Serena Williams Weight Loss Sparks Beauty Standards Debate

Buzz Feed

3 days ago

Serena Williams's body transformation is under scrutiny once again, and it's really getting out of hand.
Conversations around Serena's weight change began last month, when she shared a few gym selfies that showed off her washboard abs, toned arms, and a noticeably thinner figure.
After the tennis star posted the images, several commenters accused her of using Ozempic, while others claimed she looked completely unrecognizable:
But despite the remarks, Serena also had a ton of people supporting her and calling out the criticism:
And although many fans flooded her comments with positivity, unfortunately, it didn't stop others from continuing to spread negativity by attacking her physical appearance.
On Sunday, the 43-year-old mother of two did what any woman would do if she saw a mirror while really feeling her outfit — she took a mirror selfie and shared it with the world. But the selfies seemed to trigger some people on the internet.
There were those who brought up Ozempic again...
...while others believed Serena was trying to adhere to Eurocentric beauty standards like being slim and blonde, while also feeding into Hollywood's stereotypical ideals for women.
The conversations around Black women and hair have always been complicated for many non-Black people, when it's really pretty simple. Women in general love trying new hairstyles, but Black women in particular seem to receive the most backlash simply for expressing themselves. Whether it's the frequency at which we switch between styles, the colors we wear, the hair that we add or remove from our heads, the accessories we wear in them, or the actual look of the hairdos, it's often viewed under a negative light until someone else does it. It happened when Serena first hit the court sporting colorful beads in her hair, and it's still happening today with blonde hair that she's been rocking for over a decade.
But alleging that Serena wearing a specific hair color is a form of "white appropriation" is just weird and harmful. I also believe this way of thinking is rooted in ignorance, in the sense that someone who isn't familiar with how deep-rooted experimentation with hair in the Black community is, and how it was once used to signify status, a way to take a political stance, and more.
Before I go on a tangent, let's get back to Serena! Outside of the backlash, the Olympian also had a string of supporters who rallied behind her:
It almost feels like a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation because she was scrutinized for her physical build the majority of her career, because she was "bigger" than other women in the sport. Now that she's smaller, she's still being criticized.
And while Serena has yet to address the negativity, I feel it's important to shine a light on these discussions that happen around women's bodies in hopes of changing the way we approach them. Now, I know people like to use the excuse that celebrities "signed up" to be judged, but there has to be a line. They are still human at the end of the day. They don't deserve hate or to live up to the ideas of them that you've created in your mind.