Don’t mention the war.
Or more specifically, don’t mention her body if you find yourself chatting with Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks.
Fairfax journalist Kate Waterhouse learned this the hard way in an off-the-charts awkward interview with Hendricks this week. (On the excruciating-to-watch scale it’s right up there with the Tom Cruise/Peter Overton put-your-manners-back-in moment.)
Who knew the Mad Men star would be so prickly about this particular term.
So what happened? Waterhouse was interviewing Hendricks during the actress’ current visit to Australia to promote Spec Saver glasses and asked the famously curvy actress about how her “fuller figure” inspired other woman.
Cue: Stony silence. (And loads of angry PR people madly making phone calls in the background).
Take a look:
Apparently, off-camera, Hendricks said, “I think calling me full-figured is just rude.”
Wait, is it?
Let’s be real for a moment. Christina Hendricks has a name that’s synonymous with the words ‘hourglass’ and ‘curves.’
She is a refreshing contrast to the cavalcade of same-size-and-shape actresses we see on every red carpet in every country in the world. This is not a bad thing. In fact this is a SUPERB thing, surely.
So by refusing to answer a question referring to her “full figure” is Hendricks being precious? Or is commenting on someone else’s figure just blatantly inappropriate?
What do you think? How would you have reacted if you were Christina Hendricks?
Christina at the 2012 Emmy Awards
Since the interview was posted on Fairfax websites yesterday, it’s been talked about widely. For example….
126 Comments so far
I think CH has said several times in the past that she doesn’t want to be a ‘poster girl’ for curvy women, much the same way that Stella was on here awhile back talking about not wanting able-bodied people to use differently-abled people as ‘inspiration.’ Nobody is there for your inspiration, whether it is to inspire you to accept your figure, or be thankful for what you, or whatever. We’re all just people, and I get why it pi**ed CH off.
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I got the impression from Christina Hendrick’s reaction that there was a list of questions that weren’t to be asked in the interview and that questions about her body were on that list. Precious or not, I think that most journalists are aware that there are some topics that celebrities will stare in advance that they won’t discuss. If this was the case, maybe it was just a matter of Kate Waterhouse not being properly prepared for the interview?
I also saw the printed version of the interview in today’s Herald Sun, which didn’t bear a lot of resemblance to what we saw on screen here. Lots of other topics seemed to have been discussed. Is this a shorter edited version of a much longer interview?
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Sorry – *state* in advance, not stare.
It’s also interesting that photo 7 in the mamamia gallery shows CH in glasses, despite KW saying that she couldn’t find any photos online of her in glasses. I just googled Christina Hendricks Glasses and there were plenty of shots of her wearing them in public…
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Not the end of the world, but definitely the wrong choice of words.
I would say ‘curvy’. ‘Full-figured’ is usually the polite way of saying ‘overweight’.
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It was an unimaginative question to ask and an awkward interview from start to end. What was she thinking Christina would say? What would anyones response be to that question?
If we are talking about things that would inspire other women, I think it would be far more inspiring for a journalist to ask some thoughtful and imaginative questions, something other then repeating cliched question that has been asked or inferred countless times before.
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She’ll be in a permanent state of offendedness if she ever gets pregnant then. Because while we all pay lip service to it not being appropriate to discuss a woman’s figure, celeb of otherwise, pregnancy is the notable exception which has been overlooked in the comments here. Men say some pretty stupid and outrageous things to pregnat women, but women, whether gen Yers or middleáged grandmothers, are much worse!
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It’s an insult if you’re not full figured
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Watching this right through it seems as though Kate put her offside earlier in the interview by questioning if she ever wore spectacles and then following that up with “Really? Because I googled and I couldn’t find one photo.” Probably wasn’t meant this way but the implication was that Christina was somehow lying about it. Bottom line, I think Kate isn’t a very experienced or natural interviewer and phrased the question in the worst possible way.
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Perhaps a case of the old its who you know not what you know….
