They say, "In a mad world, only the mad are sane". And for an industry that has put premium and has, seemingly, gone bonkers over what is slim and beautiful and superficially pleasing on the outside, you'll not be hard-pressed to find, every so often, entertainment people who will make disparaging remarks against those who wouldn't "fit" (no pun intended) into their world, and on their extolled highest of standards.
Fox News host Chris Wallace is drawing flak over his "fat shaming" jibe against "American Idol" alumna turned judge Kelly Clarkson, the Mediaite is one of the first news outlets to report. He was having a friendly banter with Mike Gallagher on the latter's self-titled radio show when their conversation suddenly veered towards the topic under fire.
Media Matters posted an audio, and a transcript of the conversation to go along with it, on their site from which an excerpt reads, "Listen, don't fat shame me. You do a lot of fat shaming. That's the new phrase now. Fat shaming", Gallagher said.
He then brought up the topic regarding the singer cum songwriter and followed up with, "Have you seen Kelly Clarkson? You know the singer, Kelly Clarkson? Holy cow, did she blow up".
Wallace retorted, "Really? Do we want to talk about some of your friends? ...well, why are you, Kelly Clarkson's got a lovely voice". And upon Gallagher's coaxing, the "Fox News Sunday" host ceded, "She could stay off the deep dish pizza for a little while".
Gallagher went on as to saying "Well she had a baby but man"...
...and, then the whole internet fumed mad.
Meanwhile, the singer found an unlikely sympathizer in the person of Greta Van Susteren, Wallace's fellow anchor in Fox news. The veteran presenter and "On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren" host came in Clarkson's defense, and took to her blog her own indignation over what she perceives as something beyond acceptable, People.com reports.
"This guy snickering about her weight is obnoxious." He [Wallace] should apologize." She said.
Not that Kelly Clarkson is new to being a subject of ridicule when it comes to weight issues. She openly discussed this in her latest appearance on Friday's installment of "The Ellen Degeneres Show", the DailyMail notes.
"I was the biggest girl in the show [American Idol 2002 edition], too. And I wasn't big, but people would call me big. Because I was the biggest one on Idol and I've kind of always gotten that", she said.
Notwithstanding, the "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" and "Because of You" singer pointed out that she doesn't feel hurt for herself as much as she feel for her fans.
"I think what hurts my feelings... is that I'll have a meet and greet after the show and a girl who is, like, bigger than me will be in the meet and greet and be like, 'wow, if they think you're big, I must be so fat to them'", she said to Ellen.
Kelly Clarkson, 32, is married to Brandon Blackstock, son of the her manager, and gave birth to their first child in June 2014.
