Christina Aguilera: post-baby weight loss

More ridiculous post-baby weight loss...Christina Aguilera has apparently lost 40lbs in 4 mths according to the new issue of Us. Seriously. Aren't we over this yet?!?

And then in the process of trying to find out how Christina lost her baby weight I noticed a new product being given to new celeb mums called 'Skinny Water' and it was launched on Mother's Day. Skinny Water 'offers zero calories, zero sugar, zero sodium, and zero preservatives'. I'm not sure that's much of an offer but according to the company's CEO:

"Staying fit and looking great is hard work for every busy mom, from Hollywood to Hoboken,” says Don McDonald, President and CEO of Skinny Nutritional Corp. “This Mother’s Day, treat mom like the family superstar she is. Don’t give her fattening chocolates, cakes, or candies. Give her Skinny Water, the perfect complement to a happy, healthy Mother’s Day celebration.”

Right, no wonder the mothers of Hollywood are trying to lose weight considering they are constantly bombarded with products that reinforce that if they don't they are bad mothers.

Sources: http://www.usmagazine.com/exclusive-christina-aguilera-reveals-her-bra-size
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/skinny-water-gets-chosen-for,376062.shtml

Christina defends her post-baby body

It was only a matter of time before people started to call Christina Aguilera 'fat' even though she has just had a baby. In a bid to regain her pre-pregnancy figure, Aguilera claims she likes her post-baby curves:

"I haven't got back to my pre-baby weight yet, but I'm loving my body. My husband loves my cleavage in particular. I've just got back into the gym and I'm doing boxing and weights. I want to be in shape for my next record."

*sigh*

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=25285

Pregnancy is a no go zone for FHM

Somehow it doesn't surprise that lad mag FHM recently announced post-baby mums Christina Aguilera and Mylene Klass have made it into the top 50 of the magazine's '100 Sexiest Women' 2008.

According the magazine, Christina and Mylene are being praised for their new..ahem..assets with Christina alone attracting 15,000 votes since appearing very voluptuous post-baby.

Interestingly, pregnant celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba and Nicole Kidman have dropped in their 'sexy' ratings since last year. This is in spite of the fact that another lad mag, Maxim, recently named the '9 Hottest Pregnant Celebrities'

The Editor of FHM, Chris Bell says:

"It seems men no longer fancy women who are with child, no matter how famous or beautiful they are. Are they just more unattainable - or is it the fat ankles?

Could this be any more offensive? I feel for any woman that is pregnant right now. It's hard enough that women are encouraged to be 'sexy' at every stage of their lives, and now even during pregnancy. Maternity clothes are supposed to be tight and if you're belly isn't the perfect shape, taut and tight, you are written off as 'fat' and 'matronly'. Yet, the FHM poll suggests the exact opposite; that pregnant women are categorically 'unsexy' and 'fat'. Pregnant bodies are grotesque and mothers are asexual. For instance, Jessica Alba was named the 'sexiest' woman last year and now she's barely made the list.

Bell continues:

"Either way, less and less men find them 'glowing' and 'radiant' any more.

"However, there has been a huge burst in voting for new mothers. Men are obviously attracted to the benefits of a post-natal flush. If you've seen Christina Aguilera recently, you'll probably understand why."

ARGH! Other than being objects of a pornographic male gaze, those breasts have a function as well.. it's called sustaining new life!

Source: http://www.fhm.com/100sexiest

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6DA6GznoFX_2ZsdIWen3l9Owkdw

Nicole not a fan of her improved bust

Any woman that has been pregnant is familiar with 'pregnancy boobs'; the much enhanced cleavage that is so often a blessing for a man in a pregnant woman's life but not always so welcome for the woman who feels like her chest is growing almost as fast as her baby bump.

Nicole Richie and Christina Aguilera have received quite a bit of attention for their post-baby breasts. In fact, as soon as Christina and Nicole made their post-baby debuts, the media interest centred right around their new bust friends.

Nicole has opened up about her post-baby breasts:

"He (Joel) likes it! It doesn't really fit with my wardrobe, it's not who I am. I am not someone who is used to wearing a bra or having to wear a bra, I really don't like it.

"I like wearing vintage hippy see-through shirts that aren't slutty on me because there is nothing to look at. Now I have boobs so I can't really wear it because it sends out a different message."

An honest and interesting comment. For someone like Nicole who has had much smaller breasts pre-pregnancy it is easy to see why having a cultural gaze focused on her much larger breasts as a mother is uncomfortable. This is also fascinating because for most women that I've spoken to in my study, breasts become extremely un-erotic post-birth, meaning that some women feel like their breasts feel like tools to feed a baby and not necessarily the sexual objects they were pre-pregnancy. Breasts are for the baby and not for the partner. However, to the public spectator, calling on sexualised images of women in pop culture, large breasts = sexy. Clearly a sort of bodily contradiction for post-baby mums who have fantastic cleavage but aren't feeling like having the world stare at their boobs.

Nicole's body does clearly look different but not being able to wear her normal clothes is less an issue of fashion and more a realisation that her identity has changed. She is a mother and her body has changed as well to support a baby.

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article874781.ece

Million dollar babies

Today, I've written an op ed for The Age about Christina Aguilera and the fear of childbirth:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/too-posh-to-push-no-just-too-scared/2008/03/01/1204227049136.html

I am really eager to hear what you think!

Christina A opens up about being opened up

In the latest edition of Hello! Christina Aguilera talks about having an elective caesar because she was too scared to give birth vaginally. She says:

"I'd heard horror stories about tearing. I really wanted a calm and peaceful environment. I didn't want any surprises."

