Recently in the media, there have been two prominent stories involving body image. One story is of a “project," in the least helpful and humanitarian sense of that word. This project has taken to editing photos of plus-size women to make them appear thinner. The second story involves a YouTube video called “Dear Fat People” by Nicole Arbour. Arbour is a comedian, and she claimed that the video “is supposed to encourage people to be ‘healthier,’” according to an article on mtv.com.
The so-called project, Project Harpoon, came from a group called ThinnerBeauty, as discussed on torontosun.com in the article, “Shame on those who fat-shame,” by Victoria Revay of the Postmedia Network. Revay said, “They claim Photoshopping these images provides insight into ‘visible, achievable health goals’ for those they deem to be unfit, unhealthy and simply, just too fat.” Project Harpoon caused suspensions for all of ThinnerBeauty’s accounts. According to Revay, “Clinical psychologist Dr. Barbara Greenberg, Ph.D., says this campaign could lead to eating disorders.” Internal medicine specialist and director of the Wharton Weight Management Clinic Dr. Sean Wharton said that individuals can be healthy at any size or weight and that “The misconception that somehow people living with obesity lack the willpower to lose weight also causes ridicule and emotional distress, which can cause more harm than good for the person’s well-being.” Revay writes that the lack of willpower idea is pretty strong in ThinnerBeauty’s messages, as are its negative comments on weight.
Arbour’s highly harsh and offensive video caused her YouTube channel to be shut down for a short time. As discussed in an article on cnn.com, Arbour claims that fat-shaming does not exist. She also makes wildly rude jokes, considering she claims to be trying to help people. One such insulting and crude joke discussed how fat people smell like sausage. It’s a joke that is rude, to say the least, and in addition, not really all that funny.
Several celebrities have spoken about the video. Grace Helbig, a woman who always acts goofy and is never afraid to make fun of herself, spoke seriously and sadly on how unfunny the video is and how it is harmful to those with body issues. Meghan Tonjes, as discussed in the MTV article above, is a body positive YouTuber. Tonjes is quoted in the article as said in her video, “’I know what it’s like to sit there as a teenage girl and see something like that and … it doesn’t have the effect that people like this assume it does, where it’s like, ’Oh, it just motivates me to go and lose weight,'” and, “To plant a seed of change and to plant a seed of positivity and growth, but to plant, like, it in soil that’s based in complete hatred of yourself, like, nothing’s ever gonna happen.”
Arbour was hired to be the choreographer on a film called “Don’t Talk to Irene" as discussed in an article on zap2it.com. The director, a man who was bullied himself for being gay, fired Arbour and was highly upset by the video. He stated, “’Nicole: Did you even read my script? It is a body positive teen movie. It has a message that is in direct opposition to your cruel and lame YouTube rant,’” and, “’We will not be working together. You are not hired for 'Don’t Talk to Irene.'" However according to an article on mtv.com, Arbour denies being attached and told People magazine, "'We had spoken of it, and last I heard the team was doing a re-write. Pat Mills is using my YouTube story as a reason to get a low budget film that has not yet even started production press.”'
Such movements may claim to be positive, but when you root your message in unkind actions and words, you are being hypocritical, and I don’t see how you can claim to be helping anyone.