Dear Fat PeopleWhat we've all wanted to say to FAT PEOPLE
Posted by Nicole Arbour on Thursday, September 3, 2015
YouTube star Nicole Arbour is facing criticism after she posted a video titled "Dear Fat People" that jokes about obese people.
In the nearly six-minute video, Arbour claims that "fat-shaming is not a thing" and compares some overweight people to slow-moving zombies.
"What are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do?" she asked in the beginning of her video. "You gonna chase me? Really? I can get away from you by walking at a reasonable pace."
She also poked fun at the positive body image movements that have been more than prevalent in recent months.
"OMG the hashtags #BodyPositive. If you want to be positive to your body, work out and eat well. That's being positive to your body," she explained. "You really think if enough of you hashtag something bad for you, it makes it okay?"
She continued, "I'm not saying all this to be an a--hole, I'm saying it because your friends should be saying this to you. Think of me as one of your ride or dies."
Based on social media reaction, a lot of people aren't exactly seeing it that way. Although Arbour's video has received more than 19 million views on Facebook, it appears YouTube briefly suspended her account and the video before being reinstated.
WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO FAT PEOPLE ---> #DearFatPeople This is my response to Nicole Arbour's video (& all body shamers!) S2 of #MyBigFatFabLife premiers Wed. 9/9 at 9 on TLC! #NoBodyShame
Posted by Whitney Way Thore on Saturday, September 5, 2015
While people continue to watch the video and form their own opinions, others like Whitney Way Thore are speaking out and sharing their reaction.
In a video that has also received more than 11 million views, the star of TLC's My Big Fat Fabulous Life sounded off on what she calls a "heinous" video.
"Fat-shaming is a thing. It's a really big thing—no pun intended," she explained on Facebook. "It's the really nasty spawn of a larger problem called body shaming that I'm fairly certain everyone on the planet especially women has experienced."
Thore, who has polycystic ovary syndrome, added, "You cannot tell a person's health, physical or otherwise, from looking at them."
And while some may be hurt by the video, Arbour appears to be taking the feedback—both good and bad—in stride.
"No one can hurt you without your permission. #GoTeam #Laugh," she tweeted Monday afternoon. "You're nobody till somebody Lov…Prints the worst photo they can find of you."