Fat. Chubby. Heavy. Large. Plus-Size.
As a larger person, I've struggled with these labels and experienced the anxiety/fear of being picked on for most of my life. I did avoid a lot of unwanted attention from any potential bullies simply by blending in and erasing myself from anyone's radar. I do not, however, suggest this for anyone because not only do you erase yourself from the bully's mind but you also lose your own identity and uniqueness in the process.
So, as someone who struggles with weight and the insecurities/fears/doubts that come with it, this particular video was very painful to watch. The creator made jokes about fat people and claimed that she was using it to "motivate" fat people to get off their ass and lose weight. My heart broke. Instead of feeling encouraged or motivated I felt shitty, self-loathing, and angry. Thankfully I'm much stronger now than I was in high school (which is the age of a lot of YouTube viewers these days) because seeing a video like that would have wrecked me. The creator claimed it was a joke and meant to be sarcastic/funny but later defended it saying it was actually to help overweight people be healthier. *side eye* I don't see a single place in the entire video that could be motivating. Shame on her for even trying to say it was meant positively at all.
I wish I could be as strong and confident as the creator in the video below (Meghan Tonjes) in her response video. I'm not making a video to respond, but I do still want to take a stand and say this to that horrible YouTube creator: I may be a larger woman, but I am still a person. I matter regardless of my size. Your video was offensive and rude. I know you have defended it saying it was all for fun as well as motivating, but let me tell you this: IT WASN'T FUNNY. And the only thing it motivated me to do was write this blog, never watch another video you make, and instead support actual creators worth being on YouTube.
The creators below are some of my favorite voices on YouTube in terms of opinions, humor, and overall entertainment value of the content they regularly produce. Meghan is the first video and she has basically the same reaction that I had when she watched it. I cried with her and got frustrated with her...I wish we had more female voices out there to represent the large ladies and show the world what we can do. Watch below (note: R rated language is in both of the videos):
There are a bunch of other reaction videos out there, but this is by far one of my favorites. It's from Nicola Foti and his videos (found on SoundlyAwake) are some of the most hilarious and entertaining in my YouTube watchlist; this one is on point and needs to be shared in response to the video in addition to a bunch of other hateful videos out there:
Be kind to people and know everyone is a complex human being and living their own story.
I am a complex human being who is also heavy...but I am valuable and deserve to be treated as a person and not a joke. If you are reading this and you are struggling with your own self-worth, know this: You are Loved by God and you are a valuable person in society no matter what you look like. You are important and don't let anyone make you believe you are anything less than amazing.
