From magazine covers to posters to a Mad Men inspired barbie doll to the small screen, Christina Hendricks wears her curves well and flaunts them too. She is an amazing body image role model.
Do you know who that woman is? It’s Christina Hendricks who plays Joan on the hit AMC series Mad Men. (If you haven’t seen it, get Mad Men: Season One
I’m a little late to the scene but last week I started watching Mad Men and ended up watching an entire season of the show. At first I was repulsed by the abundance of sex and questionable morals but by the end found myself unable to stop watching because of certain characters like Joan. Although she has less screen time than other characters, Joan is strong, seductive, upbeat, and not a size zero. In fact, her size has garnered as much attention as her acting.
Christina Hendricks Size
In almost all of the articles I’ve read, her size is mentioned at least in passing and for some it is the focus. But the attention being placed on her size is a bit bewildering. As she said, “I’ve been on TV shows for years and no one said a word about it. All of a sudden everyone says, ‘Oh, it must be so great to be on a show from the sixties, because now you can be on TV.’ It’s strange how astounded people are that I have breasts.”
She not only has breasts but also hips and a behind that an la times blogger compared to a holiday ham. Her naturally busty and curvy feminine shape stands out in an industry that tends to favor size zero stick-like women. Even I had a problem with noticing her size; on episodes of Mad men my mind automatically picked her out as a “bigger” woman. That fact proves how much the culture of skinny actresses has influenced us as a society – a normal woman with curves stands out automatically.
After the initial shock of noting her size, viewers tend to separate into two camps: those who think she is gorgeous and womanly, and those who think she is fat. Yes, there are people out there calling this actress fat (not even going to address this side other than to say: WRONG.) Among those not celebrating her size are the designers that won’t send dresses for red carpet events.
Although she is happy with her size she noted, “No one will send me dresses. Designers loan size 2 or 4 samples to actresses, but I’m not that size.”
Christina Hendricks Is Body Positive
I’ve always had boobs and hips, even when I was 115 pounds. And here I am, much heavier than when I was modeling, and all of a sudden people are giving me positive feedback. Sure, I’d be happier with 10 pounds off—wouldn’t every woman? But at the same time, when I looked at myself in those red carpet pictures, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I looked beautiful.’ I didn’t tear myself apart.
I love, love, love this woman!
She is beautiful and she knows it. That last quote sums up my own thoughts on body image. Sure I’d love to lose weight, but I’m not going to tear myself apart. I can accept that I’m beautiful now even if I don’t fit the norm or look like everyone else. I think it’s possible to love and appreciate your body even if you don’t think it is perfect. Do you?
She’s stunning. She appeared in Firefly years ago and she was rail thin back then. She looks better and healthier now.
@Alex
Yeah I didn’t even recognize her from Firefly until someone pointed it out!
She is stunning, as you are Mary. Loving yourself and preferring a different size also works together, as a client of mind pointed out to her 10-year-old daughter. I have a vision of a wider range of sizes becoming the norm in the U.S., even on TV.
I agree that she is beautiful. And what a great message to send to young girls everywhere. We don’t all have to be a size 2 to be lovely. We are all lovely in our own way.
Oh man I just LOVE her! So glad to have more Mad Men love, too!
Yep, she’s got a great bod. Fashion mags need to get with it and feature these body types more often.
She is absolutely gorgeous! And she’s definitely not fat! This post has just made me realize once again that no matter how good you look, you will never please everybody. Someone will always find something to criticize. That is THEIR issue!
She’s quite a character, and I’d def put her in the “sexy as hell” category (you did have a “sexy as hell” category, didn’t you?). One of my favorite quips:
Joan: Dr. Emerson’s a dream, isn’t he?
Peggy: He seemed nice.
Joan: He has a place in South Hampton. I’m not saying that I’ve seen it, but it’s beautiful.
P.S. Was the secret goal yodelling?
She’s smoking hot and I love her character’s style on the show. The woman is a bona fide BOMBSHELL!
