Cindy Crawford Attacked for Kaia Gerber’s ‘Too Skinny’ Bikini Selfie
Jason Pham
Kaia Gerber is the hottest “It” girl in fashion right now, but some on the internet think she’s perpetuating a negative body standard. On Monday, the 16-year-old model posted an Instagram picture of her lounging on a couch in a white bikini. The shot was simple: Gerber casually laid on a blue sofa while sporting a neat topknot and a high-waisted two-piece. And though the picture wasn’t a far cry from Gerber’s typical California-esque selfies, some users took the photo as an opportunity to body-shame her.
The shamers primarily deemed Gerber’s body as “too skinny” and “unhealthy.” They also accused Gerber of setting a poor example to her followers by “glamorizing” her thin frame. Many commenters also lashed out at the Gerber’s mom, supermodel Cindy Crawford, for not advising her daughter to “eat more.” Crawford was accused of putting Gerber at a health risk because of her weight. A few of the comments included:
“Poor young girl..You are too skinny..How can your mother let you do this?It’s too dangerous for tour health.Not enough Weight induce cardiovascular problems…”
“You’re sweet, but you definitely need to eat something. And your mom should be advising you to.”
“I’m not trying to judge you or your mom because you do have a strong mom but if this is from trying to be skinny for modeling. You are too thin my dear but if you eat well and naturally this way. I apologize!!”
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And though there were a several vocal body-shamers in Gerber’s comments, a lot of supporters came to her defense, as well. Many of her fans argued that, because she’s still developing, her body isn’t too out of the ordinary for a 16-year-old girl. Other supporters contended that Gerber is simply naturally thin, and not unhealthy at all. “You can tell a lot by the formation of her body, shoulders, ribs, etc. I know many girl that are naturally thin,” one supporter wrote.
Another added, “Kaia, you look beautiful. I’m sure you eat well and are just naturally slim. You are young and still developing. My 14 yr old daughter is also slim and gets many comments about how thin she is. She eats a lot and doesn’t like it when people comment on her weight. It gets her down a bit. I really wish everyone would stop judging people’s weight whether large or small because often it’s in their genes and out of their control. Kaia, you have a gorgeous, sensible mother whom I’m sure has raised you with good eating habits.”
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We probably sound like a broken record, but here’s where we point out that body-shaming and mommy-shaming is never OK. Gerber’s diet, health, and body are her business, and there’s no way for anyone looking at her Instagram account to know what goes on behind closed doors. Likewise, anonymous commenters have no place in judging Crawford as a mother. It’s ridiculously arrogant and presumptuous to draw conclusions based on a simple photo, so back off, trolls.
