening - not because of the model that so many are criticizing or "concerned" about, but because of the lack of empathy from many of these comments. Inclusivity and representation in media shouldn't stop at a certain dress size.
I am all for inclusivity - but also all against pretending that obesity is not a health problem.
Load More Replies...She's gross, her body is offensive and putting her up on some massive billboard just confirms how ridiculous we are as a society! I bet she smells like gone off prawns and sour milk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You're just mad you have to look at someone you dont find attractive and your response is anger and insults. Quite childish. I have to look at people I don't find attractive every day but I manage to no be outraged about it, go figure.
Load More Replies...The only truth she speaks is that she has stretch marks on her shoulder. p.s. Our desperate times need a hero. Like Al Bundy.
The "normal" in between women don't create the same impact that super big or super thin girls do. Sad.
I am so sick of people arguing over everything in life. Too fat. Too thin. Wrong color. Not enough people with disability. Not enough inclusivity. We all just need to get the f**k over ourselves and move on with life.
How about average sized models, then? Plenty of average sized people wear clothes!
Load More Replies...yes, they are both unhealthy and criticisms are applicable in both cases
Load More Replies...Unpopular opinion: this is just as unhealthy as the super skinny models.
not "just as" unhealthy..............obesity kills millions annually compared to thousands for anorexia
Load More Replies...To me, businesses are less interested in being inclusive, than they are their own image. Does Calvin Klein actually care about obese models, or happy everyone is talking about their underwear. A
She lost me at: "i'm rich". If anybody uses this as an argument, I loose the respect for the person. So, being rich automatically makes you right?.. As for the ad, why don't just use people sizes 10-16 without going extreme? Not unrealistically skinny and not morbidly obese?
I don't think her point is that rich means she's right. She is just pointing it out as it's typically viewed as a modern day indicator of success.
Load More Replies...Well, I hope these companies are going to start using really overweight men to advertise their products. If a woman wants to be incredibly vast and ignore all the potential health problems associated with being so fat, then that's up to them but don't publicly glamourise or glorify it and certainly don't try and say it’s normal and completely safe and imply that women are the only ones who have unrealistic body expectations (three words I hope to never say again, I threw up in my mouth a little but just typing that). The amount of chiselled bodies men see all the time in the media, isn't the same thing? They also face unrealistic body expectations and it's insane how that's completely brushed under the rug. It's not equality these modern day feminists want, they want complete superiority. I’m from England and it’s extremely difficult to accept that America isn’t a fictional country, the things that happen over there are profoundly messed up and nobody seems to bat an eyelid.
I don't know how familiar you are with America media but overweight, even obese men have had representation in media for years. Its a farce to compare aesthetic pressures put on women to those put on men, they are very clearly NOT done anywhere near in an equal manner. Men are often represented with a myriad of qualities that make then interesting and/or desirable with their physical looks ranking somewhere down the line. In contrast, female representations may have varied qualities, but the first and foremost that overshadows any other quality is her physical representation. Men will NEVER be judged solely on their looks, either positively or negatively, the way women are. THIS is why its considered more of a controversy to represent an obese women in an ad than a man. If this ad were highlighting a man of equal weight, the reaction wouldn't be anger, it would be humor, no one gets outraged about a fat man in underwear and there's a very specific social engineered reason for that.
Load More Replies...BoredPanda: People who don't believe medical research on vaccines are dumb! Also BoredPanda: Healthy at any size!
Okay i'm all for plus size models and stuff, but I hate how Calvin Klein put a literal morbidly obese person to represent them. I'm also pretty sure that Calvin Klein is doing this for more attention.
I think there's a difference - plus is over the average sizes, whereas obese is people who are over a specific BMI. The problem is that people don't know the difference any more
Load More Replies...Can't we just see things with normal sized people? Especially with clothing so we know what it will look like on 75% of us? Neither extreme is good for people to see.
"I don't need to defend my existence". Nobody asks you to do it though. Raising concerns about advertising of an unhealthy lifestyle isn't equal to saying you shouldn't exist, so spare this fake drama.
