Canadian self-proclaimed comedian Nicole Arbour raised the ire of many this week when she posted a fat-shaming, bullying video to her YouTube channel. Ironically, she claimed that there is no such thing as fat-shaming, before going on to spend an entire six minutes shaming fat people. “Fat-shaming is not a thing. Fat people made that up. It’s like the race card, with no race,” Arbour says in the beginning of her video, after mocking the supposed inability of overweight people to run fast.
Arbour went on to perpetuate all of the tired old fat-stereotypes: that overweight people are necessarily unhealthy and unfit; that all overweight people suffer from heart disease; that they are always responsible for being overweight; and, one of the most common and harmful misconceptions of all, that shaming overweight people will motivate or inspire them to lose weight. Of course, all bullies would all like to justify their bullying behaviour as being ‘helpful’. No one wants to admit that they’re a bully.
Fat-shaming is not a rare occurrence. Bullies hiding behind their computer screens are frequent offenders. There are also vile, abusive types voicing their ignorant opinions in mainstream media, such as Katie Hopkins, or as she’s commonly known ‘Britain’s most hated woman’. Hopkins’ claims to fame are numerous, including suggesting that overweight people should have to pay a ‘fat tax’ to fly, and that she would never employ an overweight person. Unlike Hopkins, who seems to bully and abuse people because she just plain enjoys it, perhaps the most confusing thing about Nicole Arbour’s tirade is that she is doing it under the guise of humour. When the joke hurts or humiliates a person or group of people, it simply isn’t funny. There seems to be a new generation of so-called ‘comedians’ popping up who rely on racism, sexism and other kinds of discrimination for their material, and the result is not even close to comedy.
After Arbour posted her fat-shaming act on YouTube, viewers responded angrily, resulting in what Arbour claims was YouTube “censoring” her by suspending her account. It is unclear whether YouTube did in fact suspend her account, or whether Arbour herself temporarily closed it down for the attention. What is clear though, is that the ‘joke’ fell flat.
Fat-shaming is often overlooked due to the misconception that it may motivate overweight people to lose weight, and this misconception is one that Arbour makes to justify her rant. In fact, studies have shown that fat-shaming may actually have the opposite effect. This article from Psychology Today explores the impacts of fat-shaming on victims, including the increased risks victims of fat-shaming have of depression and suicide attempts, and eating disorders. It was found that bullying and fat-shaming were unlikely to be motivators to lose weight and victims were actually likely to gain weight instead. From this we can reach the conclusion which should be blindingly obvious; that bullying does not have any positive effects on its victims.
Young people are bombarded daily with images of the slender, ideal body type favoured by the media and the fashion industry, with very little variation, which leads to an immense pressure to conform. Rather than accepting fat-shaming, our society needs more body-positive role models who promote a healthy lifestyle regardless of size. YouTuber Meghan Tonjes is one such role-model, promoting positive body image through her videos and songs. You can view her emotional response to Nicole Arbour’s video, where she discusses the fact that she grew up not seeing people who looked like her in successful positions both in employment or personal lives, and the effect that had on her self-esteem and self-worth here.
While Arbour has gained plenty of attention, very few people find it funny. Here’s a word of advice to comedians: If your joke relies on offending, degrading, or abusing a person or a group of people, it is not a joke. It is not funny. It is bullying, just as it was in high school. A true comedian does not need to make their jokes at the expense of others.
Kelly is studying the Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, and hopes to major in Politics and Media. She is taking a leave of absence while she settles her family in Brisbane. See her blog here, and follow her on Twitter at @kellysthenics.