Letting Go of Labels: Melissa McCarthy Says NO to the Term 'Plus-Size'

When we label, we are differentiating a degree of things. We use it to help us understand how one subject separates itself from another. But in the world of body image, this can be a tricky situation. It's not all as black and white as oranges to apples. It comes down to opinion more or less. What makes someone pretty? What makes someone smart? It's easy to smack a label on someone's forward, but very hard to understand the complexity of it. In the modeling world, we've come to know, through history, that tall and thin is the making of a 'sample size.' We've watched the repercussions of this, as some have starved to fit the mold, others have subjected themselves to incredulous diets, and others take up unhealthy cocktails of appetite suppressors. And those who are naturally tall and thin feel defensive that they will be skinny-shamed. But in a realistic turn for the positive, society has taken immense steps in providing a platform for people to create body acceptance for all. We've asked everyone to drop their towels and strut their stuff on the beach, no matter their shape or size, and we've asked the fashion industry to showcase subjects of more than just one body type. But what we've missed is the chance to let go of labels. For instance, "plus-size" is still very much a thing, and those standing in the spotlight living under this facade are straight up sick of it. The gorgeous, funny and totally talented actress Melissa McCarthy launched her first line of clothing this month. She made sure to discuss the inevitable label that would cling to this decision, however. "Women come in all sizes. Seventy percent of women in the United States are a size 14 or above, and that's technically 'plus-size,' so you're taking your biggest category of people and telling them, 'You're not really worthy.' I find that very strange," McCarthy said in an interview with Refinery29. "I just don't get why we always have to group everything into a good or bad, right or wrong category. I just think, if you're going to make women's clothing, make women's clothing. Designers that put everyone in categories are over-complicating something that should be easy," she exclaimed. What do you think of the labels, and how do you feel society could do a better job in breaking them to create more unification? Source: Cosmopolitan Do you follow us on Instagram? [caption id="attachment_105538" align="alignnone" width="100"] @BodyRockTV[/caption]