After traveling between Europe and the US for work multiple times a year I can tell when I arrive in America because of the size of people. If it is natural or healthy to be this big, the rest of the world didn't get the memo....
I'm gonna get a little off topic here, but I don't get why the masses think that just because you show or mention something, you are promoting this. Okay, in this particular case, it's advertisement, called also "promotion", but even advertisement can be artsy and different, right? Anyway, regardless of what you think about health and lifestyle, even personal taste, showing various kinds of models in all sizes is a good product promotion indeed for a clothing company, it means they have something for everyone.
I agree. If you are looking at Calvin Klein as a lifestyle promoter than you have some problems. They are promoting their product and nothing more.
Load More Replies...Someone this size also puts more pressure on their heart, its already been proven that this size Especially is not healthhy for numerous reasons.
I know we cannot exclude people with weight problems (or any other problem). But on the other side, I agree it is promoting unhealthy lifestyle. Showing super skinny models is not better though! Commercials from fashion brands should just represent the society as it is: skinny people, obese people, people with an average weight, tall, small...
The absolute truth is she will die young because of her obesity. She needs to lose weight.
That's her choice . Or maybe not...did you read about PCOS?
Load More Replies...I don't get why people are so angry about this. Calvin Klein is a maker of underwear, not a promoter of lifestyles. Looking at this all I see is , "wow, they do a really good range of sizes" - some of the models are very small and some are very big.
1. Black woman because it's trendy 2. Obese because accept your body and whatnot 3. Overpriced underwear with a name printed on it. Show me just one single piece of that billboard that is sane and normal.
Why pay for over priced underwear. The cheaper items serve the same purpose. Isn't this much ado about nothing!?!
I am morbidly obese. I am fat. I am a person. I am a human being who has battled weight issues for decades. My weight struggle has nothing to do with eating habits. Unless you have been large like me, you cannot understand the prejudices that come with that size. While I find Calvin Klein to be crappy brand that is WAY overpriced, I do find that this sort of ad is a good thing. People need to be reminded that we are human beings too. We may be bigger than most others, but we are still human. We have feelings, we have lives, and we are no different than others, except in size. To be tearing into the person instead of being glad for her that she has the level of confidence that comes with being on a billboard in her underwear just makes me shake my head...
Be truthful to yourself. Obesity exists only in the presence of excess calories (i.e. over eating) and lack of exercise (don't use the metabolism excuse, it plays a very small part in weight retention). I don't think anyone is denying your humanity, and I'm sorry that you experience prejudice (a lot of people do for a variety of reasons), but at least the prejudice you face can be rectified if you develop some healthy habits. It will not happen overnight, or quickly, but it will come. Obesity is not a healthy lifestyle choice (yes it's a choice, no-one is forcing food down your throat, or tying you down to stop you from exercising). It should not be lauded in the media as an ok thing (like cigarettes were 20 years ago). Stop complaining and start acting, for yourself and those you care about.
Load More Replies...I don’t want to be cruel, but I don’t believe this advertisement was created to showcase Calvin Klein’s dedication to inclusivity and body positivity. I feel like the ad was created with the intention of being controversial and getting more people to discuss Calvin Klein’s decision to use the model. It gets both sides taking and is a really clever and pretty cunning way draw people’s attention to the brand.
Indeed. Let's keep in mind this was the same company who once put a 15-year-old Brooke Shields flaunting her sexuality in that now-infamous banned ad ("You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.") from way back in1980.
Load More Replies...Regardless of your personal opinion, fat people still gotta buy underwear.
If there's something I dislike, it's people throwing arguments that are completely missing the point of the discussion. "I'm talented, I'm loved". Good for you. Not the point. The point of the discussion is your weight and the fact that it's not doing wonders for your health. Of course, it works both ways. Too big or too skinny. Pointing out that you're big has nothing to do with people being jelaous. Quite the opposite, actually. And it's not even an attack. Saying you're talented is just not a valid argument. Saying you're on a billboard; also not a valid argument. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, it amazes me how hard it is these days for anyone to say anything without it going in a completely wrong direction or offending someone. Especially when people are simply pointing out a fact. I also find it pretty sad.
