Ms AUGUST 25, 2013
ISSUE NO. 62
Urban Apparel
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Yummy Mummy The pressure on celebrity moms to lose weight and how that is affecting you and me
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inside unwind—
What’s hot and happening
domestic goddess —
A Lebanese feast
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8 Section In-Charge: Batool Zehra
Johnny Depp? Che Guevara? You decide
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Ms
the buzz
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
mummies:
Motherhood and weight-loss in the showbiz industry
Ms.T investigates the world of celebrity moms and the pressure they face to lose weight by Saadia Qamar
At the Cannes Film Festival 2012, in her first public appearance after becoming a mother, Bollywood’s beauty queen Aishwariya Rai Bachchan was flayed by blistering criticism on her post-pregnancy weight gain. An unfortunate photograph of the international star sporting chubby cheeks and a double chin ignited a vicious scrutiny of her post-partum body. While some suggested that she was not fulfilling her ‘duty’ as an international icon to look good, others admonished her to learn from the likes of Victoria Bekham and Angelina Jolie, who were back to their waif-like figures weeks after delivery. It was only after new images of the former Miss World actually looking the part surfaced that the critics’ party came to an end. The scrutiny faced by Bachchan in the wake of her Cannes appearance crystallises not just the pressure on female celebrities to lose weight but the rise of a strange fascination with motherhood and the new expectations attached to it. No longer is it acceptable to retain a few maternal pounds after giving birth; the yummy mummy must lead her brood of impeccably attired children while looking chic, svelte and virginal herself. And this is the standard we expect from ordinary mothers. From the celebrity mom, the expectation of post-partum weight loss is even more dramatic, with fans anticipating the return of pregnant models and actresses back on the ramp or on screens just weeks after delivery, so we can gasp in amazement at their figures and marvel at how a human being could possibly have gestated in that slim torso. Such is the astringent reality of the showbiz industry. For all
First, we obsess over the growing bump, then the baby and then the post-baby weight, focusing always on appearances and ignoring the other realities: the emotional changes and the psychological transformation the ‘girl power’ chants by feminists, the ‘size zero’ debate and ‘real beauty’ marketing gimmicks, society by and large is hung over the slim and slender ideal with anything bigger considered unattractive. “There is indeed great pressure on us to look good,” confesses Vaneeza Ahmad, one of Pakistan’s leading models, who gave birth to daughter Inaaya in Febuary 2012. “During and after pregnancy, I ate very healthy food but there was no time for exercise and I was not working properly so naturally I gained weight.” Nonetheless, Vaneeza modelled for the April 2012 cover shoot for Libas magazine, just a few weeks after giving birth. Although her post-pregnancy weight was appreciated by many who claimed she had been ‘too thin previously’– a rare occurrence in the world of fashion – the sad fact for most women is that though they can return to a healthy weight, the post partum body is, to an extent, permanently bigger and stretched.
Aishwariya Rai
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
Celebrity moms who didn’t rush to lose weight Amy Adams: “I have a muffin top, and that’s OK right now,” says The Muppets star. Jennifer Garner: The actresses’ motto is “Kids before cardio” and we’re totally down with that. Selma Blair: The actress revealed that two months after giving birth she weighed only one pound less than she did at the hospital. “I have not been exercising yet but I will now,” she says – which sounds exactly like something we would say! Hillary Duff: The singer believes it takes around 10 months for the body to get back into shape after delivery and calls women who did it more quickly ‘freaks of nature’.
