Amy Schumer Is Stunning In This Annie Leibovitz Photo
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Comedian Amy Schumer posed topless for a photo in the 43rd edition of the Pirelli calendar, which is considered the "most prestigious calendar" in the fashion world. The image, which was taken by noted photographer Annie Leibovitz, has received ample praise on social media for the comedian's body positive message and also because the celebrated calendar is known for mostly including supermodels such as Gigi Hadid and Kate Moss.
The picture is significant because Schumer has spoken at length about her struggles with body image issues and has faced a lot of criticism from body-shamers. She's featured as one of only two females featured partially nude in the calendar, Slate reports, the other is tennis champion Serena Williams. The famous women have been targeted over their bodies in the past year.
As a famous woman in the spotlight, Schumer has notoriously mocked Hollywood's unrealistic beauty standards in her raw comedy.
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"I felt I looked more beautiful than I've ever felt in my life, and I felt like it looked like me," Schumer said in a promotional interview for the photo shoot.
Schumer's Facebook post featuring the image received more than 114,000 likes and generated positive comments from her fans:
Amy Schumer Facebook - facebook.com
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This comes roughly two weeks after Schumer shared a tweet highlighting an unkind Daily Mail caption about her appearance, relaying how difficult it can be to live comfortably as a woman in the public eye:
Though she often jokes about Hollywood's unrealistic expectations of women in her comedy, she doesn't always laugh about the greater issue of body image insecurities. In October, she told TODAY in a tearful interview with Maria Shriver that she has faced serious challenges feeling good about herself:
"It's an emotional thing. It's been a struggle for me my whole life, and especially just being in the entertainment industry. Standing on a stage in front of people, I can't perform my best or be confident if I'm not sure — if I'm pulling at something [I'm wearing]. And sometimes I would just want to throw in the towel and be like, 'I'm not gonna go do standup tonight.'"
The Pirelli calendar also includes Wimbledon winner Serena Williams, who has also faced negative comments about her athletic build as well. Over the summer, many criticized a New York Times piece for the language used to describe Williams' physique.
Flickr/Charles Thompson - flickr.com
"[Williams] has large biceps and a mold-breaking muscular frame, which packs the power and athleticism that have dominated women’s tennis for years," Ben Rothernberg wrote for The Times. "Her rivals could try to emulate her physique, but most of them choose not to."
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Williams explained to The Times that she doesn't do weight training for fear of becoming too bulky. Regardless, she says, she's proud of herself and her body.
“I don’t touch a weight, because I’m already super fit and super cut, and if I even look at weights, I get bigger,” she said. “For years I’ve only done Thera-Bands and things like that, because that’s kind of how I felt. But then I realized that you really have to learn to accept who you are and love who you are. I’m really happy with my body type, and I’m really proud of it. Obviously it works out for me. I talk about it all the time, how it was uncomfortable for someone like me to be in my body.”