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Look, I can kind of see where she was trying to go with the question….everyone in her industry is so cookie cutter – very slim/skinny, if they have boobs they’re either tiny or fake, they have tiny little toothpick arms and once they hit 30 they need to fill out their wrinkles with botox because they choose arse over face. She’s not like that, she’s gorgeous and has the body I would love! Perhaps Kate should have worded it differently and it would have sounded like a compliment rather than a slap in the face.
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I know whose figure I would prefer to have…
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Yeah, me too. Trying to find flattering clothes to minimise things up top, and to have people talk to your chest would be a nightmare.
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I can’t even sit though it all, Kate is a seriously bad interviewer. She seems lovely, but awkward.
Everyone saying Christina should be flattered or that she was rude or made the awkwardness worse is just perpetuating the myth that it’s okay to talk about women’s bodies when THEY DON’T WANT TO. If a guy came up to you and started going on about you being full figured or making ANY sort of reference to your body wouldn’t you be perfectly entitled to feel weird about it? If you said you didn’t want to talk about it and he kept wanting to, wouldn’t you feel like it was harassment? Just because Kate has a vagina does not make it suddenly okay. Christina is perfectly entitled to not discuss her body with anyone ever. Especially as she must be sooooooo sick to death of it.
Personally I adore Christina, she is a great actress and yes, she is gorgeous, but to reduce her to her figure alone and then decide you suddenly want to talk about that instead of friggin’ glasses is pretty rude. She is a human being. She has a personality, a life, a job, a husband that likes snozzberries. Surely there are many more things to talk about!
Oh, and as if she would even know who she has ‘inspired’ by looking like herself… I’m sure people don’t call her up and say ‘oh hey thanks for having big boobs, now I suddenly have the confidence to go to the beach’ or some rubbish.
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I agree Sami, it is very awkward to watch Kate Waterhouse, her line of questioning is pretty bad. She could have asked some really fun questions but instead decided to ask about her figure (boring). Also she seemed to accuse Christina of NOT wearing glasses!!
Although, if Christina didn’t want to talk about her figure why didn’t her PR people tell Kate Waterhouse not to ask. I thought it was customary for celebrities to submit topics that were off limits.
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I think it’s incredibly rude. Journalists need to understand that the people they interview, despite being famous or popular, are human beings. It really annoys me how it all of a sudden seems appropriate to comment on a strangers love life, looks, beliefs etc in this way and call them a diva if that person gets offended. You wouldn’t say it to a stranger = inappropriate to say it to a celebrity. I always imagine that if i were famous and being asked rude questions I would simply put the same questions to the interviewer. If they are offended and don’t want to answer than neither should anyone else.
If it’s rude to walk up to someone and say ‘it’s so great that you are comfortable enough to be seen in public with you’re small breasts/flat arse/terrible hair/imperfect skin’ than it is rude to comment on someone’s big breasts, arse, hips etc.
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Goodness – I’m quite surprised by the responses.
First up – until I saw this video, I thought CH was truly beautiful and that ‘full figured’ is not at all insulting unless your are insecure and/or obese and hiding behind the guise of ‘full figured’.
I no longer think that she’s such a beautiful person.
I think it’s a shame that someone who IS full figured (I don’t care what half of you say – her breasts are not the only parts of her that are larger than Australian sizes 6/8/10) and almost universally appreciated as stunning is not willing to or feels uncomfortable speaking about body image.
Of course I acknowledge it is her right.
This video unfortunately demoted my opinion of her to that of the tabloid variety.
let me be clear – women who are larger/”fuller figured”shld not be compelled to talk or have an opinion on the matter.
i just think that if everyone truly took off their personal glasses and viewed this unbaisedly, they’d see an insecure/not-totally-honest person.
I really hope she finds peace in who she is and – if she feels inclined – uses her position to be a leader.
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I know this is a bit of a stock standard thing to say, but seriously, full figured? Yes, she has a large bust, but seriously, she looks quite slender to me.
