American singer and rapper Lizzo has spoken candidly about how society’s strict beauty standards and media scrutiny once “ruined the stage” for women in the music industry. The About Damn Time performer shared her thoughts during a conversation on the Reclaiming podcast hosted by Monica Lewinsky where they reflected on past treatment of women’s bodies in public life.
Lizzo explained that she has been deeply affected by how overly harsh commentary and judgment around women’s bodies dominated media culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She said that back then society and media often focused intensely on appearance, forcing artists to fit narrow expectations of beauty rather than celebrating diverse body types. She described this era as extremely unforgiving and said it shaped how women performers were viewed and treated in public.
Recalling specific examples from that time, Lizzo said she was disturbed by how even seemingly simple trends such as Jessica Simpson’s high‑waisted “mom jeans” at one point became a topic of ridicule and criticism. She said this type of judgment showed how quick society was to shame women based on how they looked or dressed rather than on their talent or work.
Lizzo also highlighted that today’s generation might not fully understand how restrictive those standards once were for artists, especially women who did not meet conventional definitions of thinness by the standards of that era. She said the intense criticism literally took away from the joy of performing because it forced women to constantly defend or question their bodies in public.
In her conversation with Lewinsky, Lizzo acknowledged how much progress has been made in recent years around body positivity and self‑acceptance, but she also emphasised that overcoming such entrenched attitudes took time and resilience. Her remarks drew attention to the broader conversation about how women in entertainment continue to confront unrealistic expectations and scrutiny about their appearance.
