Is Joan on 'Mad Men' too plump for primetime?

When celery stalk stylist Rachel Zoe agrees to be resized and Photoshopped from a size 0 to a size 8 for a magazine spread,  you know curves must be in vogue. (Or in  Harper's Bazaar, which is where Zoe appeared retouched as a normal and healthy gal about town in six-inch heels and a $5,000 dress.) In the article, the stylist says:

"Truthfully, I've never seen myself as being too thin. Sometimes I'll look at photos and be like, Oh, that's not a good look. But generally speaking, I'm not too thin."

Er, OK. FYI: When you can flatten yourself and slide underneath a door, you're too thin. Zoe goes on to say that she enjoyed having curves for the story. Not so much that she's over at Astro Burger right now, mind you.

With or without Zoe, curves are definitely making a comeback. Christina Hendricks as Joan on "Mad Men" (left) could singlehandedly bring back hips. Real hips. The kind that will send a skinny man skittering across a dance floor. And I must admit that my jaw still drops when she sashays on screen with a rump as big as a holiday ham. My first reaction is always: She's huge! What a silly reaction to a woman who is probably a size 8 or 10. 

Then I realize that most leading women on TV, such as Holly Hunter and Teri Hatcher, are  pipe cleaners, and so I never expect to see prime-time zaftig. It's as odd to me as a virgin martini.  Frankly, I am so accustomed to seeing protruding hipbones that I have to adjust my own visual definition of what is womanly. That's pretty screwed up, in fact.

Even models are tired of maintaining those sharp clavicles. In Vogue this month, Karen Elson admits that she took laxatives to stay whippet svelte and blames the fashion industry for imposing such thin measures. Kate Moss told the Guardian last week that she realized at one point, while standing in a bathtub, that she was too skinny. The Council of Fashion Designers of America has erected booths at Fashion Week in New York to spread the word on eating disorders and promote healthy living. Hmm. Why do I suspect that the Moet booth will be mobbed and the bulimia booths will be empty?

Maybe the Emmys can do the same and erect a few eating disorder booths on the red carpet?

Let's face it: The fashion industry will never embrace models who are a size 8. But actresses like Hendricks, Scarlett Johansson and even Liv Tyler do make a case for a new, womanly ideal.  But are you brainwashed too? Do you look at Christina Hendricks and think "sexpot," or "portly"?

Weigh in. -- Monica Corcoran

For the record: I thought I made it clear that my skewed perception of Hendricks as "big" was silly and it bothered me. The female ideal we see on TV is extremely thin and Hendricks is a rarity on prime-time. Perhaps I should have also mentioned that I think she's sexy and refreshingly bold and downright gorgeous. Oh and as for comparing her rump to a holiday ham, take a look at this ham and tell me that her behind isn't as shapely. Most actresses these days have no backside at all. I'll take a ham over an empty plate any day.

photos: Kurt Iswarienko for Harper's Bazaar; WireImage; ham, Publications Intl Ltd.

Comments

[Greg]

Folks, Christina Hendricks is not even close to being "fat" or whatever. She is 5'8" tall and has a normal healthy figure. Some of her costumes accentuate parts of her figure but come on! To call her names or suggest she's Zaftig is nuts.

Most women aren't starved out anorexics, they're healthy normal sized people who are looking great like Christina. It is not a Threat to the Republic if we have great looking women who don't fit LA's stereotyped styles and looks on TV. Jeez, people.

[ProgGrrl]

What Erin said! Jeez. Depressing y'all.

[Wayne]

Christina Hendricks is one of the main draws on the show - I feel that she embodies the standard of beauty of that day, well before this obsession with waif like models. Her curves bring back adolescent fantasies I had and she is definitely reaching "total package" status in my humble opinion.

[MP]

Christina Hendricks is gorgeous. A reaction of "she's huge" says more about how we've limited our conception of beauty than any legitimate observation of Christina Hendricks's uh, assets. Women come in a variety of body types, and I for one, am thankful to see someone as curvy, statuesque, confident, and *talented* as Ms. Hendricks on tv. As an audience member, I find it more disappointing that the narrow rules of allowable female body type seem to overrule any judgments made on talent. I hope to see more of Joan (Christina Hendricks) on Mad Men, and more from Christina Hendricks in the future. Her performances are captivating.

