Comments on: Queen, We Need To Talk

By: Lydia

Lydia — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:56:44 +0000

I lost some weight with diet and exercise and ended up getting my gallbladder out too. It’s not the weight loss program’s fault – it’s just that the body can’t handle it. If you lose weight at a rate where your body can’t process it all fast enough, you end up with gallstones. Any heavy person losing weight loses a lot fast and then slows down…that initial rapid weight loss is more than enough to cause gallstones. I’m still dieting and still exercising…the surgery didn’t phase me, and it certainly shouldn’t be a reason not to get healthy.

By: Nemtynakht

Nemtynakht — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:27:45 +0000

A little outdated, but still… I just saw the ad, and I actually liked it. No, I’m not inspired to join Jenny Craig, but yes, she does stay true to her word and promote health over weight loss. The ad actually got me thinking about losing 10% of my body weight and how much healthier/more energetic I’d be. Hmm…

By: Single Girls

Single Girls — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:28:10 +0000

Hier sind auch sch

By: Dent

Dent — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:07:26 +0000

I saw the ad and was disappointed. She is supposed to focus on being healthy, not losing weight. But at the end of the ad there is a voiceover saying “lose 20 pounds for $20″.

And as Urban Chick noted, it seems the underlying subtext is “being overweight is dangerous”.

By: Bridey

Bridey — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:50:29 +0000

How sad. I’ve been a Queen Latifah admirer for quite some time — I think she is hands-down the most beautiful woman in pop music right now — and I find this extremely disappointing.

I mean, I’ve no objection to people making money any honest way they can (though whether weight-loss shilling counts as honest, exactly, is a debatable point). But Latifah has been so noteworthy as a fat woman who has had some success in a murderously competitive and looks-driven field that this is really quite discouraging.

And crummy little boxes of expensive frozen food have not a thing in the world to do with healthy living. And Latifah must be aware of that, however she’s spinning this decision. She’s a lot of things, but I never thought she was stupid.

By: sara

sara — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:58:16 +0000

I agree with all of you – it made me really sad. Embracing a healthy lifestyle is great, embracing a life full of prepacked frozen dinners is not. That’s not HEALTHY.

I’m sad, too, because Queen rocks my world.

By: Jeanine aka MsChilePepper

Jeanine aka MsChilePepper — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:47:19 +0000

I’m disapointed, too. I’ve always felt she was an incredibly talented, beautiful woman who demands to be accepted for who she is. She has been outspoken about not wanting to erase that scar she has on her forehead, and also about her breast reduction. I applauded and admired her for those things, as well as her “take me as I am” attitude.

Tangentially, I have eaten samples of both NutriSystem’s and Jenny Craig’s prefab food, and that shit is fucking FOUL! Granted, I’m very, very picky about food, in that I do not eat boxed, prepackaged, premade junk. I can’t stomach so much of the shit that people eat and rave about. McGriddles? Gag me!

I grew up in a restaurant family, and my Mum is a FANTASTIC cook who taught me well. Fresh, made-from-scratch is what I’m all about. Of course, living in Seattle, I have access to lots of fresh options, as well as amazing restaurants for any sort of cuisine I could want. Thai? Indian? Fresh seafood? Yes!

I may have a big ass, but I sure didn’t get it from fast food and prepackaged crap!

By: Urban Chick

Urban Chick — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 03:52:47 +0000

Agree. I kept hoping it was just random net rumor…until I saw the interview on morning TV. I am so disappointed with her choice to go with Jenny Craig.
Ironically, it was the ease of the endorsement dollar that probably drew her to it. True, she could have put out a book or a DVD – but that requires a lot more work than signing on the dotted line and a few days of shooting.
And even though the premise is all about “better health”,there’s the underlying unspoken message of “not only is big not beautiful….it’s DANGEROUS”. If she had struck out on her own, it would have been a truly ground breaking HAES moment.

By: Kimks

Kimks — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:38:21 +0000

Like Olivia, when I first saw the Ad I wonddereed HMM, what will the Manolo Women Say. What is disturbing is that I know of bigger teenage girls who are really dissapointed in her- Yes Queen is emphasizing health in the ads, but for many young Superfantastic Women out there who looked to Queen for inspiration and proof that you can be super fantastic and super cool and super curvy, this is breaking their hearts. She has seriously sold out. Jenny Craig does not teach you how to eat in the real world- there is no real food in their food. If she had to sale out to a diet chain, their are others with life affirming, real food, real world HEALTHY models.
I am so dissappointed. She sold out, and legions of young, healthy but bigger girls have lost a true role model. I really hope she sees the error of her ways.

By: Kimocean

Kimocean — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:16:42 +0000

As someone who spent thousands of dollars with Jenny Craig I was really dissapointed with this. The “consultants” at JC are so focused on making money that they don’t help you transition to real foods (they make commission off the products you buy) and I couldn’t maintain the loss on my own. I ended up in debt and fatter than I’d begun. This is a company that preys on woman’s insecurities and it really disapoints me to see the Queen selling out for them. There must be other ways she could have supported herself, she’s a talented woman. Sometimes morals have to win over money.