She is absolutely gorgeous! I hope this means some more primetime women that are not size 0’s – not that there’s anything wrong with a size 0, just would like to see other sizes, too!
@Jenn
ME TOO! I think its fine to be a size zero if that is the size your body is (some people are!!) but having that and only that on TV does not represent the real world in any way. I would just like to see a more representative crowd on television shows.
Christina Hendricks is so beautiful, and I love her character in Mad Men.
I love Mad Men. Hubby made me watch it one day at the beginning of the second season. I somehow had no interest in it, but he insisted I watch it. And I was hooked. Sadly, we canceled cable a while ago, so I’ll have to wait to see this season…
I think loving your body and having confidence doesn’t necessarily have a lot to do with size. I know many skinny women who don’t love their bodies. I also know some not so skinny women who truly love, respect and honor their bodies.
She’s amazing, it’s so refreshing to have a body that I can relate to.
Great writers write great characters a really good actor can “fill out” and make real. It’s not about specifics. I’m old enough to remember when black actors dreamed of a part that was just a part, an everyman or everywoman part, not necessarily a “black” part. Female actors look for great characters with real human dilemmas and obstacles. Rarely do they read scripts saying, “Oh, is this a part for a size 2?” Sometimes America Ferrara makes it come alive and sometimes Cameron Diaz does… it’s the acting that’s the magic (to me), not what they look like.
Wonderful post! I’ve been enjoying your blog very much!
@Andrea
I agree that it has less to do with size than just with a natural or learned confidence.
@Pat
I agree that great writers create great characters. But sometimes if the actor is wrong the character is wrong too. Actresses don’t read scripts thinking about the size of the character, nor should they. But tv shows should start including more sizes among their casts to really portray something. An actress can be a size 2, 12, or 22 and if she is good then the character can be good. But until there is more size variety shown on tv the “bigger” sizes will stand out and bring a different connotation to the role.
@Lisa
Thanks!
Wow, that level of selfawareness is amazing! If only we can all be so confident. I hate how that is plus size, she looks skinny to me. I wish shows would have more size variety!
@MackAttack
I don’t think she is plus sized or even categorized as that anywhere. Although sometimes a plus size model now starts at size 8 (Oh, Tyra Banks what have you done). But this lovely actress isn’t plus sized, just bigger than the normal girls on tv.
It is absolutely possible to love and appreciate our bodies even though they aren’t perfect. Unfortunately, this is something that I struggle with–but I’m working on it. I know it won’t ever be perfect, but I am finding more and more each day how many things I truly like about it–even about the things that are less than perfect.
well she has reason to love her body and she is looking very fit.
I’ve s-l-o-w-l-y learned to love this body, saggy skin and all. It’s a long process if you’ve been indoctrinated over the years to believe that teensy and firm are the ideal.
She is drop dead gorgeous.
I think you’ve pinned down something really important here with saying that we can think that we’re not perfect but still love and appreciate our bodies. That’s confidence, and it’s beautiful.
Wow I saw that photo and didn’t think she was fat at all. First thing I thought was what a cool dress, then, love that hair such a pretty color and style. Maybe its from living in SF but she doesn’t look larger than normal she looks nice and curvey (something uncurvey women like myself often envy!). I keep hearing so much about this show everywhere never seen it though I prob have to check it out.
She is looks like a blond.
The interesting thing to me is that Joanne is treated in the script of Mad Men as one of the most attractive and powerful women in this man’s world. She is voluptuous and knows how to use her curves, and gives off the aura that she would eat the skinnier girls for breakfast, lick her chops, and devour their husbands for dinner. I wish there were more media characters who not only appear curvier, but are happier with themselves than their neurotic, skinny counterparts (see, for example, the role of Peggy Draper). I applaud not only Christina Hendricks for living the role unapologetically, but for the writers and producers of Mad Men for writing against today’s prejudices.
now THAT’s what i’m talkin’ about !!!!!!!