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I am ‘fuller figured’ (and no where near as hot as Christina) and I would DIE of embarrassment if someone commented on my ‘fuller figure’. So rude, condescending and unnecessary.
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There was a time limit. Christina was here to promote glasses, not her body. Perhaps Christina has clearly worked hard to reach the level of success she has achieved in her field, yet at every opportunity, she is reduced to T&A.
I’ve enjoyed having a quick read over Kate’s written work, but even then, there was awkwardness that came off the page when Kate interviewed Jodhi Meares recently – http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/date-with-kate-20120922-26dg5.html
Perhaps Kate is looking for an angle or a scoop, but it doesn’t quite pay off.
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Wow. You know what I find offensive and disrespectful? Fairfax’s decision to air the entire interview without editing out the drama. How childish.
People make mistakes, Kate certainly did in the way that she phrased her question. It’s all about context and wording – Melissa Hoyer also interviewed Christina on the same day. There was a decent amount of discussion about Christina’s “beautiful voluptuous” figure and yet the interview went very well. Kate’s slip up was just that, a mistake. She clearly didn’t mean to offend and it was forgivable. It could have ended there, on that day.
But airing that clip to the entire world after Christina made it very clear that she was not happy with the discussion? Petty and unprofessional. If I was a celebrity, I certainly wouldn’t trust them after this.
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Totally offensive…so is calling size 12 Model’s ‘Plus Size’
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I always thought full figured meant hips, boobs and butt. How is that insulting?
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I think that’s open to interpretation, I always thought it was a polite way of calling someone fat, in which case I can see how it would be insulting.
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Look, I hate it when skinny women comment on my full figure too. Im a curvy size 12 but I wish I was slim and athletic and size 8, and look, I can relate to Christina Hendricks, because it really bothers me too. I think people shouldn’t comment on other peoples body shapes, especially where it’s not relevant.
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So awful and so inappropriate. The question sticks out like a sore thumb – no lead up, not in context to the conversation. It’s not like she is here promoting lingerie or bikinis so why the interviewer thought it would be a worthwhile question is beyond me. Not that it should matter, but she is definitely not full figured – she’s just got big boobs lucky girl! Anyway nobody asks Jack Black how he feels being full figured and whether he inspires other full figured men!
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Yawn yawn….the same old argument – don’t know why this is even being discussed in the media. More pressing issues in the world than someone being offended by the term full figured.
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Terrible interview all round, came across as majorly uncomfortable even before the “full figure” question. I think Ms Hendricks had every right to refuse to comment/avoid the question and I think she was professionally friendly, even though she was clearly put out / insulted by it.
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“Full figured” is such a lame phrase. If you aren’t full figured are you half a fIgure?
And what’s the point of the question anyway? May as well ask how you feel knowing that half the worlds population wants to motorboat your boobs.
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I would rather my daughters growing up with her body type as a role model, embracing a real body than believing the hype that to be successful you need to be a size zero. Kate’s question was irrelevant. Lets embrace our intellect and role model that. And Christina wears a dress with class.
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It’s a bit simpler than a celeb being offended at a question. That particular question was on the “forbidden” list. All PR flacks prepare these and give them to interviewers.
Ms Waterhouse goes on to ask her not once but twice and the whole interview has an odd quality to it. It’s like there was an instant personality clash.
Oh, and full figured is code for “fat” in my book. I would find the question insensitive.
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Did anyone ask Doug Pitt how he feels being not so hot? :p
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Far, out there are a lot of precious women around here. Since when did full figured become an insult? How is it any different to using the term “willowy” for tall slim person, or “petite” for a small statured person? Personally I think people need to grow a thicker skin and stop viewing every observation about a person’s appearance as negative. When did the world become a place where everyone as a cry and gets offended by EVERYTHING?