Im stick thin I'm about 120 pound struggling, I'm sick I'm riddled with disease kidney, bladder, liver and my my body is struggling to live long enough to see my twin 8 year olds graduate highschool. I'll tell you right now I'd trade my skinny broken body for her big healthy one any day any time ... Why a big girl getting flank for underware ad makes me ugly cry.. stop hating and love before it's too late
Regardless of the original topic, I am so sorry you have to deal with this. I'm in almost the opposite position as you medically (not going to get into details, it seems too much like comparing) but I sympathise with your pain and your struggle. I wish you only the best of health and hope. Internet hugs
Load More Replies...I'm sorry I didn't know that overweight people didn't need to buy underwear or see what it could look like for their body shape. Also just because someone is overweight doesn't mean they are unhealthy, you can be thin and be unhealthier than some people who are overweight.
I'm sure 99.9% of doctors would argue that obesity is not a healthy state to be in. The model is clearly obese. I'm not commenting on overweight people, nor are most others. I'm commenting on the rise, and attempted acceptance of obesity as a societal norm.
Load More Replies...I am a plus sized woman and this ad makes me feel nothing. I am not for it or against it. I feel nothing about it because it doesn't reflect my purchasing habits.
This reminds me of when everyone was getting angry about the plus size athletic apparel mannequins. They said it encouraged people to be obese. So you shouldn’t be overweight but you also shouldn’t have proper workout clothes.
Exactly. You shouldn't be overweight but how dare you try to be comfortable/cute while you try to become not overweight. Ok, guess I'll just die then?!
Load More Replies...overweight people wear underwear. same for obese people. same for skinny people. showing someone in their underwear means that WE MAKE UNDERWEAR FOR EVERYONE, not that we would like you all to be obese. for f**k's sake.
I think we can safely say Calvin Klein achieved their objective; people are talking about them. The advertisement did its job.
"I'm talented as f**k". Yet I'ver never heard of her or her talents. So...
Well I'm glad your scope of knowledge represents the entire world's.
Load More Replies...What ever happened to. Live and let be. Life is hard enough. Who needs a bunch of strangers being negative trolls. I hate social media. I don't do it. Accept here.
What doesn't spark a fiery debate nowadays BP... Even a post of how a "cute blind puppy saved a little girl's life" can spark a debate about how there's no information on why the puppy is blind and why didn't the parents saved the little girl instead of leaving it to the puppy with no eyes to save her, and so on.
The hilarity of saying that obese people in media "promotes unhealthy lifestyles" because its a similar argument ultra-conservative people gave about the media showing gay persons as potentially turning people gay or "promoting their lifestyle". Oh the irony.
I like how she added that shes rich.. Well, considering that you’re seriously obese, it’s probably a good thing you’re rich. Airlines gonna charge you for two seats and such. And I can’t imagine it’s comfortable sitting anywhere. And I mean anywhere as nothings made for something big. I’ve always wondered this myself. It’s gotta be so uncomfortable going places and sitting. Your butt taking the whole chair and another and a half.. seriously.... obesity shouldn’t be promoted and neither should anorexia.. She says she’s healthy. Lets see her run then... needing baby powder just so you can walk.
I find it kinda amusing, people start the body positive movement to promote healthy body shapes but somehow obese people start using it to justify their size and now whenever you say body positive instead of thinking of people with ideal weight and size you auto related to obese people.
No one has to "justify" their body-type to anyone, thats kind of her entire point...
Load More Replies...Well she is the exception when it comes to overweight people. It's going to be hard to convince me she is a healthy role model for fashion. I suspect for a lot of people too. Lets not compare with anorexic models. One topic at a time.
