On Jan. 9, ex-Big Brother star Kenneth Tong posted several messages on Twitter. He wrote for women everywhere to “use your self-hate as a catalyst to get thin, or die trying.” He went on to add that every woman could stand to lose a few pounds. It doesn’t end there. He claimed he desperately wanted to market a “Size Zero Pill” in order to speed this process along.
Now, Tong claims it was a hoax. The reason he did it? To prove he could become the talk of Tinsel Town. But, I’ve got a lot to say to him anyhow.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the mortality rate among young adults with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than any other in the case of premature death for females, ages 15-24.
And the numbers don’t appear to be dwindling. Two months ago, a 28-year-old French supermodel died of complications from anorexia. She’d suffered from the illness since she was a teenager. At one point, she weighed a disturbing 32 pounds. Laugh it up, Tong.
Every day, young girls starve themselves to look like supermodels. Women are eating less than 1,000 calories a day to fit into size zero jeans. If you’re one of the few who can remain healthy and comfortably squeeze into those things, congrats. Genetics have served you well. But those who can’t, shouldn’t be encouraged to meet such criteria by any means possible.
Perhaps the worst part of this is that Tong believes this whole thing is funny. Sorry, the thought of 16-year-olds dropping dead of heart attacks doesn’t make me laugh. Much like last year’s tragic teen suicides of students Tyler Clementi and Raymond Chase, the ignorance of these statements could cost more young people their lives. The main difference is society has more information about the effects of bulimia and anorexia than it previously did about homosexual teenagers who are victims of bullying.
There was a time when reality stars were nothing more than jokes. But, now they hold some influence in the world, especially among young adults. I can’t tell you how many people have quoted “The Jersey Shore” to me. “Big Brother” might not hold as much weight but its presence still exists in the media.
I’m not sure what that says about the current state of mind of our youth, but I’m not going to judge. I’ll admit to finding the promiscuity of “The Jersey Shore” and the sex talk filling just about every episode of “Keeping Up With The Kardasians” entertaining. But it becomes a whole new treacherous ball park when these “stars” start encouraging thinness at any cost.
Yet, this doesn’t seem to have stopped some reality stars from publishing stupidity.
Tong, I’ve seen your picture. You don’t look like the tall, muscled masculine perfection of Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem or Will Smith.
And if you really want to start the size game, what if Rihanna starts going around chanting, “Hey, men, bigger is better?” Judging by your opinion that smaller is superior, I know where you fall on that spectrum.