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yes but a willowy person wouldnt be asked how their figure has ‘inspired’ others
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She is an actress, why not talk about her acting and other projects instead of her body?
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I would have thought a journalist/interviewer would inform themselves about sensitive and respectful ways to frame questions …
Full figure is definitely an insult – it refers to people who are rotund, not to fit, healthy but curvy women.
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I wonder how Kate Waterhouse would have felt if Christina told her that she was too skinny and she has the figure of a pre-pubescent boy. Why this should even be a question that Kate thought would be even remotely appropriate just confounds me!
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Every moment of that “interview” was Olympic Class Awkward.
I am not a Mad Men devotee by any means, but do appreciate Christina Hendricks as a woman who doesn’t fit the current Hollywood mould.
It would have been far more interesting for Kate to ask Christina her background in acting, and what other projects she is working on, as few women of her body type have made an impact in recent years.
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I wouldn’t have liked being referred to as “full-figured” either. I don’t think this is what Kate Waterhouse meant, but it seems like a nice way of saying someone is overweight. Saying she has an hourglass figure, or is curvy or even voluptuous would have been better – in my opinion – but it seemed to me that Christina Hendricks didn’t really want to talk about her body, I think that’s what the PR person (or whomever was in the background) said.
I think Christina Hendricks is absolutely gorgeous though. I can understand someone not wanting to talk about their body all the time, especially since body image is something that so many women struggle with – as gorgeous as I think Christina Hendricks is, she may have issues with her body (or part of it – don’t we all?) and may not want to talk about how she looks all the time.
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would you ask male actors about their figure?
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Why is her figure up for public discussion anyway? So boring. We must have nothing better to talk about.
She is one of the best actresses on Mad Men by far and her character goes through such interesting story lines. Lets talk about that.
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I don’t think that this question was asked with any malice. I think in general, in Hollywood, Christina is considered curvier than the average. I feel like the interview got off to a bad start anyway and it seemed a little awkward the whole way through. But I don’t know how I feel about her reaction to the question. I’m sure that she is asked about her body and body image in a lot of interviews, but the reaction to this question I think was a little over the top. To say that it’s rude to ask questions about people’s bodies, in day to day life, yes, it probably is. But in Hollywood, these people become a brand. From their movies, their style, their hair and yes, their body shape. And Christina flaunts hers. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the question. I’m sure there are young girls who see Christina and relate more to her body shape than some other actresses and do find her inspiring. I’m not sure why this is a bad thing….
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Oh Mamamia, of course it’s an insult!! Commenting on any aspect of a persons appearance in an interview context is rude and totally inane. Christina is here promoting glasses…why on earth did Kate refer to her body? Surely she could have done a bit more research and asked something more interesting?
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I wouldnt want to be called “full figured”. Maybe ask how I feel about being an inspiration to women who arent size 0, but not how I feel being “fat”, which is what I would hear. There is a difference.
She was very gracious. I wouldnt have been so nice.
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Completely agree – I would have been really insulted and nowhere near as nice as she was after the dreaded clumsy questions.
I haven’t seen Kate Waterhouse interview anyone before, but was underwhelmed by the approach in general. Perhaps she was having an off day!
Christina is just gorgeous BTW!
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Hmm, I don’t see it as rude. Kate clearly did not mean to be insulting.
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I actually wonder whether Kate Waterhouse’s interview style was a contributor to the awkwardness generally. I’m assuming she’s not a journo by trade (neither am I btw) but the questions she asked made the whole interview quite awkward??
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Particularly when she said “I’ve googled and i cannot see any pictures of you in glasses”… duh! its a spec savers promo.
Kate, take it all in your stride.
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As a fat person, I know how it feels to be labelled as ‘full-figured’. It doesn’t insult me as much as drawing attention to my girth, which is embarrassing and I don’t see the point of that. Yes, Christina Hendricks has killer curves, but I wouldn’t call her ‘full-figured’. In this situation, it put her in an awkward position not only because the interview was obviously to spruik Specsavers (which has nothing to do with her body), but also because comparatively Kate Waterhouse is very thin. The comment was possibly considered more rude and insulting because it was Kate that asked the question.
