Lizzo criticizes ’90s media for body-shaming women

Lizzo opened up about the harsh scrutiny women faced from the media in the late ’90s and early 2000s, telling Monica Lewinsky she’s “deeply offended” by how women’s bodies were publicly criticized during that era.

The 37-year-old singer appeared on Lewinsky’s podcast, Reclaiming, on March 24, reflecting on the societal pressures women endured and how body standards have evolved since.

“Sometimes I’m actually, like, deeply offended by how the media talked about y’all’s bodies or talked about Jessica Simpson’s mom jeans,” Lizzo said, referencing the 2009 high-waisted jeans Simpson wore, which sparked mocking headlines. 

The singer added with a laugh that those same jeans are now “the only jeans that I wear.”

Lizzo highlighted the intensity of societal standards at the time. “I don’t think this new generation understands how strict and harsh society was on women’s bodies — especially bodies that, by today’s standards, people would say are thin or smaller,” she said.

She also discussed her own journey with body positivity, emphasizing that her success came from being “undeniably talented, undeniably beautiful, undeniably likable, undeniably myself.” 

Lizzo recalled the challenges of being judged solely on her body: “They would deny me at the door based off my body alone.”

When Lewinsky noted that Lizzo has helped shift the conversation around body image, the singer explained how empowering others sometimes drew criticism toward her own health and body changes. 

“I think when my body changed … there were some people who were like, ‘Am I not allowed to be empowered anymore? Did you not love yourself, actually?’” she said.

Lizzo concluded with a message about self-love and embracing change. “Your body is going to change and you should embrace that change … Every single day, you change … you have to keep up with that. And that’s what body positivity is.”