For the past month or so, the E! network’s popular show Fashion Police has been under great scrutiny. It all started when co-host Giuliana Rancic made a racist comment regarding Disney Channel star Zendaya’s hair worn to the Oscars. Zendaya chose to wear dreadlocks for the night, and on the next episode of Fashion Police Rancic made the comment that she feels as if Zendaya “smells like patchouli oil … or weed.” Naturally, Rancic was showered with outrage over the inappropriateness of her comment and has since publicly apologized for what she had said. While many may believe this was an isolated event, I am here to say that sadly it is not.
The show, which will celebrate its fifth year on television this September, has produced numerous inappropriate and offensive “jokes” and critiques about celebrities and how they look. These critiques include anything from racism, domestic violence, rape and even the Holocaust. While the show may be considered a comedy, I believe it is anything but.
The show is fueled by criticizing people on how they look, declaring who and what is “hot” and what is not. Instead of celebrating everyone and their expression through fashion, the show tears them down in a demeaning and harmful way. No one is safe from the Fashion Police and their offensive comments. On one episode, Elsa Pataky was said to look as if she had a beer belly. She was three weeks away from giving birth to twin boys.
In today’s society, supporting positive body image is more important than ever. Sadly, the presence of Fashion Police disrupts that message from spreading. The late Joan Rivers, who was the original head of the show, constantly made comments regarding celebrities weight. For many, fashion and how you make yourself look overall is used as a way to express yourself.
Each individual makes their own choices on how they want to look. The superficial Fashion Police does nothing but demean individualism and natural beauty. By declaring what is “in” and what is “out,” the show is making the statement that if you do not look or dress a certain way then you are “out” and do not fit their brand of beautiful.
I am completely aware that while the show tears women apart, it also compliments women who fit the show’s ideas of what is fashionable and beautiful. While complimenting is great and should be done more often, it gets overshadowed by the negativity the show produces.
The sole purpose of the show is to declare who are the most fashionable celebrities of the past week. But the issue with this is in the co-hosts themselves. Out of the six people who are or were hosts of the show, only one of them is involved in fashion. The rest are comedians and TV personalities. How can a show comment on fashion accurately when only one of its co-hosts is involved in the industry of fashion? This reveals something very important about the show and how it is run: the show’s true purpose is not so much on the fashion, but rather the “jokes” made about the people wearing these fashions.
Joan Rivers was infamous for her offensive comments and “jokes.” Since her passing, the show has struggled without her. The reason for this was the way in which Rivers was accepted. Whenever Rivers said something inappropriate, many would brush it off. River’s whole persona revolved around her lack of a filter. Without the presence of Rivers and her accepted sense of humor, the show struggles with getting away with the “jokes” it produces.
As a result of Rancic and her comment, two co-hosts have left the show. The show has also been put on hold and may (or may not) return in September. I hope that it doesn’t because what’s the point of a show that does nothing but say mean things about people.