jillian michaels on buzzfeeds am2dm show
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Jillian Michaels Goes on Fatphobic Rant Against Lizzo on Buzzfeed’s AM2DM

Keep Lizzo's name out of your mouth, Jill.
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Chelsea Steiner
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Published: Jan 8, 2020 05:03 pm

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Fitness guru Jillian Michaels appeared on Buzzfeed’s AM2DM talk show this morning for a discussion of health fads and living well in the new year. However, the interview took a turn when host Alex Berg brought up women like Lizzo and model Ashley Graham as examples of body positivity and celebration in the media. Instead of agreeing, Michaels quickly took Lizzo to task for her body shape in the clip below:

Michaels says, “I love her music 100%, I don’t know anything about her, I’m sure she’s a cool, awesome chick … but why are we celebrating her body? Why does it matter? That’s what I’m saying, like why aren’t we celebrating her music? Cuz it isn’t gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes!”

Host Alex Berg tries to steer the conversation back to acceptance, but Michaels continued, reiterating that while she loves Lizzo’s music, “there’s never a moment where I’m like, ‘I’m so glad she’s overweight!’ like why do we, why I do even care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?”

First off, no one is asking Jillian Michaels to care, although given her vehement response she clearly cares quite deeply. She’s also clearly missing the point that body positivity is about accepting one’s self in a world that places thinness on a pedestal and celebrates the most narrow definition of what physical beauty is and can be.

For that matter, Michaels knows nothing about Lizzo’s physical health, and if you’ve ever seen the singer perform you know she has stamina and strength for days. And this uneducated criticism is coming from one of the hosts of The Biggest Loser, a reality competition show that fat-shamed its contestants and forced them to lose weight at a speed that is hazardous to their health.

Celebrities like Lizzo are inspirational because they give people something revolutionary: a curvy person who loves themselves. In world that is deeply fatphobic, that is constantly belittling bodies outside a certain size range, it is nearly impossible to feel good in your own skin. Not only do fans see themselves in Lizzo, but they see a pathway towards self-acceptance and self-esteem. These are qualities that slender white women like Michaels take for granted.

And Micheals’ faux concern for Lizzo’s health falls into a classic abuse pattern known as concern trolling. She’s not sincere about wanting Lizzo to be healthy, she’s just looking to shame the singer and women like her.

Many took to Twitter to defend Lizzo and to call out Michaels:

Lizzo has yet to comment on this nonsense, because she’s volunteering to help brushfire victims while on tour in Australia.

(via Twitter, image: screengrab/Buzzfeed)

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Author
Image of Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.
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