If you’ve been around the Internet recently, you’ve probably seen the uproar over self-proclaimed comedian and YouTube video blogger Nicole Arbour’s recent video. “Dear Fat People” sparked a discussion about defining “fat phobia” and sharpening the blurred line between comedy and offense. Many members of the YouTube community spoke out against Arbour’s video, however, many were also in support of the vlogger’s message.
Arbour’s video received backlash from YouTube as the site temporarily suspended her channel. She also allegedly lost her role in a recent movie deal.
In the media, Arbour claims “satire” and told TIME that she’s “not apologizing” for making the video. The video exploded on social media, and currently has over 3 million views. Based on her Twitter account, Arbour shows no remorse over her content and has talked to numerous publications about her unapologetic comedy style.
Members of the YouTube community have spoken out--most notably: Tyler Oakley, Grace Helbig, Kingsley (trigger warning: profanity), and Meghan Tonjes. Helbig, a vlogger and host of E!’s The Grace Helbig Show, said in her video “Oops We’re All Humans,” that Arbour’s video tried to “leverage subscribers and attention in a really negative way” (via TIME).
Nicole Arbour has never been fat. Nicole Arbour has never had her confidence stripped from her because mainstream society views all fat people as “unhealthy.” Nicole Arbour can easily shop at stores like Brandy Melville and Abercrombie without being told “you can’t wear this,” or “skinny people look better in our clothes.” Nicole Arbour will never battle any stigmas attached with being overweight.
Whitney Thore, the star of TLC’s My Big Fat Fabulous Life, responded to Arbour’s video. The response went viral on Facebook, but Thore has since deleted it.
Thore has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which caused her to gain over 100 pounds in eight months according to her interview with Access Hollywood. The Mayo Clinic states on their website that obesity is a common symptom for PCOS.
But, Thore has stated she does not use that as an excuse; the subsequent bullying has led her to shame herself and "not want to exercise."
"When you make a person feel that way, it doesn't lead to very healthy
choices. I didn't want to go out and go to the gym. When I did, I heard
people laughing at me. I didn't care about my health. I was so depressed
that I didn't want to leave the house. I think that fat shaming
obviously, studies are showing this now, it doesn't make people want to
make healthier choices. It makes us feel worse. If you want to say you
are concerned about somebody, you don't simultaneously insult them," said Thore in her interview with Access Hollywood.
Being fat doesn't stop at cheeseburgers and "laziness," which Arbour described in her video. Running Magazine featured a plus-sized woman on the cover. Whitney Thore is a dance instructor. Project Runway has challenges nearly every season centered around making clothes for women who aren't model-sized (let me make the disclaimer that I am in no way shaming models for the body they have, but this article isn't about them). Arbour says in her video that fat people are "responsible" for their size, and condescendingly believes we should shame them until they learn to be healthy. However, there are factors Arbour isn't calculating into her argument. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 4.6 percent of Americans aged 12 and older suffer from hypothyroidism, which causes sufferers to gain weight. Thore's disease, PCOS, affects five to 10 percent of American women in child bearing years (ages 20-40), according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sure, that's an incredibly small number in comparison to the more than 321 million people living in the U.S. (via 2010 census), and 66 percent of Americans are overweight, but only doctors have the authority to determine whether or not someone's weight is a threat to their life.
Nicole, sorry to break this to you, but you’re not a doctor. You’re also not a comedian; you’re just the living threequel of Mean Girls trying to hide your crappy, outdated opinions with crappy, outdated humor. What’s even crappier is your inability to learn from the responses on your video. Just because a few of your “team members” think we’re all getting our panties in a bunch, doesn’t mean your video doesn’t suck--because it does. It’s 100 percent possible and costs you $0.00 to joke about sensitive issues in a way that doesn’t degrade someone’s life. You may not be taking this seriously, but YouTube, actual fat people, the casting director of that movie you were supposed to be in, and the rest of the world definitely are.
It seems as if the quote of the year is “2015 is the year everything offended everyone.” Except the people saying it are those who have never faced any sort of systemic discrimination. Maybe this isn’t a totally valid observation, but as a society, creating an accepting atmosphere for everyone should be the goal. I’m tired of seeing people argue “all lives matter,” but then believe homophobic, ableist, transphobic, misogynistic, fatphobic, racist, etc. comments can be passed off as “comedy”. But that's just my own observation.
People like Nicole Arbour still exist, though. Her video lit the flame to understand that comedy and bullying sit between a fine line. Arbour doesn’t care; she’s made that very public. But the targets of Arbour's video care. Isn’t it time we cared about them, too?
