I think that by the end of the awards season, many of us were kind of bored with Emma Stone. It wasn’t even that she was or is a boring person – it was more about how many events Emma had to do in support of The Help. It felt like we had new red carpet photos of her every other day. And while her style isn’t flat-our hideous (at all), she’s still figuring things out sartorially, and as such, her style was hit-or-miss yet never extremely bad or extremely awesome. She left us on a high note, though. I ended up loving her appearance at the Oscars, mostly because she was one of the rare Oscar presenters who genuinely cracked me up. She’s beautiful, funny and talented – and I hope she takes some time off from the red carpet for a while.
Anyway, Emma has a new interview in which she discusses body image, workouts, diets and all of that. Much like Jennifer Lawrence’s cover interview with Seventeen, Emma is trying to be a positive body-image role model for young women. Does it work?
Like most women, Emma Stone isn’t 100 percent happy with her body.
“I do have that thing of, ‘Oh my God, I’m disgusting! I ate a huge Wagamama lunch, the whole yaki soba, and I feel so fat,'” the 23-year-old tells England’s S Magazine. “But I’m still gonna eat that stuff, and you know what? You can get nice, loose clothes that cover it all up.”
The actress, who’s currently dating her Amazing Spider-Man costar Andrew Garfield, adds: “I’m not gonna go parading around in a bikini. OK, I did that in a photo shoot once, but it’s about what you’re comfortable with at the time you’re comfortable with it. That was a good day, but you won’t hear me saying I have no body issues because I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t.”
While shooting the Oscar-nominated film The Help in 2010, Stone put on a few extra pounds after indulging in Mississippi’s famous comfort foods.
“Suddenly nothing fitted me, but then they have such delicious food in the South and I don’t believe in depriving yourself,” Stone tells S Magazine. “Yes, you should be healthy and take care of yourself, but growing up I’ve seen people who have horrible issues with food.”
Laughs Stone: “I haven’t worked out for a month and I’m proud of it! Running is bad for your knees and I like to do things I actually enjoy, like going for a swim. I had a trainer during Spider-Man and I discovered I have deep-seated rage when I’m holding heavy weights over my head. Whatever dormant anger I have in me, that’s where it comes out. That’s not the kind of working out I want to do,” the actress explains.
“I would much rather sleep at night than want to throw a weight across a room at someone. I’m usually a pretty peaceful person, but for some reason when I get in the gym something bubbles up in me.”
[From Us Weekly]
I feel the opposite about weight training – it helps me release my rage and it clears my mind. But that’s just me. I do like that Emma is talking about eating and how she’s trying to send the message of “Your self-worth shouldn’t be tied to how much you weigh.” But do I believe her? CB and I were debating it – I mean, Emma is only 23 years old. The only weight she really has to worry about is maybe some residual puppy fat from her teenage years. That being said, when I saw Crazy Stupid Love, I was impressed with how her body seemed realistic – she’s coltish and petite, but she definitely looks like she eats.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Maybe she has stopped working out, but the Oscars were just a few weeks ago and don’t they squeeze themselves into the gowns a few weeks prior?
Anyhoo, since she’s only 23, it’s probably not a huge deal…RIGHT NOW! Just wait until the metabolism slows down, and continues to slow down. She can continue to eat crappy, but it WILL catch up with her. (I was exactly like that–never had to exercise and could eat anything I liked.) But that all changed, especially after I hit 42. I now have to be proactive in watching what I eat and by exercising.
I’m 45 and I totally co-sign. At 23 I lost about 30 pounds in 6 weeks-and easily kept it off for years. Now to lose weight I have to work out like a mad woman and completely cut back on what I’m eating. It wasn’t this way 5 years ago. Hitting my 40s makes it a completely different ballgame.
Don’t frighten me! I gained weight when I hit 25 – don’t tell me it get’s worse with 40 😉 Ha! But food is worth it…;-)
So easy to say when you are naturally thin. I love Emma Stone (and Jennifer Lawrence) but I don’t really buy what they’re saying because nothing in their past/present shows that they struggle with their weight. For some of us, it takes more than just hitting the gym twice a week in order for us to be able to indulge in those comfort foods. Not slamming being thin, just saying…. it’s easier to preach it when it’s not an everyday struggle for you.