Furthermore, Christina must be sick of so many people commenting on her figure and her bosoms and her hair when they fail to mention her talent. She nails her character on Mad Men, but that hardly gets mentioned in interviews in favour of questions about how her ‘full-figure’ is inspiring.
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As for the comment… It was totally unnecessary, and Christina had every right to be offended.
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Very awkward, extremely insulting and totally uncalled for. That interview was doomed from the start.
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Maybe it’s just the mood I’m in, but I seem to have a different opinion to most people about this…
From my perspective KH is beautiful, rich and luckier that 99.9% of the population. Sometimes people will ask annoying questions. That’s part of her job. Let’s not get too precious about it. She should have turned it into a positive and said something like “I think it’s important that we see a lot of different body types on television and red carpets. I wish there was more diversity”.
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*CH
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Which would have sounded like all the same sound-bites that larger women actresses/singer have to drag out every time they get asked these questions, the question and answers become irrelevant.
Why can’t we just be inspired by talent? Why do they have to be singled out as some sort of deviation from normal that has to be discussed?
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Ok, then she could have said “I think there’s way too much focus on body image in this industry and I would rather people talked about womens’ talents, intelligence, interests and personalities”. My point is that – considering how fortunate she is and the fact that Kate obviously didn’t mean it as an insult – she could have answered the question graciously – not like a sullen teenager. Watching that video I just wanted to say “Get oooooverrrr yourself”.
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Probably didn’t help that the person who made the comment was a petite woman……. I like someone’s idea of commenting back at their appearance.
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she looks like Cate Blanchett with red hair, glasses and big boobs. Gorgeous.
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I would be offended if someone called me full figured. I would hear it as “you’re fat.” I think maybe poor Kate could have done a bit better in that interview. In saying that, who knows what ON EARTH would come out of my mouth in the presence of Christina Hendrix! She’s a flipping goddess so I’m pretty sure I would’ve said something even worse on account of being completely starstruck.
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Its no different to telling a thin woman that she isnt womanly because she doesnt have curves. Absolutely insulting and rude.
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This shits me. Next time someone calls me full figured I am going to make an observation about their body. It could be, gee you have hairy arms, wow you have thick ankles, your hair looks oily, your teeth could be whiter or your skin is dull and spotty.
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When I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time due to steriod and hormone treatments, I had one ‘friend’ say to me “Gee, you’re getting really fat, maybe you should go on a diet”. As it was about the 90th time someone had commented on my weight I’d had enough. I leant over, patted her on the cheek and said “Gee, you’re getting wrinkly, maybe you should do something about that”. After looking at me in silence for about 10 seconds, she burst into laughter and apologised.
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I love the old reply “I can lose weight, you need surgery”
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Maybe Kate shouldn’t have used the term “full figured” but she meant it as a compliment. Obviously there was no malice intended. Christina’s reaction was ridiculous! A reasonable person would have smiled, answered the question and moved on. She made an awkward situation even worse.
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OK, I get that she is an actor so her appearance is relevant. That would include her height, skin tone, hair colour, figure, among other things. But that’s in regard to casting in a role. She’s here promoting something else entirely. And I think the ‘full figured’ media fixation is something that has been thrust upon here, not something she has created. So – yes, rude to raise it. Rude in general to comment out of the blue one someone’s figure. Christina’s reaction was polite but pointed.
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I’d be pissed off too. How dare ANY journalist ask ANY woman (man or child either) about their body. Additonally to refer to someone who is normal sized and “full figured” is an additional insult to add.
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I bet at the most Christina Hendricks is a big size 10 (Australian sizes…). She just has massive breasts. I don’t think that constitutes being full-figured. Even if she wore a larger dress size, who wants that thrown at you? Yes it was rude.
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