What’s with the double standards, Sam? You should know better

IN the past, Samantha Armytage has accused the media of bullying and fat-shaming. And yet she had no qualms in skinny-shaming Amal Clooney, writes Lucy Carne.

IS Samantha Armytage suffering memory loss? I only ask because it seems like just recently she accused the media of bullying and fat-shaming.

And yet, the Sunrise co-host, along with her colleague Natalie Barr, had no qualms in skinny-shaming Amal Clooney, 24 hours after she had given birth to twins.

Let us not forget this is the same Samantha Armytage who following a photo spread of her fashion mishaps in the Daily Telegraph in 2014, tweeted: “Wow. A newspaper bullying a woman about her weight — I thought those days were gone! And again, no one seems to have written it #coward.”

This is also the same Samantha Armytage, who last year was ridiculed by the Daily Mail for wearing large “granny pants”. Her treatment by the news website drew widespread condemnation and the Mail was forced to apologise.

So why the sudden double standards, Sam?

Hasn’t the pain of being personally ridiculed over your appearance taught you anything?

Apparently not. You are still dishing out derision over another woman’s size.

Even Sunrise co-host David Koch chided Armytage and Barr for joking about Amal’s post-baby body.

It’s not nice to fat-shame OR skinny-shame someone. (Pic: AFP/Valerie Macon)

During a report on the birth of the human rights lawyer’s twins on Wednesday, Armytage, 41, interrupted, joking: “Come on — I bet she’s already back to her pre-pregnancy weight today.”

Barr, 49, joked: “By lunch time!”

Kochie jumped to Amal Clooney’s defence, saying the women were being “nasty”.

“We’re not being nasty,” Barr exclaimed. “We were joking!”

The thing is, saying something nasty and then pretending you didn’t mean it fools no one. Using “just joking” as a get out clause is a feeble excuse.

The conversation about post-baby bodies shouldn’t even be happening.

No body is the same — for better or worse — after childbirth. The loose skin, stretch marks and wobbly bits tell the story of a body’s incredible endurance and power. It’s the price women pay for the privilege of giving life.

Not cool, Sam. (Pic: Sunrise)

I gave birth to twins three months ago. It doesn’t matter if I’m back to my pre-baby weight or not. I’m not interested in shaming women who pose in bikinis post-birth. Just as I won’t debate whether squishy, post-baby bellies are beautiful.

I honestly don’t care. With three kids under three I haven’t got time for literal navel gazing.

What matters is that my body — and Amal Clooney’s — was able to grow two healthy humans and two placentas, carry them to full term and deliver them safely into the world.

Twin pregnancies are medically classified as high risk. We faced a higher chance of miscarriage, preterm labour and undersized babies than singleton pregnancies.

Armytage and Barr should have congratulated Amal for such a remarkable and joyous achievement.

That is what we should be celebrating.

Who cares whether Amal Clooney is fat or thin? For chrissakes, the woman was pregnant with two babies at the same time. That’s one body carrying three heads, six legs and three hearts.

All mothers are amazing, but mothers of multiples are Wonder Women.

And no “just joking” morning show hosts can diminish that honour.

Lucy Carne is editor of RendezView and is currently on maternity leave.