Joan Collins on Fat People, Asians, Reagan love, and Warren Beatty, etc

[dragonflies]

+1

[DRW50]

She's managed to make a pretty good career for herself without having to make shock value comments. Helen Mirren, who has constantly been in demand, has said far worse things in recent years. Sometimes celebrities just say stupid/questionable stuff.

[Gray Bunny]

100% agreed.

[Mr. Vixen]

Sad, really. Truly sad.

Really? Seems to me that Joan's only claim to relevance over the past few years is her big mouth, and a guest spot on a D-List CBS sitcom.

[DRW50]

We aren't really in an age of relevance now, if we ever were. She's known as herself, as Alexis, etc. That's always going to be a claim to fame. In an era when having a big ass and a sex tape makes you a superstar that's more than enough.

[Mr. Vixen]

I understand what you're saying. And I'm not trying to brush off the impact that she made on television history, or what she's done since. I know she's had much success in theater as well. However, I find it sad when celebrities of any age/generation think they need to run their mouth about subjects they are 100% ignorant on, to gain attention.

[DRW50]

I think she's just speaking her mind, which doesn't excuse a comment, but it's just what a lot of people do, especially when they don't care anymore. Like I said about Helen Mirren, she certainly doesn't need to gain attention, as she's seen as one of the sexiest women in the world and a very popular actress. Yet she made comments about date rape which offended many.

[Mr. Vixen]

I haven't read Helen's comments. Somehow, I must have missed them. Do you have a link? (Not saying I don't believe you, I'm just curious, lol)

[DRW50]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/sep/01/1

[Mr. Vixen]

Oh my...

[DaytimeFan]

In my college years I packed on 30 pounds, one day I caught a look at myself in the mirror, thought "What the hell?" and took it off over 9 months. It wasn't easy, as I ate out of stress, but I did it.

Using food as a coping mechanism illustrates that being overweight is often a symptom of something deeper. As you've said, in your case it is depression. Some people drink (and to Eric's point, Joan has never had a drinking problem), some smoke, some shop, some do drugs, some gamble and some eat. The depression, however, is your issue, not food. Food is simply your drug of choice.

Is any addiction easy to manage and control? No. Are some people predisposed, genetically, to addiction? Absolutely.

Is being fat a choice? As far as medical science is concerned, yes, it is.

And I don't want to be callous and dismissive because being overweight is difficult, but fat acceptance is not healthy either short term or long term for anyone's health.

[Gray Bunny]

Agreed, again.

My mom is somewhat overweight. Not morbidly obese, but not a size 8 either. And for awhile about 6-7 years back, she suddenly got on a health kick and decided to join a gym with her friend and I was very proud of her for that. Did she lose a lot of weight? Not at all. But she started a healthier lifestyle to keep her body, her bones, etc. stronger and healthier. She didn't shed a lot of pounds, but she made the *effort*. Which is so much better than being a complete lazy slob who acts like they have no control over their own life or their own body. People who are just plain lazy but then complain because the airplane seats are too small for them is what annoys me. JMO.

[dragonflies]

to me that is like saying people who are homeless are bums who don't want to get a job. Sure there are some like that, but the older you get the HARDER it is to shed pounds, and I think that frustrates people & makes them give up.

I just wish people like JC would STFU but what can you expect with someone who has diarrhea of the mouth

[DaytimeFan]

And that, from years of observing Joan, is what she really despises: just letting yourself go. Not giving a flying sh*t about how you look because in her view, if you look good, you feel good.

It should also be pointed out that Joan has also made statements about being too thin. She told Piers Morgan that she has friends who are "like rails, being too thin is fatal, absolutely fatal" so it isn't that she's espousing anorexia or bulimia either. Joan herself is a size 8/10, certainly in good shape, but not a stick either.

She dresses well, takes care of herself, that's what she expects everyone to do. She has standards and when people deviate from those standards she lets it rip. Is that polite? No. Does Joan care? No.

In regards to age and weight loss. It does get harder because the metabolism slows and hormones go out of sync, but strength training tackles the metabolism issue beautifully and diet can do a lot for hormones (particularly insulin which is the biggest culprit with weight gain). Age and weight is severely overblown.

[Mr. Vixen]

Food addiction and depression are two things that CAN make you lose control of your own life and your own body.