Fat-Shaming in the Media, Again
What a week if you’re fat. It all started with the pissant Bill Maher using his platform on HBO to discuss why he thinks fat-shaming should come back in style. (He has always hated fat people.) His awful video went viral. Jamer Corden TRIED to stand up for us, but in my opinion, he made it worse.
Lots of people will say that I am being too hard on poor James, but I disagree. I am not going to link to either video because I do not want to give them more clicks or virality.
I appreciate the idea that James wanted to take on Bill Maher’s hateful bullying, but while watching James, it became crystal clear that James is drowning in internalized fatphobia.
Fortunately, Ragen Chastain wrote about James and so did Debra Hall. Here are their responses:
Bill Maher, James Corden, and Fat-shaming
How James Corden Got it Right and What He is Still Missing
Fat Shaming Does NOT Lead to Weight Loss, Bill Maher
His response was so full of weight stigma that I could barely stand to watch it all. He reinforced the notion that being fat is bad, that fat people existing is a problem to be solved, that our mere existence in the world is an “epidemic” which are all notions rooted in fatphobia and fat-shaming.
He made points against bullying, but he couched them in the notion that fat-shaming is only wrong because it doesn’t make fat people thinner. (Even if bullying did make fat people thinner — as some fatphobes will inevitably suggest — it would still be utterly wrong.)
Not to mention how much he reinforced stereotypes about fat people and food and exercise.
Sorry, James. It was not enough. It wasn’t even close.
I truly hope that James gets educated on fat liberation, fat acceptance, and HAES (Health At Every Size).
None of owes a smaller body or good health to anyone. None of us has to make ourselves smaller, None of has to obsess about food and diets. What we all deserve is basic fucking dignity like (most) all other humans get. We do not have to EARN dignity, respect or love.
And, Bill Maher should just shut the fuck up – but also BILL – if you do not know this already – shaming leads to weight gain. So, by encouraging fat-shaming you are LITERALLY making us fatter, you damn idiot. Do some research you pissant.
Why Does Bill Maher Hate Fat People So Much blog I wrote.