A few years ago, if you drove down any of the major boulevards in Los Angeles, you were bound to run into at least one billboard featuring the three local Fox morning news anchors. Above their faces, were simple, three-word phrases in black, block text as bold as the personalities they represented: “In the news;” “In the know;” “In your face.” One guess as to which tagline Jillian Reynolds was given.

Reynolds’ larger than life personality precedes her, suggesting she blew the doors off the entertainment industry from the very first minute she deplaned from Canada. In actuality, though, Reynolds started out, like most females, just trying to get taken seriously at the desk – in professional suits and downplaying her looks. But Reynolds very quickly came to find that there was nothing right about trying to be anyone other than who she really was. Lucky for her, she found a home with a Fox affiliate (first WSVN in Miami and then KTTV at Fox) that liked her big smile and even bigger opinions.

Once “seen as just a weathergirl,” Reynolds’ refreshing honesty and fearlessness in poking fun at herself opened the door for her to do much more. Having been on Good Day LA since 1995, Reynolds soon got the itch to expand – and brand herself. Her bubbly and sometimes brash personality was put to good use on Extreme Dating and, today, is in even better use matching wits with Howie and the boys on the NFL. She never let anyone tell her she couldn’t do something.

Reynolds is a staunch proponent of animal rights and adoption. For someone who takes on so many of the superficial (style and celebrity) stories on Good Day LA, she has also found a great way to give back: by tying her own personal philanthropy into the broadcast each morning. It is because of Reynolds’ influence that Adopt-A-Pet has become the feature segment that it has, finding good, loving homes for thousands of deserving pets across the southland.

It has been said that “you can’t be a good actor if you’re afraid to make a fool of yourself,” but it is arguable that you can’t be a relatable public figure in general if you are so inhibited. Reynolds, always willing to air her personal successes—and struggles— is proof of that. She has come into viewers’ homes on Good Day LA for the past fifteen years: they eat their breakfast with her; they get their kids ready for school with her; and they grow with her.

Reynolds is often seen as loud, lavish, and flashy—someone who reflects a somewhat untouchable lifestyle. But her willingness to share bad date stories, anecdotes about her adopted Canadian parents and birthmother alike, and beaming pride about her own daughter keeps her completely grounded. She may be a woman on television, but she is just a woman first, and she never pretends to be anything more.

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Journalist Roxana Saberi’s turned 32 years last Sunday as she continues to be incarcerated in Tehran’s Evin Prison on an eight-year sentence for espionage.

Her father, Reza Saberi, recently confirmed that Saberi has been on hunger strike. Her family was told that she was initially arrested in January for buying a bottle of wine, which is against the country’s Islamic law. Iranian prosecutors later accused Roxana Saberi of working as a journalist without the proper documentation. Now Iranian officials allege that the Roxana Saberi was purchasing information about Iran’s nuclear program.

She was tried in April for espionage; her lawyer, Abdolsamad Khoramshahi, has filed an appeal. Saberi moved to Iran, her father’s home country, in 2003 to work as a reporter. The North Dakota native has reported for Fox News, BBC and NPR. She received a master’s degree in journalism from the Northwestern University in Chicago and another master’s in international relations at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

While in Iran, Roxana Saberi reported on a broad array of issues, including Iranian movie trends, a fatal plane crash and U.N. sanctions. Her case continues to garner international attention. The BBC called Iran officials to request “independent access to her.” U.S. officials have also expressed concern—U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for her “speedy release.”

A letter composed in March by various officials from news outlets appealed for her release, pleading for international organizations to intervene under the Geneva Conventions. They requested access to Roxana Saberi to “ascertain her health and well-being.”

www.FreeRoxana.net has been created to encourage concerned persons to write to Mohammad Khazzee, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. His mailing address is listed on the site’s front page.

While Roxana Saberi continues her hunger strike (an April 27th Twitter update from All Day News reported Saberi lost 10 pounds since beginning her fast), her father remains in Tehran. Reza Saberi, who maintains dual citizenship, has said that he will not leave the country until his daughter returns home. “I will stay here until she is released,” he told an AP TV News reporter.

Update (May 11, 2009): Saberi was released from prison and her sentence reduced. Read it at BBC.

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We’ve all seen unflattering celebrity photos. They infiltrate the blogosphere, land on the covers of the gossip mags and somehow manage to make headline news. While many of us are guilty of scoffing at the images, is it right to deride celebs and label them “fat” just because they’ve gained a few pounds?

Understandably, stars are victims of media scrutiny—females especially. Quite often, they are held to unrealistic beauty standards. If they are unable to maintain or achieve a rail-thin, waif-like appearance, they are scorned by society. It’s no wonder eating disorders and unhealthy lifestyles are rampant in Hollywood.

When photos of a more full-figured Jessica Simpson surfaced in January, the media mocked and ridiculed her endlessly. Even Barack Obama commented on Simpson’s “weight battle” in an interview with Matt Lauer. Outraged by the barrage of negative comments, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, Simpson’s sister, wrote on her site, “I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all woman to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on FOX News… All women come in different shapes, sizes and forms and because you’re a celebrity, there shouldn’t be a different standard.”

Admittedly, Simpson’s outfit was in the least bit flattering. However it doesn’t justify the cruelty and body bullying that surrounded her. Quite frankly, the media and public should be less critical towards women. Ashlee continues, “How can we expect teenage girls to love and respect themselves in an environment where we criticize a size 2 figure?” Despite the weight-ism, Jessica Simpson is confident and comfortable in her own skin. More importantly, she is happy with herself.

Body bullying is nothing new in the entertainment world. Celebrities such as Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Tyra Banks, and Jennifer Love Hewitt are just a few of the famous ladies who have been the butt of countless weight jokes. It’s human nature to notice and observe drastic changes in celebrity appearance but it’s another thing to judge and criticize them harshly. The negative commentary surrounding “fat” celebrities truly has a damaging ripple effect.

Both Banks and Hewitt have both publicly discussed their much-publicized-weight gain for the sake of younger girls. Being labeled “ugly” and “disgusting” for a slight fluctuation in weight is disconcerting and sends wrong messages about body image. Unlike us, celebrities don’t have the luxury to choose which photos the world gets to see. Many times, unflattering celeb photos are a direct result of bad angles and poor styling decisions. Or maybe stars like Britney and Kelly aren’t obsessing over what they eat and how long they spend at the gym.

What can average girls take from all this? Be healthy and embrace who you are. What matters is that you feel good about yourself. Jennifer Love Hewitt couldn’t have said it better. “Not everyone can be super tall and super skinny. You have to look inside yourself and find your own confidence.” C’mon ladies, let’s stop with the body bashing and redefine what real beauty is.

ashlee simpson, barack obama, body, body image, britney spears, celebrity, fat, fox news, hollywood, jennifer love hewitt, jessica simpson, kelly clarkson, matt lauer, media, tyra banks, weight Hide