Body Shaming or Self Love?

It is known by many people that in today’s society, thinner women are thought of as more beautiful than bigger women, especially in the media. Many music artists have recorded songs about bigger women being beautiful. Some of the most recent songs are “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj and “All About That Bass.” Some music critics say that both songs promote love for curvier women but put down smaller women. For example, in “Anaconda” Nicki Minaj says, “He keep telling me it’s real, that he love my sex appeal. Because he don’t like ‘em boney, he want something he can grab,” and, “Fuck the skinny bitches, fuck the skinny bitches in the club.” I find this interesting because Nicki Minaj isn’t what most people would consider fat. Sure, she has a big butt but she still has a really small waist and stomach. Meghan Trainor sings, “I’m bringing booty back, go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that.”

Regarding the song Anaconda, a Tumblr user said, “I think skinny people can turn off her [Nicki Minaj] song and open literally any magazine, watch any other video or movie and TV show and see their body types praised and idealized.”

Meghan Trainor replied to the skinny shaming comments and said, “I don’t criticize skinny people! I would never shame a skinny person!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know who would want to. I gueress they stop listening immediately after I say ‘skinny b-tches’ and just turn it off. But I say, ‘Just kidding, I know even you think you are fat.’ For instance, I have skinny friends and some of them will stand in front of the mirror and go, ‘Eugh, I’m just like so big.’ And I’m standing there going, ‘Jesus! If you’re big then what am I?’ That’s not right. So I was just saying that. There was a huge Twitter account that made a blog about ‘This is a body shaming song.’ I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, okay…’ I don’t get it. No, I would never shame a skinny person. It makes no sense.”

There was an article written in Ebony by Melanie Yvette Martin titled,“I’m a Proud Curvy Girl, and I Will Never Support Skinny Shaming.” Martin emphasizes that as a curvy woman she knows all about being shamed for her body and states, “As a woman who knows all too well how it feels to be insecure because of her shape, I have no interest in watching other women be put down for their body types. Being curvy doesn’t make you more of a woman, and being thin or skinny doesn’t make you less of one.”

Song lyrics can be interpreted in many different ways. Regardless of people’s opinions, all women can agree that body shaming is wrong and women should be uplifting each other.