Everyone Has Been Doing [Ozempic]
How — or if — to discuss the rapidly changing bodies of celebrities.
The 2023: Academy Awards: "When I look around at this room I can't help but wonder, 'Is Ozempic right for me?'" — Jimmy Kimmel
The 2024 Golden Globes: “The Color Purple, which is what happens to your butt when you take Ozempic.” — Jo Koy
The 2024 Emmy Awards: “Body not by Ozempic.” — Christina Applegate
The 2024 Grammy Awards: “Dr. Dre is here. Hold off on asking him for your Ozempic prescriptions, he's not that kind of doctor." — Trevor Noah
Hey Tony Awards, what gives?
Ozempic! It’s such a conversation, and yet there’s a preciousness around how we talk about (and therefore how we joke about it) because of (largely justified) sensitivities around how we speak about people’s bodies — particularly women’s bodies. (See, I’m already going very parenthetical here!) It’s been on my mind for months, both the public conversation and my own private consideration of going on the drug used to treat diabetes that’s rendered so many of our favs (and those the media unwittingly pushes on us) skinny. But something about the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday had me quoting Kamala Harris: “I think we should have that conversation.” So let’s have it — with the caveat that I think this will be an ongoing and potentially further explored beat in the coming months.
“Christina Aguilera looks great!” That’s what I found myself saying after my Pittsburgh girl stepped out serving C at the 2024 Grammy Awards. In an ice blue Standing Ground dress, Aguilera looked every bit the part of a pop starlet reminding the children who owns the throne (reference). She also looked thin — very thin. Not unrecognizable, but the kind of transformation from less than a year ago is so stark that not commenting on it, at the very least clocking it, feels effortful.
It’s wildly complicated, right? It’s conditioned in me not to speak about people’s bodies. And I get it; I don’t want people speaking about my body! But when you’re seeing so many public figures’ bodies transforming so drastically — Adele, Oprah, Kelly Clarkson, Rebel Wilson, Mindy Kaling, Heather Gay — one starts to think that we can have a conversation that respects the principal of “my body, my choice” while also commenting on this as a cultural phenomenon — and the implications of it.
Can we get into it a little?