Sumeha Khalid, senior editor of Lifestyle magazine, cites model Nadia Hussain as the pioneering Yummy Mummy of Pakistan. The Amazonian model has returned to modelling soon after the birth of each of her three children and even walked the ramp while heavily pregnant. Khalid finds this inspiring. “Nadia has made us realise we can be yummy mummies if we just take good care of ourselves after pregnancy,” she says. “Nadia started this trend which has been followed by other models and actresses who balance both family life and thriving careers.” With magazines and gossip websites regularly publishing features such as ‘Celebrity baby fashion’ and ‘Celebrity families’, never before has there been more interest in celebrity mothers and their babies. The ever-increasing rush between media firms to publish the first photos of a celebrity new-born is another manifestation of the same phenomenon. The example of Angelina Jolie’s cover photo in the November 2008 issue of W Magazine is memorable. The photograph, taken from her husband Brad Pitt’s private photos collection, featured Jolie smiling into the camera whilst breastfeeding her little one. The media was ablaze with how thin Jolie looked just a few weeks post-delivery. Blogs and columns devoted to track-
be thin because we want to look like the celebrities. But while celebrities have personal trainers and dieticians to ensure they transition quickly back to their pre-partum weight, ordinary women rarely have such recourse and yet they want to look like celebrities. “This is because the media reinforces the thin ideal in our minds repeatedly,” says Sahar. All this hype surrounding weight-loss and body image leads one to wonder if women are ever going to be more than just pretty wallhangings to feast one’s eyes on. Says one newly married woman planning to have a baby soon, “We need something to pin our hopes on and regard these celebrities who champion post-pregnancy weight loss as inspirations. These women give us hope that if they did it, we can do it too!” Zainab Sikender, Creative Director and Strategist at Expert Parenting and Pregnancy magazine, warns against taking the yummy mummy ideal to heart. “Crash diets have documented adverse affects on one’s health. You simply can’t eliminate all fat from your body in just one month! A woman requires patience and will-power to maintain her weight,” she says. As for the showbiz world, not only is beauty skin deep, it is also waif thin. “Of course, I will ask my model to go back to size zero after delivery!” says fashion coordinator Umer Mushtaq. “What on earth would be the point otherwise?” Photographer Tapu Javeri takes a softer stance: “Anybody who has a child has rebelled against the industry,” he says. “I think they
If a woman doesn’t lose her pregnancy fat within three months, she is given the stares when in reality, proper and healthy weight loss takes about a whole year
Nadia Hussain
ing the progress of a celebrity’s pregnancy have also mushroomed. First, we obsess over the growing bump, then the baby and then the post-baby weight, focusing always on appearances and ignoring the other realities: the emotional changes and the psychological transformation. The pressure trickles down to ordinary women who struggle trying to look good at all times while dealing with the challenges of motherhood. “It is not fair on the new mother!” complains Sahar Harris, mother to a beautiful baby boy. “If a woman doesn’t lose her pregnancy fat within three months, she is given the stares when in reality, proper and healthy weight loss takes about a whole year. The pressure shouldn’t be so intense, especially at such a stressful time of her life!” But with the media routinely publishing lists of the most attractive ‘yummy mummies’, the pressure is very much there. “The idea of yummy mummies comes from Hollywood and Bollywood,” says Uzma Mazhar, editor of This Fortnight Pakistan. “It is a standard for a celebrity to look good and we want to emulate that.” In other words, celebrities want to be thin to look good to us and we want to
have enough guts to challenge such norms and ideas.” One may argue that it is ‘liberating’ or even ‘empowering’ for a woman to regain her natural and youthful body once it has undergone the trials of a pregnancy. The desire to banish the baby bump feeds into the ‘if you look good, you feel good’ ideal and makes us obsessed with looking our best at all times. What is sad is that female empowerment, be it for celebrities or regular women, boils down to weight and body image, not to mention the unrealistic expectations it gives us that we can achieve the same drastic weightloss celebrities can afford. If we could simply curtail our preoccupation with weight and become happy in our own skin, we will save each other a lot of trouble.
It is a standard for a celebrity to look good and we want to emulate that. In other words, celebrities want to be thin to look good to us and we want to be thin because we want to look like the celebrities
Vaneeza Ahmed
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Ms
en vogue
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
Urban Living xxxxx
Amina Yasmeen’s stylish new collection is a mix of modern cuts, striking contrasts and elegant embellishments
Coordination: Umer Mushtaq Hair & Makeup: Akef Ilyas Label: Amina Yasmeen Designer: Mansoor Akram Photography and styling: Akef Ilyas Model: Ayaan
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
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unwind
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
Welcome the wedding season
Do
Ms.T ’s recommendations for everything that is doing the rounds across the world. Make sure you give each a shot to stay in the loop! Superwoman Lilly Singh
See Time for some girl power! This IndianCanadian Youtube prodigy has to be one of the most entertaining stand-up comedians in the world of online comedy, cracking jokes about life, love and being a desi person abroad — all with a killer attitude and whole lotta flair! Catch Lilly on her very own Youtube channel at https://www.youtube. com/user/IISuperwomanII or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ IISuperwomanII for some tummytickling wisecracks and non-stop laughter!
Read
The Perils of Being:
Summer is over and Eid has gone and the only thing to look forward to now is the upcoming winter season and all the wedding hustle-bustle it brings. As temperatures begin to decline, the shaadi madness in Pakistan rises! But with so many weddings and so little time to attend them all, life can get pretty hectic, not just for you but also your designers, tailors and parlour-waalis. Therefore, we advise you to get started on those wedding amendments as soon as possible and avoid the last-minute troubles. Finalize your outfits (and your children’s, if need be) and place your orders before the karhai-waale get overbooked. Fix up your jewellery and indulge in some good beauty regimes to give them ample time to work their magic and make you look your most beautiful self.