Sorry, looking at an obese woman does not make me want to run out and buy CK anything
'In fact, you can choke'. Ms.Chicka obviously has more serious anger issues
A smart one that also feels good in her own skin would just ignore this kind of comments and move on,but...shes not one of those. Her after comments like " stay mad. in fact,choke. we dont need you here or "im rich" shows the ugliness in her ,too. And the minions supporters? disgusting!
And what about the logo #I tell the truth in my Calvins ? How stupid is that? Compared to this the model problem is overated. By the way, yes, do not make unhealthiness attractive, whether it's obese or annorexic or whatever...
They don't glamourise smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug culture, reckless driving etc. etc. etc. Why start glamourising a habit (over eating/under exercising) just as destructive to both individuals and society. Obesity exists and obese people do deserve respect, but more importantly help in order to lessen the damage they do to themselves and the societies which pay for their bad habits.
It happens because people cant make difference between fat and morbid obese as they cant make difference between slim and anorexic. And because lots of morbid obese people always complain they are body shamed etc. There should be more worked on awareness and promoting a healthy life style. There should not be a body size standard, but a body size healthy. We all come in different shapes and textures.
I totally get both sides. If you're big like her or even Lizzo, love yourself and love the skin you are in. I'm a gay man and the whole weight thing is all across the board in that community. Some guys like them thin and some guys like them obese. Everyone has a preference, I get that. But being too skinny or too fat is very unhealthy. I see it to be gross on both spectrums. I've been skinny most of my life but just recently I was pushing 200lbs at 6' and at 47 yrs old. I don't want to get any heavier unless it's muscle so I workout and eat healthy. Now if Chika doesn't have a problem being big, than let her have her moment to shine. She will eventually and hopefully recognize as she gets older, getting any bigger is healthy for oneself. No matter how rich you are.
The worst part of this whole thing is that she says she's talented as f**k... Other people could say that about someone but please dont stick feathers up your own a*s! ;-)
She's a rapper. They're often the opposite of modest. Can be confirmed by her "I'm rich" line.
Load More Replies...This chick says she’s healthy.. I see this type of looking people being rescued from hiking Diamond Head all the time. It happens so much, they built a switch back to avoid the tower stairs and they still collapse, needing helicopter rescue. So please, Tell me. How healthy are you again? And your body lost being your own business when you decided it needed plastered on billboards, showing it off to the world....
Ever heard of live and let live? If you don't wanna " be fat and get diabetes" or whatever... then dont. Go eat your carrots. The fact that fat people exist should not bother you to shame them. Everyone has something...if you can live with your own faults leave others alone .
fr tho she's over there living her life and all your doing is eating junk food, on your couch tweeting trash about people cuz your insecure about yourself
Haha You know what's funny? Being too skinny is also considered unhealthy. And besides, she's actually really pretty. I'm not just saying that because people said she was living an unhealthy lifestyle I'm saying it because it's my honest truth. Fight me, Karen's of the internet.
As much as skinny shouldn't be a model, nearly morbidly obese should not either. This is saying that it is normal to be that way when it is not.
It's not SAYING anything. It's advertising clothing because fat, thin and everything in between BUY UBDERWEAR!!!
Load More Replies...Fat people need underwear too, why is this even an argument? Why do all ads for products have to be skinny white girls?
By all means, keep only the anorexia promoting, air brushed, 13 year old models on billboards- those issues NEVER killed ANYONE.
I wonder how many people talking about how unhealthy and wrong it is to "promote obesity" spoke up when the trend of anorexic models was the norm. I'm guessing zero. And acknowledging that overweight people exist and need underwear isn't anywhere near telling the world that being overweight is healthy. It's insane how many people are equating a billboard with an overweight woman with "normalizing" obesity. If the billboard bothers you so much, the problem is you.
One obese model out of the millions of underweight ones. Get over it! It's not encouraging obesity, it is about seeing the beauty of all women, even obese women! Also, representing normal women, and obesity is pretty common these days!! I'm sure the people in charge at Calvin Klein don't really care about inclusivity, they are cold business people; but the effect of representing an under represented body shape is still there; which I see as a good thing. Don't be ashamed of your bodies people!!