I agree with you guys… she’s always been slim and is only 23 – she has very little to worry about, and skipping workouts for a while won’t make much of a difference to her figure.
ALL the starlets are selling this “I eat! I don’t always exercise! Go team!” And yet you compare their pictures from now and just a few years back and you see they have conformed to an extent and have lost weight. Emma is smaller than when she was that movie with Jonah Hill. Ditto for Jennifer Lawerence, who is a babe but has slimmed down considerably.
I like these girls, they’re likeable. but they are doing a disservice when they pretend that they aren’t conforming to set standards in their industry. Unfortunately, they have to to an extent, and I wish THAT was the discussion, instead of “I don’t do THAT. I’m just like you!”
I agree. That said, this doesn’t irritate me like the Jennifer Lawrence interview because at least Emma admits to having issues with her body like most people…except she just doesn’t dwell on it. What bugged me was Lawrence saying that she didn’t get why the girls who didn’t eat hamburgers in school, or whatever it was, did it and she was perfectly happy to eat those burgers and that it was uncool to be like I don’t eat. It just came across to me like, look I have got a great body and I don’t have to starve unlike all those other stupid girls.
Thats what bugs me about hollywood actresses. They feel they have to go on the complete other end of the spectrum on every issue. The Jennifer Lawrence thing bugged me because I don’t see the point in bragging about eating multiple cheeseburgers. Its great that she doesn’t have body issues, but no one should have to prove that by saying “look, I eat junk food all the time. There is no way I could have anorexia”. Cameron Diaz does the same thing. Any interview about her weight involves her talking about how much she hates to exercise and how she never does it. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with Emma Stone. I dont agree with bragging about not working out, but the message should just be to get outside and do what you love to do. Walk, bike, hike, swim, whatever
IA. If they’re not working out, then they’re eating less.
I actually didn’t like her presenting segment on the Oscars. The best part of it was Jonah Hill, and he didn’t even say anything. The whole time she was talking I just wanted her to get on with the nominees already. But I realize that has less to do with her (although she does get on my nerves for some reason) and more to do with the bad material the writers gave her.
I thought Chris Rock, Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell were the only funny ones. I didn’t even think RDJ was funny, and I love him.
Me too! I thought those three were the best by far. And I’m like you, I love RDJ, but his segment was painfully unfunny, and for once Goop can’t be blamed for that. 🙂
that was the point of her bit though – she was supposed to grate on people’s nerves in the way Anne Hathaway did last year as host, juxtaposed to Ben Stiller’s sullen James Franco. I thought she played it beautifully.
Some of us HAVE to work out. I like Emma and all but I don’t find this empowering or endearing. She has a great metabolism and is young and that’s great but STFU about it.
Exactly. I feel that not working out isn’t exactly something to be proud of. Good for her and her superior metabolism, but the rest of us need or want (gasp) to work out for our own health reasons.
Co-sign. Some of us need to work out.
All these young stars spouting off about not working out & eating what they want only makes me laugh. Wait until they hit their late 20’s. Haha.
I’ve never had weight issues, eaten what I want and been blessed with a fast metabolism … BUT as I’ve edged into my 30’s, things have changed and I am glad that I have always been athletic & active.
I was with her until “running is bad for your knees”. That is so dumb, Emma. It may hurt your knees after years and years of road running- if you’re doing it improperly or your body is predisposed to injury, but the benefits running gives your body far outweighs that!
/pissed-off marathoner
thank you for bringing this up!
i’ve been running for about 4 years now and it’s done nothing but help me with other areas that have hurt in the past.
everything can be bad for something, but we were born to run lol
Exactly. Knees only get hurt or stressed if they have ALREADY been injured, in which case running would stress it more, obviously. The more you know:
“What people have to be concerned about is prior state of the knee when running,” says Timothy E. Hewett, orthopaedist and spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. “If you’ve had a prior ligament injury where the knee has already pushed toward osteoarthritis, running on that knee may accelerate it. However, if it’s healthy and never been injured, the newer findings are more correct that a healthy knee is not going to be damaged by running.”
