Is Jessica Simpson fat? Why do we care? What is all this talk doing to women's self images? And what's it got to do with Barack Obama?

It's all over the news. It's all over the Internet. Haven't you heard?

Apparently, Jessica Simpson, purveyor of mediocre pop, has gained a few pounds.

There has been much criticism, maybe even more support, and a whole lot of people who suggest she suck it up (but not literally, of course) - the media made her, and now she must pay the piper.

Here is just a sampling:

Needless (I hope) to say, the creator of the first clip is clearly an ass.

And I largely agree with what Ashlee Simpson says in the second clip,although her full MySpace post is fairly ridiculous: "A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman's weight or figure as a headline," she begins. Umm, yeah, whatever.

As for clip three, well, does Drunk Dean has a point? By thrusting themselves so into the media's bright lights, should celebrities just take the accompanying abuse?

And what of the (hopefully) unintentional ramifications of calling someone who is clearly not fat, well, fat? What effect does that have on the average American woman, and does the media hold any resposibility for protecting the psyche of the average woman?

Tell me what YOU think.