Why Body Shaming Needs To Stop Right Now
Why does body shaming need to stop? And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the most stupid question I've ever heard. Do you like hurting other people's feelings? Do you like making people feel bad about their bodies? If you want to be a nice person, then stop being so fucking rude to people by telling them that they're too fat, too skinny, too this and too that. Stop judging people and stop shaming.
Body shaming is when you criticise someone for the way they look. Up until about a year ago I didn't even know what the term "body shaming" was. And I didn't realise that I did it so much without meaning it. Once I realised what I was doing and how mean it was, I decided to stop.
A lot of the time, body shaming occurs with people who are "overweight". Like there's a certain goal weight we're all supposed to be, and we're all supposed to fit inside these boxes that society and the media created for us. Thanks. Just say that you see a girl with an amazing sense of style and she has this great vibe, and she's rocking an amazing crop top and skirt combo, but she's a little bigger than most girls. Why do you judge? Are you jealous of her because she doesn't care what all those other bitches think? Are you intimidated?
The other side of shaming is skinny shaming. I think this happens just as much as shaming someone for being bigger. How often do you hear someone say, "give that girl a sandwich" or "she needs a good feed." Everyone says they want the "perfect" body and have so many body goals, but when a girl is just that bit too skinny in your eyes, she gets judged.
It isn't your fault that you think like this. The media have told us that this size is too thin and that size is too big. That one roll of back fat is disgusting and not having a thigh gap (it's okay for your thighs to touch) means you're ugly. We are constantly being bombarded with images of so-called 'perfect celebrities', but what you don't see is them sweating their asses off in the gym for two hours a day and only eating chicken, rice and kale for a full year.
There is so, so, so, so much more to life than having the "perfect body". Every young person needs to understand that. Go travelling, learn about different cultures, be happy, fall in love and don't give a fuck about what people think. If your main goal in life is to be someone's 'body goals,' you need to reconsider your attitude.
Instead of tearing each other down, we should be praising each other. I know it sounds cheesy to tell people they look beautiful today or that their hair is really nice, but wouldn't you feel better if you got a nice compliment a day? Spread the love.
Body shaming is destroying females of all ages; it's forcing them into thinking that they need to look a certain way to be beautiful. Remember that people can change. I know that my views changed when I realised how much I was shaming other women without even realising it. Just be fucking nice to each other and love yourself. There's enough shit to deal with in the world without adding body shaming onto the pile. You're all wonderful, and don't forget it!