Eh, I don’t find this annoying at all. Emma is admitting that she has issues with her body, like most people, but that she is happier eating and not doing traditional gym workouts (she does mention that she swims, etc.). I buy it, as she looks thin but not super toned or anything. This is how you talk about eating and working out without coming across judgey, like Jennifer Lawrence.
I totally agree. It’s great that she’s trying to give a positive message, but it’s hard to identify with someone who really doesn’t know what that daily struggle is like. For me it takes daily work outs, and constant food monitoring to be in the normal range. I try to console myself that although these people all look healthier than I do in terms of BMI, I’m fit, strong and healthy, and I’ll be reaping the benefits of all this hard work later in life (I’ve got to have something to cling to as I watch my size 2 friend eating pizza and fries all the time!).
I love Emma Stone and hope I always will. I think I love her because she is everything Lindsay Lohan isn’t: funny, focused, not a stalker, down to earth, etc. etc. I hope she stays clean and only gets better as an actress and a style icon. She can do it. The girl is beautiful.
do you get a whiff of anne hathaway from her sometimes?
yes-but much better than a whiff of lohan.
I don’t know how to feel about this. On one hand, I do believe that young women should be more comfortable with themselves and their natural shape. The whole love yourself thing – I agree with.
What bugs me is that it also seems like she putting out a message (maybe I’m reading into it wrong) that going to the gym and activities like weight training are somehow a negative. Taking care of yourself with regular exercise goes beyond a shallow physical appearance – it is very important for your brain! There is also nothing wrong with a woman lifting weights!
Maybe I’m reading into this too much, maybe I’m cranky, whatever.
End rant.
I like her, and I get what she’s saying. But yeah, it’s easier when you’re that young, naturally slimmer, and don’t have a desk job.
I doubt she started spouting this off without prompting. It’s the magazines that ask the starlets these stupid questions. If she was engaged or married, they’d ask her when she was going to have a baby. It’s all the same.
I’ve never been a fan but I was charmed by her at the Oscars. She took that lame material and made it work. She better work on that lisp though if she wants to do more than just play American teenagers. Why do so many young actresses lisp now?
She’s just saying what she prefers to do when she exercises. She isn’t saying she’s naturally thin and doesnt work out! She’s saying she hates running and lifting makes her agro.
What’s wrong with that? Not sure how people are turning this into a thing.
I think some are reading way too much into this. First, it isn’t like Emma is on some sort of soap box, trying to push her views onto everyone. She is being interviewed and asked about her own body and her own exercise preferences. She is simply answering those questions… and yes, she is young, doesn’t appear to have struggled with weight issues, and so her answers aren’t going to be about those things. Why should they be?? Maybe in 20 years, she will answer those questions differently, but I don’t see anything wrong with what she is saying now.
It comes across as very phoney to me – like she thinks it’s what she’s ‘supposed’ to say. If she was serious about wanting to promote positive messages to young girls she wouldn’t talk about feeling disgusting after eating a normal meal. Exercise is healthy and I don’t see how not working out is something to be proud of.
I disagree with your style analysis, I think Emma has great red carpet style. She dares to be different and fashion forward without crossing the kooky line.
People are understandably skeptical about all these ‘right’-sized young girls, but… they’re young. They ARE the ones picked by powerful people to be in front of cameras. I can TOTALLY believe that half these ladies (and dudefolk) don’t need to work out at all to maintain their figures. I’m 22, and I have both male and female friends with SLAMMIN’ bodies who do jack-sh*t to maintain that. Sigh. *rubs his own love-handles reassuringly*
She (and Andrew Garfield) go to my gym. I see them all the time. I don’t think she’s a hard core weight trainer, but I see her there almost every day…
Oh snap!!
Depending on when the interview happened, she might not be lying. I mean we all know she worked out for Spiderman, but maybe she had a pre-awards-season window in which she didn’t care. Hopefully! I’d hate to find out she’s one of those ones that recite their publicists’ stuff.
I thought I was the only person where the gym just makes me angry! Haha, it’s nice to see she can relate.
at every event she looks so lush these days. or maybe she has some serious allergy issues with those swollen, squinty eyes and constantly pink nose.