Adele's Christmas Photos Stir Online Debate Over Body Image

Adele shares Christmas photos on Instagram, but all anyone can talk about is her weight loss

Adele hasn’t gifted the public with a new album in a while and she only posts on Instagram about once a month, but when the iconic U.K. songstress broke her relative social media silence to share some snaps from a Christmas party she hosted, the only thing anyone could focus on was that she looked like she’d lost some weight.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6bUG27gnWs/

Tons of outlets covered Adele’s holiday party, but it was mostly British tabloids that were obsessed with framing her holiday photos around her weight loss.

“Adele shows off glam transformation after whopping three stone weight loss.” — The Daily Star.

“Adele looks unrecognisable and oozes glamour in festive snap after weight loss,” — Mirror Celeb.

“Adele flaunts HUGE three stone weight loss in stunning satin dress to ring in Christmas with Santa,” — The Daily Mail.

But it wasn’t just the tabloids. Fans and followers rushed in to emphatically praise her weight loss as it pertained to her shape, and therefore her perceived worth.

“FABULOUS. Incredible weightloss by #Adele. Unrecognisable,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “She looks so good she’s so skinny,” another said on Instagram.

UK Journalist India Willoughby’s tweet was met with a ton of pushback from fans who were critical that Adele is only being congratulated for losing weight and not like, you know, being one of the most talented singers of her generation?

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1209463740036452359

Willoughby didn’t seem to understand the criticism and only thought she was giving the singer a compliment, but body-positive warrior Jameela Jamil put it best when she wrote, “Adele was beautiful before. Is beautiful now. Will be beautiful WHATEVERTHEFUCK weight she will be in the future. The weight of a global icon trending is a sign there is still work to do in how we value women in 2020. Being thinner doesn’t add to her value. She was born.”

Plus, Adele hasn’t really commented publicly about her weight loss. All she did was post a photo from Christmas and the comment section zeroed in on her body. Others chimed in to echo this sentiment.

Adele is just trying to share some Christmas photos and for some reason, it turned into “Omigod but her body!” Next time Adele shares photos from a Christmas party, the only appropriate headline should be, “Adele has a holiday party, remains one of the most talented singers of her generation.” Full stop.