Jennifer Aniston tells Ellen why she wrote her op-ed against tabloids, and it’s so true
For celebrities that are trying to enjoy their lives, invasive tabloid stories can be a real annoyance. And for women, one of the most common tabloid stories has always been pregnancy rumors. On Ellen, Jennifer Aniston explained her powerful essay about pregnancy rumors that she wrote last summer.
Jennifer wrote an open letter in Huffington Post that argued that tabloid rumors of pregnancy reflect a larger problem with the way we view women in general. Jennifer claimed that our society defines women by their “marital and maternal status,” and that’s not right. She goes on to encourage consumers to change the narrative by no longer buying into the gossip. Jennifer’s words are so powerful, and she definitely opened our eyes.
Jennifer Aniston appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and talked more about her reasons for writing the letter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KDAOun94GQ?feature=oembed
Ellen first complimented Jennifer on her “eloquently written” letter. Then she asked her what prompted it. Jennifer explained that she had gone on a vacation after her mother passed away, and when she got back she was mobbed. She explained that a photo of her had appeared in a tabloid, showing a “bump” on her stomach with a circle around it and an arrow pointing to it. Pregnancy rumors had flared up again.
Jennifer explained, "I was just fed up with it and I think these tabloids, all of us, need to take responsibility on what we ingest into our brains. Just because we are women, we have a uterus, we have a vagina, we have ovaries, we need to like, 'get to work, lady.' As opposed to, 'hello, Freedom Medal!' We as women do a lot of incredible things in this world other than just procreate."
Jennifer referred to the Presidential Medal of Freedom that Ellen DeGeneres was presented with by President Obama recently.
That was a HUGE deal, and the president made a touching speech about how much Ellen has accomplished. Ellen is a perfect example of the kinds of accomplishments Jennifer was talking about.
Jennifer continued, "We have to stop listening to them. And we have to stop buying them. Because we have to support each other, especially at this time. To love each other, to support, and to be proud of women, and whatever your choice is in life. It's up to us."
Her words are so true, and we really will take up her call to try and change the narrative. And she is so right that it’s up to us as women to support each other and show each other that all choices are valid.