[hotforher]

If I got to make love to a woman with a body like hers once in my life I'd die a happy man.

[Kita]

Wow. Misogyny much? A size 8 is fat now?

What is WRONG with you?

[Janet]

No, Joan is not too plump. Or at least, she shouldn't be. TV and mass media in general need to accept once and for all that women come in many different forms and homogenizing things helps nothing. Joan has curves, many real woman do, and many men find that attractive (just like Joan is considered on the show for a reason - this show does reality so well, including Joan's body type here). There is nothing unacceptable about Joan at all, on the contrary it's great to be able to see a more realistic range of women on television. FINALLY.

[leigh ann]

Christina is absolutely gorgeous. My husband drools over her when Mad Men is on and even I can't keep my eyes off her!

[annejumps]

Not only is she lovely, she has a very fitting body for the time period of the show. I find that the new secretary, Jane, is too modern-looking and thin. I know they've had a hard time casting women for the show because many of the actresses they see are too thin, too Botoxed, too white of teeth, and otherwise too modern-looking.

[Chad]

You have GOT to be kidding?! Joan is smokin' hot and really shows us what we've lost by lusting after twigs instead of women.

[Ashley]

"Zaftig" is the wrong word to use to describe her in my opinion. She has a nice, healthy body and I like the fact that many probably wouldn't have to develop a major health problem to be her size. It was surprising when I first watched the show to see such a voluptuous woman but I got used to it and am now sad that we don't have more woman her size on television or film very often anymore.

[Lynn]

Good lord. Being more than a size 0 does not equal "fat."

[Carmen]

You know times are sad when someone describes a woman like Christina Hendricks with having "a rump as big as a holiday ham." Christina Hendricks is not only talented, but she is beautiful as well. I cannot believe anyone in their right of mind would refer to her as "portly." She is nowhere near "huge" and I think it's refreshing to see a woman with lovely curves on television. As opposed to the toothpicks that are usually plastered everywhere.

[Shani]

Are you kidding?

100% sexpot.

[Sean]

Are you crazy?! Christina Hendricks is pure gorgeous (sexpot is slightly inappropriate as the character is a sexually in control person - I don't know how Christina is when not playing a YoSafBridge or Joan). I long for the time when we get women realizing a diversity of shapes is a good thing and everyone trying to conform to a set mold is bothersome.

Give me curvy or flat, give me tall or short, just give me unique and confident.

Sexuality is all in the confidence.

[Shani]

Are you kidding?

100% sexpot.

[Mary Sue]

Wow, the bile in this article is astounding. For someone who states they find Ms. Hendricks attractive, you certainly use foul terms to describe her body.

[Mrs. M]

Even in our skinny-obsessed society, I've never heard anyone, not one person, male or female, say anything derogatory and derisive about Joan/Henndrick's body (until this article). She looks like walking sex, both on the show and off. Frankly, Hendrick's body is only indicative of what a sex symbol was back then. Monroe, Mansfield, Van Doren... Need I go on? If anything, I'd think there should be outrage if a size 0 actress played that part.

Bottom line, there is room in this world for both the size 0 and size 20 actress. There is no need to pit them against each other.

[Helena]

I think that describing any aspect of Christina Hendrick's body as a "holiday ham" is ridiculous. She has a full - and perfectly delightful - figure, but that is certainly not to say that she is fat; in fact, I find it difficult to believe that women look at themselves in the mirror and want to see a figure that could substitute for an adolescent boy's.

[Helena]

I think that describing any aspect of Christina Hendrick's body as a "holiday ham" is ridiculous. She has a full - and perfectly delightful - figure, but that is certainly not to say that she is fat; in fact, I find it difficult to believe that women look at themselves in the mirror and want to see a figure that could substitute for an adolescent boy's.