Nicole Arbour, female comedian, actress, and YouTube star, posted a highly controversial YouTube video in early September entitled, “Dear Fat People.” In it, Arbour harshly suggests that people are entirely to blame for their own weight and implies that everyone who is overweight should be ashamed of themselves.
“Dear Fat People” has received criticism and backlash from YouTubers, celebrities, and users of social media. Many people feel that Arbour’s video mocked people who weigh more than she does and that her hurtful content bordered on bullying. Arbour has repeatedly stated that she doesn’t believe that anything she said in the video could be taken offensively. She argues that it was just another satirical video meant to poke fun at a particular group of people.
When the popular media company Buzzfeed came across this internet controversy, it quickly developed a video response to the issue of fat-shaming. This video response depicts several self-described “fat people” addressing and correcting the misconceptions that are often associated with overweight individuals. One woman states, “I’m fat but I like to go to the gym” while a man states, “I’m fat but I don’t eat McDonald’s everyday.” Another woman goes as far as to directly respond to Arbour’s comment about fat people smelling like sausage by saying, “I’m fat but I smell great.”
The overall message that Buzzfeed conveys by producing this response can best be summed up by the final line of the video, “I am fat but I am human.” All humans deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their weight or appearance.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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