This is why it’s unfair to say Bella Hadid is “too thin” to be in a Nike ad
We want to live in a society that accepts every single body type — every. single. one. And that’s why it’s not OK for people to say that Bella Hadid is too skinny to model for Nike. While we totally get the frustration surrounding the media not featuring diverse body types, Hadid’s own body is not the problem here. There’s no need to body shame Hadid. And beyond the negativity, we know the model is going to be FIERCE in her new Nike campaign.
Hadid excitedly shared the news that she’ll be representing Nike in a new ad campaign on Instagram. While she has over 529,000 likes on her post, some people took the opportunity to criticize her and the sports apparel company.
One person commented that her thin body type is what leads girls to have eating disorders. Others were more angry at the fact that Nike had chosen a model to represent the company instead of an athlete. Even figure skater Meryl Davis, an Olympic gold medal winner, expressed disappointment in companies like Nike for using models instead of athletes on her Twitter page.
I'll take the one promoted by the athlete please 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/MRe1baOBtX
— Meryl Davis (@Meryl_Davis) November 15, 2016
Of course, we’d love to see more inclusive body types when it comes to depictions of women in advertisements. But it’s a complicated issue and we shouldn’t bring down Hadid in the process.
Even though models being brand ambassadors for sports companies is nothing new (Bella’s own model sister, Gigi Hadid, is repping Reebok), it should be noted that both Nike and Reebok have many athletes who do advertisements for them, too. Even Aly Raisman, who was in Davis’ tweet, works for Reebok. And Nike featured a 86-year-old triathlon athlete who is a nun!
The focus of these campaigns is also usually on fitness — like Gigi’s spot for Reebok, which shows her doing an intense boxing workout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7cCobtTLlo?feature=oembed
As Bella has been preparing for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, she has been dealing with backlash about her body already, telling People that people have claimed she lost too much weight recently. Despite Bella’s love of pizza, she followed a strict diet and worked out three hours a day to achieve her new look. So she’s worked hard to be as toned as she is and we expect that will be on full display for her Nike campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMEY9GhgXJF
Anyone who exercises — and that should be everyone — can use the things Nike sells, like sneakers and workout apparel, no matter their body type. Of course, Bella has been graced with genes that have made her an international model, but that doesn’t mean she’s “too” much of anything to represent the company.
And we like what Bella said to People about her Victoria’s Secret body:
"My weight fluctuates and so does everybody's and I think that if people are gonna judge, that's the worst you can possibly do because everybody is different."
PREACH.