Imagine calling yourself 'talented as f**k' the girl needs a reality check. She obese, representing your brand with sick people is not that great of an idea. Get some common sense..
Google searched "Dominique Samuels" (@dominiquetaegon) and "Esther K" (@EstherKrakue), found them instantly: both members of Turning Point UK. They are the Candace Owens twins of alt-right England.
I would argue that showing ALTERED photoshopped bodies of both men and women is far FAR more harmful than showing the body type of a larger person. No one ever talks about the people who try to attain this unrealistic standard of beauty, harming themselves in the process, and what psychological damage this can do to the viewers who are constantly bombarded with these ads everyday (even worse now because of Instagram culture). No one is going to look at an ad of an overweight person and think, "Ooh I WANT to look like this!" but rather, "Hm, this body is similar to me." or simply shrug it off because it doesn't apply to them and there are more important things in life to fret about than overweight people simply existing. >:/
And every skinny model is photoshopped to the point of having unrealistic/freakishly thin bodies.
Bottom line. MYOB. It's not Calvin Klein's business, my business, or ANYONE else's business how much one weighs or how they look. C. Klein was inclusive when making larger sizes. Too bad we can't lose the moniker "plus sized" and just include all sizes from all makers.
It is underwear! How does the issue of health come up about that? She is a large woman. There are plenty of us around. I'm just glad that Calvin Cline makes well made underwear in my size. Whether or not she is healthy doesn't matter. People of all sizes, shapes, handicaps, and health, basically need underwear - unless they are in diapers.
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-healthiest-weight-could-actually-be-overweight-huge-study-finds
"If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you're considered normal or 'healthy', and if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you're considered 'overweight'. A BMI of 30 or more is classified as 'obese'. The study also found that those in the 'obese' category ended up having the same risk of death as those in the 'normal' range, even when factors such as age, sex, family history of disease, socio-economic status, and smoking were taken into account. This means that in the past 40 years, the weight category associated with the longest lifespan has gone from 'normal' to squarely in the 'overweight' camp, which suggests that either our classification for 'normal' weight is wrong, or the link between our weight and our overall health is far more complicated than we thought."
Load More Replies...People come in different heights. Why isn't it obvious that they come in different widths, too?
public shame make obesity worse. how? these people won't participate in social interaction due to fear or shame of their body. most of them suffer anxiety so they become more isolated and even suffer mental issues and it's consequences like over eating... here start an deadly loop; they don't come out so they don't become interest to change their unhealthy lifestyle and become more overweight. people should be supportive and let them to be comfortable then you would see they start to change because we all love to have a healthy body that is pretty too.
Alice, only 30% of Americans are of normal weight, or are underweight... your argument does not hold, well, it may have some truth if we are talking about the morbidly obese, thay are also going up in numbers. "An individual is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his/her ideal body weight, has a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes." https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/highland/bariatric-surgery-center/questions/morbid-obesity.aspx My heart aches thinking about how they have created a perfect hell for themselves.
Load More Replies...Well, it's just underwear. Even we morbidly fat people wear underwear. Even we morbidly obese can have good health, of course there are risks. However I'm anyway most likely going to get diabetes at some point, it runs in the family. It doesn't mean that I'm not trying to lose weight. However I have a right to be seen and accepted even at this weight. They're my kilos (somewhat unfortunately) and my problems, please just let me try to live my life.
My mother was a teenager on the 1930s and a young woman in the 1940s. When I was a teenager, she showed me a fashion magazine from, I think, about 1939. Of course there were pictures of the latest 1939 styles, but this magazine was very different from contemporary ones. Every outfit was shown on three models: one typically model slim, one average sized, and one plus sized. I always loved that idea, because it allowed you to see what the outfit would look like on a body that has real curves. Calvin Klein showing Chika, who is curvy and not rail thin, in their underwear makes it a brand that anyone can wear, and that every woman—-not just the size 0 ones—-can say "Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing”.