Attention, Bollywood fans! If you love SRK, can reiterate dialogues from Bollywood blockbusters better than the actors themselves and have your Hindi music playlists on repeat, this page is for you! You know you love Bollywood — don’t even try to deny it. We all have our favourite K3Gs and DDLJs never have we ever viewed them in light of the Perils of Being. This insanely hilarious Tumblr page recaps of your favourite Bollywood movies such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kal Ho Na Ho and highlights a whole new comical side to them. Little did we know family drama could be this funny! Check out the blog at http://bollywoodrecaps.tumblr.com/masterlist for some great laughs. We guarantee you will love it!
domestic goddess 7
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
Recipe
Much like us Pakistanis, the Lebanese too love meat. They stay true to its natural flavour which is why this recipe for Lebanese kebabs is so juicy. Serve these succulent treats with either pita bread or on the suggested bed of tomato puree
Lebanese Kebabs Madiha Hamid is a digital media professional. She runs a food blog for Pakistani and regional cuisines called cheflingtales.com. Follow her on Twitter @cheflingtales
Method For the kebabs: • Add all the ingredients for the kebabs and mix them with your hands. • Take a ball of meat and shape it into a long roll. • Repeat the process for all of the remaining meat. • Fry the kebabs at medium heat, until they are cooked completely (usually takes 4-5 minutes) For the tomato puree: • In a pan, heat some olive oil and add the tomatoes, parsley and seasoning. • You can also blend the tomatoes for a thicker consistency. • Allow it to cook for some time, until the oil separates from the tomatoes completely.
Note: Fry one kebab first, taste it and adjust spices accordingly.
Ingredients:
For the kebabs (4-6)
Minced red meat Parsley (finely 1/2 kg chopped) 1 bunch
Baking powder 1 Rice flour 1 tsp pinch For the tomato puree:
Mint leaves 8 — 10
Medium-sized onion (finely chopped) ½
Wheat flour 1 tsp
Bread crumbs 3 tsp
Zatar powder 2 tsp
Egg white (lightly whisked) 1
Black pepper Salt 1 tsp 1 tsp For garnishing:
Serve the kebabs on a bed of tomato puree and garnish with some pine nuts and parsely. Ripped tomatoes Olive oil 2 tbsp Parsley (chopped) Black pepper (chopped) 3-4 1 tbsp
Salt
Roasted pine nuts
Parsley
hottie of the week 8
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, AUGUST 25, 2013
Status Born
Engaged Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Birthday
27th July, 1985
Face
90%
Usman Mukhtar
Body
80%
Who is he? Johnny Depp? Che Guevara? We were just as torn when we first laid eyes on this mysterious gentleman and when his true identity was discovered, we just had to share him with you! Usman Mukhtar began his film-making career as a child on his sister’s handy-cam and now, regularly works his magic behind the camera with countless music videos and short film productions. He has also lent his talents to theatre productions, including the Islamabad performance of Pawnay 14 August. His next mastermind project ‘Waking Dead’ released this week and is making waves across digital media. With a face like that, it is really a pity that this handsome guy next door prefers the simple life and staying out of the limelight. Seriously, the resemblance to Johnny Depp is just uncanny!
Talent
90%
Why we love him Oodles of talent, super cool personality and a intense appeal unlike any other make Usman one of Pakistan’s most prominent emerging artists. He is the perfect mix of a camera geek and a globe-trotting, fun-loving film-maker who likes to get his quiet times just as much as he enjoys working and socializing. His resemblance to Johnny Depp has caught the attention of many, with modelling contracts being offered to him frequently but like we said earlier, Usman likes to remain behind the scenes and lead a ‘chill’ life. For those of you who like the mellow and dreamy type of boys he is the one for you! Usman’s idea of the perfect night out is to stay indoors and watch movie while munching on some yummy fast food. And the best part is that Usman is a closet fan of chick flicks with his all-time favourite movie being a Walk to Remember. Let’s just say we don’t mind making him our Landon Carter!
What you didn’t know about him Usman suffers from a severe fear of heights and hydrophobia. His family wanted him to become a lawyer and it took Usman over six years to get them to accept his career choice. Usman’s values morals and sincerity over everything else and hates people who forget themselves trying to appear cool. Without a single bad bone in body, Usman is like the perfect human being and makes us want to be good too. Sigh! His fiancée is one lucky girl!
Total Package
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