There’s a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

Beautiful, isn’t she?

For those of you who don’t know, you’re looking at a picture of Christina Hendricks.

She’s a bombshell, there’s no doubt about it.  And the groundbreaking thing about Hendricks is that she’s a bombshell in Hollywood who’s got a body, and everyone’s talking about it.

I think that’s great, I really do.  I’ve never been a “skinny minnie” (What?  That’s what my grandma used to call thin girls.  And if it’s good enough for grandma, it’s good enough for me…), so I love seeing women with real bodies on the red carpet.

It’s  a fabulous reinforcement that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, right Jennifer Hudson?

Oh… wait…

Well, I am still utterly thrilled to see stars like Christina Hendricks, Adele, and Star Jones succeed in Hollywood not only DESPITE their bodies, but in some ways BECAUSE of them.

I’m currently reading Portia De Rossi’s book entitled Unbearable Lightness (Which Her Two Cents feminist bookclub will coincidentally be discussing at the end of this month!  Stay tuned for details.), and her struggle with food and success in Hollywood.  The book is heart-wrenching, and as you follow De Rossi through her journey, your heart is bound to break a little more with each page-turn.  The idea that skinny is successful is drilled into her head so fiercely she develops an eating disorder. The pressure to be thin, especially as a cast member on Ally McBeal (I will resist making an “Ally McEatingDisorder” joke here, as it’s in extremely poor taste), is so draining that she begins to envy people who can stay at a friend’s house and not have to rush home so that she can consume her specific foods at specific times and immediately jump on the treadmill.

Portia’s story is all too common in Hollywood.  Stories like hers are so dangerous, it’s encouraging to see Hollywood opening it’s doors even the slightest bit for women with curves.

However, there’s still something that still sticks in my craw (Alright Grandma, that’s enough…): Why is it that we are obsessing over NOT obsessing over celeb’s skinny bodies?  In an effort to congratulate ourselves on breaking the boundaries and appreciating the curves of a woman, we’re still obsessing over her body.  True body acceptance comes from the realization that one’s worth is not determined by one’s waistline, be it big or small.

I think we need to focus a little less on the bodies of our beloved celebrities, and a little more on their work.  Because as long as we’re talking about their bodies, we’re judging their basic value on their appearing.  If the on-screen characters they play are just not enough for us, if we crave to know more about them, how about instead of focusing on what they’re wearing, we spend a little time finding out what they’re DOING.

For instance, everyone knows that actress Mariska Hargitay portrays Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: Special Victims unit.  But is it common knowledge that her role on the show has inspired her to start the Joyful Heart Foundation–an organization for the support of sexual assault victims?

That’s my kind of celebrity!

So the next time you find yourself obsessing over a particular celebrity, make it a priority to find out what they stand for.  A woman is more than her looks, even if her looks are what’s earning her millions of dollars per film.