Is calling someone "full figured" really an insult?

Don’t mention the war.

Or more specifically, don’t mention her body if you find yourself chatting with Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks.

Fairfax journalist Kate Waterhouse learned this the hard way in an off-the-charts awkward interview with Hendricks this week. (On the excruciating-to-watch scale it’s right up there with the Tom Cruise/Peter Overton put-your-manners-back-in moment.)

Who knew the Mad Men star would be so prickly about this particular term.

So what happened?  Waterhouse was interviewing Hendricks during the actress’ current visit to Australia to promote Spec Saver glasses and asked the famously curvy actress about how her “fuller figure” inspired other woman.

Cue: Stony silence. (And loads of  angry PR people madly making phone calls in the background).

Take a look:

Apparently, off-camera, Hendricks said, “I think calling me full-figured is just rude.”

Wait, is it?

Let’s be real for a moment. Christina Hendricks has a name that’s synonymous with the words ‘hourglass’ and ‘curves.’

She is a refreshing contrast to the cavalcade of same-size-and-shape actresses we see on every red carpet in every country in the world. This is not a bad thing. In fact this is a SUPERB thing, surely.

So by refusing to answer a question referring to her “full figure” is Hendricks being precious? Or is commenting on someone else’s figure just blatantly inappropriate?

What do you think? How would you have reacted if you were Christina Hendricks?

Since the interview was posted on Fairfax websites yesterday, it’s been talked about widely. For example….