Vlogger attempts humor. Vlogger fails. It's a story as old as YouTube itself.
Last week, YouTube personality and comedian Nicole Arbour uploaded a video titled "Dear Fat People" -- you might guess where this is going -- in which she attempts to satirize fat shaming (with no shortage of "fucks"). Throughout a series of nausea-inducing jump cuts and a tangent about douching, Arbour jokes that fat shaming is a positive way to encourage weight loss.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Dear Fat PeopleWhat we've all wanted to say to FAT PEOPLEPosted by Nicole Arbour on Thursday, September 3, 2015
The video has racked up more than 18 million views on Facebook and 600,000 views on YouTube, where it was pulled for a short time.
We literally broke the Internet... With comedy. #censorship pic.twitter.com/m3wgf24Xtb— Nicole Arbour (@NicoleArbour) September 6, 2015
After Arbour accused YouTube of censorship, the video was reinstated, but that didn't slow down the discussion on social media around the video. While possibly intended as humor or satirical honesty, commenters mostly responded with anger to the six-minute clip.
Shame on all of you who said Nicole Arbour's regarding fat people was true.— Wine Queen (@TattedWifeToBe_) September 7, 2015
It's people like NicoleArbour who give youtubers a bad rep. Couldnt be more proud of everyone for coming together & standing up against hate— Marissa Farina (@marissafarina) September 7, 2015
Dear @nicolearbour Literally eating this giant cookie that was so big it broke while taking this pic for you xoxo pic.twitter.com/YEne5c5KWt— Emily Lallouz (@seriouslyemily) September 6, 2015
Nicole Arbour, you're what's WRONG with this world. #disgusted— Kathleen Fuentes (@KathleenLights1) September 6, 2015
Whitney Way Thore, star of the TLC show My Big Fat Fabulous Life, chimed in on the debate in a video response that has amassed more than 10 million views on Facebook.
"Fat-shaming is a thing; it's a really big thing, no pun intended," Thore says. "It is the really nasty spawn of a larger parent problem called body-shaming, which I'm fairly certain everyone on the planet, especially women, has experienced."
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));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! #NoBodyShamePosted by Whitney Way Thore on Saturday, September 5, 2015
Arbour, for her part, hasn't backed down from her stance.
Oh exactly. And they always were the bullies... Who r flipping out cause #GOTEAM is here throwing truth bombs https://t.co/izAAb1mGlP— Nicole Arbour (@NicoleArbour) September 4, 2015
I've received so many thanks messages from obese and overweight taking shit into their own hands now. #FeelingProud #GOTEAM— Nicole Arbour (@NicoleArbour) September 4, 2015