Uh huh. Calm and peaceful is pretty easy when you can't feel the lower half of your body and there is a big screen shielding you from the view of your own body splayed open. Sure, squeezing a big baby from a tiny opening and tearing is no walk in the park, but one wonders why the thought of having one's abdominal muscles cut in half isn't viewed as a far more horrifying prospect?

Source: http://www.hellomagazine.com/music/2008/02/15/aguilera-baby/

Image: Caesarean, 1666 http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/sept00/delivery4.html

Christina plus baby = $1.5 million photo op

This is literally the 'money' shot. Christina Aguilera and new baby Max posing for Hello! magazine.

Hmm. Seeing as how she is trying to cultivate a more 'natural', 'motherly' look, one wonder if she has her makeup artist(s) on permanent retainer.

And where are the nannies in the shot? Of course being a mother is great when you can hire people to look after your baby for you:

"I'm enjoying him every second. I can't stop staring at him, studying him. You can't believe you created this. Me and my husband couldn't be happier."





Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=514348&in_page_id=1773

Christina Aguilera's post-baby body

Just three weeks since the 'birth' (that was mean, an elective caesar is still a birth *sigh*) of her son, Max, Christina Aguilera has stepped out in all of her bleached blonde glory to launch her new DVD in West Hollywood. Considering a caesar usually requires about 6 weeks of recovery, she is either doing really well or truly suffering for her 'art'. It must be nice to have a driver, a nanny (or six) and an entourage of people to feed, clothe and make her up.

Source: http://justjared.buzznet.com/

Women are sexist too?

I recently bought the new issue of Marie Claire featuring that cover photo of Christina Aguilera naked and pregnant. Given that every news agency picked up on the story weeks before the actual issue was released, I can't say that article was surprising or in any way different from the countless pregnant cover stories that have been churned out in the past decade. However, this did occur to me.

In November, I wrote about Maxim's Hottest Pregnant Women, Ever feature as just another avenue for men's magazines to objectify women's bodies. Yet, as I reflect on the avalanche of women's magazines doing exactly the same thing, although perhaps less overt, I'm finding it harder to believe that the public sexualisation of pregnant bodies is forward-thinking or progressive. When it comes down to it, a pregnant naked body on a women's mag is a money-maker. Marie Claire isn't interested in promoting safe motherhood; they are jumping on the bandwagon that men's magazines have already cashed in on starting with the forefather, Playboy. Women want to look at other women's bodies and pregnancy is no different. We call men sexist pigs for expounding the value of a Brazilian wax or size FFF breasts. Yet, when a women's magazine puts a naked Britney or Christina on the cover, we (as women) fail to recognise that it is the women's body on the cover that is the focus, not her mind. Back in November, Us magazine launched a poll asking readers who looked 'hotter' in their pregnant photo shoot. This is no different from Maxim's poll of the hottest pregnant women. As women (and feminists, at that) we are not infallible. In fact, we are also complicit in the objectification of women's bodies.


Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/Us_Poll_Who_Has_the_Hotter_Pregnancy_Cover_Christina_or_Britney

Pregnant and naked, just like Christina

Well it didn't take long for a a newspaper to try and get pregnant women to reprise Christina's pregnant spread (which hits newsstands 16 December). The Sun interviews each of the women pictured about their pregnant bodies, gaining weight and how they feel about Aguilera's centrefold.

I have to say that the amount of press Christina's magazine cover has generated is not surprising but it's a bit of a shame. When the magazine comes out, there will be no joy...everyone has seen all of the photos everyday for the last week. I would have much preferred to walk into a shop, see the magazine cover, get all excited and purchase it immediately, if not sooner. I will still purchase the mag but pregnant and naked is a little overdone these days.

Check out the pregnant profiles here: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/article544840.ece

Christina bares her drrrrty (not so secret) secret

Geez. Just when I thought the world of pregnancy was becoming stagnant, my eyes fell upon these photos of Christina Aguilera as the latest celebrity to 'do a Demi' and pose semi-nude and pregnant on the cover of a mainstream women's magazine. Appearing on the January 2008 cover of Marie Claire, Christina reveals all about her surprise pregnancy and how she attempted to do a world tour whilst keeping her body from betraying her secret. She says:

"And so, I had gone off the Pill to prepare my body, because I didn't know how much time it would take. You've heard it takes some time. Except with Power Egg and Super Sperm here ... I'm like, Oh, my God, can you believe it just happened?"

I find the sheer number of celebrities 'doing a Demi' endlessly fascinating. I should probably devote a whole post about what it all means..but not today. I will say that that the public (and sexy) pregnancy has been well and truly cemented in popular culture and I definitely think the exposure of pregnant bodies is here to stay. I think we know why Christina decided to stay mum (pun intended!) on the topic given her explosive, um..to say the least, baby bump debut for the magazine (which no doubt is paying her a hefty sum for the exclusive scoop).

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=497031&in_page_id=1773

Christina A: you aren't fooling anyone

Unlike the rest of the world, I didn't bore myself senseless watching the 59th Annual Emmy Awards last night. However, I have indulged my shameless desire to judge red carpet fashion and happily found a few snaps of Christina Aguilera and her mysterious bump. Interesting. She is probably one of the most photographed women at the moment and still has not revealed that she is actually pregnant. I think it's hilarious. It's fairly apparent from all of the photos that she is but the media is waiting with bated breath for confirmation. My guess is that she has already sold her story to some women's magazine for an exclusive scoop and won't reveal until publication. Anyway, she sang 'Stepping out with my baby' with Tony Bennett during the show. Coincidence? I think not.

I enjoy her cunning (in a not so cunning kind of way) use of bows and flowy fabric to 'hide' the glaring obvious.