Skinny: The Public Eye & Billie Eilish

By  KATHERINE LUO ‘27 and GRACE YANG ‘27

People say I look happy

Just because I got skinny

But the old me is still me and maybe the real me 

And I think she’s pretty

Billie Eilish selected “Skinny” as the opening piece of  “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” setting the tone of the album. This piece highlighted the “body image” issue, where Eilish emphasized “skinny ≠ happy.” Eilish has gradually lost weight throughout her career, which garnered attention from her audience, who interpreted her changing body image as a sign of newfound hope. However, Eilish has expressed her belief that her previous self remains a part of her identity, stating, “But the old me is still me and maybe the real me, and I think she’s pretty.”

“Am I acting my age now?” Expectations, like an invisible rope, restrain people and force them to behave in a certain way that matches societal standards. Tags such as ‘immature’ and ‘mature’ obliviously define a person’s actions, especially judgments towards public figures. Paparazzi, YouTube commentators, and Op-ed articles scattered online provide strong opinions and deep analysis, invading public figures’ privacy and ripping apart the image these celebrities present themselves into pieces. For public figures, the pressure to meet audience expectations can be overwhelming, as there is an implied obligation to engage and satisfy their fanbase consistently. Eilish’s fans cherished her like a ‘secret,’ a little artist before she went mainstream, before she became worldwide famous, and before the fanbase expanded. Yet secrets are impossible to hide, Eilish said, “The internet is hungry for the meanest kind of funny and somebody’s gotta feed it.” This underscores the urgent reality that in today’s digital age, maintaining a personal image while navigating public perception is a complex challenge for many celebrities.

As if she is constantly living under security cameras, Eilish helplessly voiced her stress about the impact of the relentless attention that came with fame. She feels she has a lack of control over her public image, which doesn’t represent her true self. Despite her glamorous persona on stage and her dedication to music creation, she feels “when [she] step off the stage, [she’s] a bird in a cage, [she’s] a dog in a dog pound.” 

For her, performing serves as both an escape and a source of pressure; while it allows her to express her creativity through lyrics and music, performing also seems to trap her in a box. Eilish feels that her fame can hinder her artistic freedom, as it demands that she meet certain expectations and focus on factors beyond her passion for music, factors that focus on the commercial value rather than the artistry. This duality illustrates the complex relationship artists like Eilish have with their public personas and the artistic process.

The theme in “Skinny” of body image and celebrityhood echos Eilish’s earlier song, “Therefore I Am,” which alludes to René Descartes’ famous philosophy of “cogito, ergo sum,” or in other words, “I think, therefore I am.” In the song, Eilish critiques clout-chasers that attack her for a taste of her fame. In 2020, a paparazzi photo of Billie Eilish circulated social media platforms where she was dressed in more form-fitting outfit than her usual baggy attire. The photo, incredibly mundane, incredibly average was ripped to shreds by the internet. “Her body was too plump,” they cried, circling over her like hungry vultures, waiting to pick the “extra” meat straight off her bones. A man in his thirties, drooling from his mouth, tweeted, “in 10 months Billie Eilish has developed a mid-30’s wine mom body.” 

Now, in his Twitter profile banner sits a malicious caricature of a morbidly obese Billie Eilish with a shirt reading “Fat Guy” in what he thinks is a clever play on Eilish’s hit song “Bad Guy”. Next to the crude drawing a screenshot of an article, “BILLIE EILISH RESPONDS AFTER A MAN BODY-SHAMED HER ON TWITTER,” a trophy glittering on his internet profile. He had one taste of fame and was immediately hooked, addicted to the attention, no matter the nature of it. To him, all exposure is good exposure. However, Eilish refuses to give him the attention he foams at the mouth for, putting him down as one would muzzle a rabid, barking dog, “I don’t want press to put your name next to mine, we’re on different lines.” Now, four years later, Eilish still defines his identity though he is far in her past. Still now, he picks the rotting bones of a horse beaten dead long ago.

Eilish continues to explore her place in the issue of body image as a celebrity. In her 2021 album “Happier Than Ever,” she included a spoken track named “Not My Responsibility.” The song was played live on tour, paired with a video of Eilish shedding layers of black clothing, her light skin contrasting starkly with the black background. She begins the introspective track with a surreal instrumental, then the words, “do you know me? Really know me?” She pauses lengthily between each line, the sensual visuals slow and steady. One of the difficulties of navigating celebrityhood is defining relationships with the audience. Too often celebrities find themselves stuck in awkward parasocial relationships that keep them away from experiencing genuine human connection. 

Like in “Therefore I Am,” Eilish articulates that she is not your friend. Thus, to make judgements and assumptions about her when you don’t know her is senseless. To judge her body when you’ve never seen it, when she has no obligation to share it with you, is even more ridiculous. However, as is the way celebrities (especially female ones) are treated. Their image and bodies are so pervasive, so on display that audiences feel they can comment on it, intrude on it. Eilish expresses this sentiment, stating, “but I feel you watching, always.” She ends the powerful track with two questions, “is my value based only on your perception? Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?”