Katie Couric has been busy lately. Her new daytime talk show, Katie, premieres on September 10, and she has been promoting it with teasers, guest stars and highlights that have drawn anticipation for its debut on Monday. But the hard-hitting journalist, whose courageous feats have inspired women, is experiencing backlash for her comment on Kate Middleton’s body. What exactly did Couric say and how harsh were her words regarding Middleton?

Katie Couric was on the other side of the interviewing table when her studio conducted a Q&A session after a test taping about her show, lifestyle and motherhood. When asked which celebrity she’d jump at the chance to interview, she picked Kate Middleton as her dream guest. But her fascination behind the royal darling has nothing to do with the Middleton’s style and fashion sense, which most media outlets dig into.

I think it would be really interesting to interview Kate Middleton because I think she has comported herself so well since she has been thrust in the limelight. I think she needs to eat more because she’s so thin.

Well, that’s not what I’d call a proper invitation. Do you think Kate Middleton would accept an interview now?

Needless to say, the media has sensationalized these two sentences into dramatic proportions. Celebrities tend to have tiny quotes highly exaggerated by unforgiving reporters that need to sell, sell, sell and these misconstrued comments can end up haunting them forever. But was Couric slamming Middleton or was her concern not worded safely enough?

Kate Middleton found herself shrouded in intense public scrutiny the day she accepted William’s proposal. Like Katie Couric mentioned, her life was forced into the spotlight and the demands for her appearances and strict representation of the royal family were enough to make any healthy and confident human crack. Every person’s body behaves and reacts differently to abrupt changes in activity, mood and mindset and Middleton, although royalty, is no exception but must prove to the world that she can withstand the pressures she’ll be managing from now on.

If Couric meant to reach out to Middleton, could she have found a better approach? Commenting on good behavior and then suggesting a change in eating habits is an odd segue. Is Couric doing the public a favor by bluntly asking what’s on everyone’s mind? Journalists sometimes go to extreme lengths to get the juicy story the people crave, but what answers does she expect from the Duchess about her weight? Isn’t it examined closely enough that maybe Kate is over the accusations and just wants to focus on her undertakings? The palace will be dismayed by the comments, as they are reminiscent of Princess Diana’s 1995 interview in which she admitted to Martin Bashir that she was bulimic.

Take the famous names away. Is it ever okay to publicly comment on the weight of others? Is it healthy to tell others to be healthy? I’ll let you in on an anecdote from earlier this year. Remember Angelina Jolie’s famous leg flash from the Oscars? I put an hilarious rendition of the infamous leg jutting out on my Facebook, because it was that hilarious to me (it doesn’t take much in some cases…) I wanted collective laughter, but I received “Bitch needs to eat more!” and “Someone get her a cheeseburger!” instead. I didn’t post the image to attack a woman whose body is affected by the stress of 762 kids and a plethora of humanitarian and film-making duties to fulfill. I posted because Photoshop is glorious and was deserving of recognition for that gem.

When will we realize that snarking on others’ bodies reaps zero benefits for all parties? Who are we to tell others how to look? Not one body is perfectly healthy inside and out, and we struggle with issues hidden or apparent every day. Yes, we are allowed to have opinions, but how constructive are attacks against someone’s appearance?

What is your take on this issue? Did Couric outright slam Middleton or merely voice her concern?

[via Huffington Post]
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