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While the body positivity movement has taken leaps and bounds in recent years, there’s no denying that society is still rife with body shaming. From childhood we’ve been conditioned to believe our value is intrinsically linked to our appearance, and what used to be limited to the school yard, workplace and creeps on the street, is now a free for all thanks to social media.
So if someone has been saying some nasty things in your DMs or Karen from HR keeps whispering underneath her breath when you walk past, here’s a few tips and tricks to put those body shamers in their place.
Our Fave Celebrity Clapbacks
Sure, celebs may be partly responsible for the unrealistic standards women face in today’s society, but they deal with the exact same pressure to conform as we do! Not to mention, they’re in the spotlight so they attract a whole lot more ridicule than we do. Celebrities are people too, so keep on reading for some of their best body shaming clapbacks of all time.
1. Lizzo
If you ask someone who the queen of body positivity and self-love is and they *don’t* say Lizzo, check which rock they’ve been living under. Since her rise to fame she’s consistently called out “fat-shaming” culture, but one of our all time favourite quotes of hers is as follows:
“I’ve been working out consistently for the last five years. It may come as a surprise to some of y’all that I’m not working out to have your ideal body type. I’m working out to have my ideal body type.”
2. Kourtney Kardashian
Okay if you don’t know this already, NEVER ask if someone is pregnant, why they haven’t had kids yet, when they’re due… Nothing! There’s so many reasons this is extremely problematic, one of them being it makes people feel absolutely crap in their own skin!
When somebody excitedly commented on a picture of Kourt in a bikini asking if she was pregnant, she clapped back with:
“This is me when I have a few extra pounds on, and I actually love it. I have given birth three amazing times and this is the shape of my body.”
3. Tyra Banks
If you’re too young to remember Tyra’s iconic “kiss my fat ass” moment from 2006, let us enlighten you about the most iconic body shaming clapback of all time.
When tabloids started criticising Tyra for a swimwear photo where she supposedly “looked curvier than usual”, she faced the critics head on during an episode of her talk show. Her brilliant monologue stopped the body shamers in their tracks, and the media never dared to comment on her body again.
“I love my mama. She has helped me to be a strong woman so I can overcome these kinds of attacks, but if I had lower self esteem, I would probably be starving myself right now. But, that’s exactly what is happening to other women all over this country. So, I have something to say to all of you that have something nasty to say about me or other women who are built like me… Women whose names you know, women whose names you don’t, women who’ve been picked on, women whose husbands put them down, women at work or girls in school – I have one thing to say to you. Kiss my fat ass.”
Words just don’t do this iconic moment justice, so watch the full video here and brace yourself for full body chills.
4. Gabourey Sidibe
Following her appearance at the Golden Globes in 2014, Gabourey was berated by body shamers. The iconic actress wasn’t phased, though, tweeting this BRILLIANT statement:
“To people making mean comments about my GG pics, I most def cried about it on that private jet on my way to my dream job last night. #JK.”
5. Jennifer Aniston
Another celeb that is no stranger to absurd pregnancy rumours is Jen. In 2016 she wrote an incredible essay in The Huffington Post entitled “For The Record”.
“If I am some kind of symbol to some people out there, then clearly I am an example of the lens through which we, as a society, view our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, female friends and colleagues. The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing. The way I am portrayed by the media is simply a reflection of how we see and portray women in general, measured against some warped standard of beauty.”
Mic drop.
Body shaming is really getting to me. What should I do?
As much as we adore all of the above responses, we’re not all confident enough to stand up for ourselves in such a way! Not to mention the best clapbacks come to you after the interaction is over and never when you need them. Thanks brain…
If someone is making nasty comments about you and it’s beginning to affect your self-worth, it’s so important to speak to someone. You can always start with someone you know well and trust wholeheartedly, like your mum, sister or friend.
If your mental health is beginning to suffer, though, speaking to a professional can be extremely helpful. Support varies depending on where you are in the world, but here in Australia you can claim up to 20 sessions with a mental health professional each calendar year through Medicare.
How do I learn to love myself?
Learning to love yourself and embrace all that is YOU is so much easier said than done. In fact it can be really effing hard! In saying that, there are a few changes you can make in your everyday life to help guide you along your self-love journey.
1. Curate your feed.
It’s 100% true when they say comparison is the thief of joy. If you have a nasty habit of comparing yourself to seemingly “perfect” influencers on your Instagram feed, unfollow them girl! You may think you have thick skin, but seeing the highlight reels of all of these gorgeous people’s lives everyday can be extremely damaging to your psyche.
2. Treat yourself like someone you love.
We’re our own harshest critics, but if you find your thoughts are getting nasty, think to yourself “would I say this to my best friend?”. If the answer’s no, shut that thought down!
3. Remove “perfect” from your vocabulary.
If you go your whole life chasing perfection, you’re going to be equal parts exhausted and disappointed. We all screw up and beating ourselves up over it doesn’t achieve a damn thing. Instead embrace all your quirks and idiosyncrasies that make you, you.
Life’s too short to worry about other people’s opinions! If you can learn to love yourself, find your voice and stop comparing yourself to others, the opinions of body shamers won’t affect you. In the wise words of Lizzo, “Never ever let somebody stop you or shame you from being yourself”.
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