I don't look at weight. I look at 'attractive' versus 'not attractive'. This pic is not attractive. If that's what CK wants, go for it. Not what I would have chosen. Plenty of full-figured, voluptous women out there that photograph well and look dynamite. This pic wasn't one of them.
Wow, the comments section seems to be littered with people who actively hate based on size. BTW my very large grandmother, perfectly healthy, my skinny cousin tons of health issues. So maybe quit with the assumptions. Everyone has their own battles. There are actually health issues that lead to weight and not necessarily the other way around. Also, if the thing you're most ashamed of or your biggest personal battle, was advertised all over your body for the world to see, how grateful would you be for people raking you over the coals for it?
I don’t care if she’s healthy or not, she’s not selling health products. She could be skinny and dying of lung cancer and it wouldn’t matter to me, the viewer. Bottom line is she looks horrible. They are trying to sell clothes, and the way to do that is to make them look good. She looks awful, and I’d hate to be compared to her in any way if I decided to wear Calvins. As someone into trends, I guess I’m a potential customer, and this definitely scares me away. It’s super annoying that she used PCOS as an excuse for her morbid obesity. I have it and my weight is usually in the 130s, which admittedly isn’t easy, but that’s the point. If you have PCOS then you work harder, not just get huge and embrace hugeness and then blame it on PCOS. No, you overcome it and feel tougher because you beat PCOS. You can’t just walk around all proud about something that you put zero effort towards. Like you don’t get proud of building a house if you only have a pile of wood.
Sarah Kate Lemming, if you see this, I am so sorry your comment got spam downvoted so much I can't reply directly. You're right, especially about the last point - are we all really just going to ignore that creep? So many things wrong in the 1999-2019 post I can't even begin to discuss all of them
Never heard of this woman, but her response is awesome. It's terribly sad that people feel the need to comment on women's bodies, still, in 2019, because it's an affront to THEM. Everyone buys underwear, fat and skinny people. It's nothing more than smart business to show less represented people, especially if they (fat people) make it the majority of the American population. CK would be stupid to still only show anorexics, especially while their brand isn't thriving.
Some people just always find and concentrate on the negative and have too much free time, especially for the internet :)
while I would totally rather look like the 1999 woman, this rapper.. never heard of her till now... chose to do the ad. she wasn't photographed thru her bedroom window without her knowledge. to me she looks extremely uncomfortable. like.. how does she wipe??? butt, (-: ...you can't blame calvin klein.. they didn't exploit her. it was her choice.
I'd see that ad and think, wow, CK makes larger sizes of undies? I might take a look, thanks. THAT is what diversity in advertising does. Most ads, I don't look twice because I am no longer a slender twig of a child.
I have no idea who Chika is, never heard of her before or heard her stuff, but damn - she has a fan in me now.
This post was extremely disheartening - not because of the model that so many are criticizing or "concerned" about, but because of the lack of empathy from many of these comments. Inclusivity and representation in media shouldn't stop at a certain dress size.
I am all for inclusivity - but also all against pretending that obesity is not a health problem.
Load More Replies...She's gross, her body is offensive and putting her up on some massive billboard just confirms how ridiculous we are as a society! I bet she smells like gone off prawns and sour milk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You're just mad you have to look at someone you dont find attractive and your response is anger and insults. Quite childish. I have to look at people I don't find attractive every day but I manage to no be outraged about it, go figure.
Load More Replies...The only truth she speaks is that she has stretch marks on her shoulder. p.s. Our desperate times need a hero. Like Al Bundy.
The "normal" in between women don't create the same impact that super big or super thin girls do. Sad.
I am so sick of people arguing over everything in life. Too fat. Too thin. Wrong color. Not enough people with disability. Not enough inclusivity. We all just need to get the f**k over ourselves and move on with life.
How about average sized models, then? Plenty of average sized people wear clothes!
Load More Replies...yes, they are both unhealthy and criticisms are applicable in both cases
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