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A Response to Nicole Arbour’s “Dear Fat People 2”

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

Nicole Arbour has decided she misses the spotlight. So what does she do? She makes a sequel to the infamous “Dear Fat People” video. I swear, I can’t tell if this girl is serious, or if she’s trying be funny, or what. (She’s failing at humor, btw.) In this video, she is targeting plus-size model Ashley Graham, who made history by appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Ok, what does Nicole have to say about this? Her argument is that “Sports Illustrated models are the mecca of psychical perfection,” and Ashley Graham isn’t. She adds that “body positivity is full of it.” She continues to rant about how Ashley is photoshopped, even though pretty much all models are photoshopped. Seriously? I don’t like the photoshopping, but that’s the way it is in modeling. So why is it a problem that Ashley Graham is photoshopped? According to Nicole, it’s because Ashley is preaching she’s perfect the way she is. And no other models do that? Really, Nicole? I honestly don’t see how this has anything to do with body positivity.

Well, let’s keep going. Nicole makes the point that Ashley is not “fit” enough to be in Sports Illustrated, and that if she worked out more, she wouldn’t be plus-sized. Clearly, Nicole did not do any research. Ashley shares her workouts and pictures of healthy food on her Instagram. She’s obviously fit, and in good health. What Nicole doesn’t understand is that you can’t look at a person and know exactly why they weigh what they do.

Honestly, in my opinion, I think it’s a really positive message that Sports Illustrated is sending. First, they’re putting the idea out there that just because you work out and eat healthy doesn’t mean you’ll turn into a bikini competition contestant. Which is an important thing for everyone to know. The second part of the message is that, like I said earlier, just because someone is plus-size, doesn’t mean they’re unhealthy. Sports Illustrated made a fantastic decision to put Ashley Graham on their cover, and honestly, people like Nicole Arbour need to shut up.

Photos: 1, 2, 3

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Irina Kovari

U Mass Amherst

I'm a senior marketing major at UMass, with a passion for writing and equal rights. I'm on MASSPIRG at UMass, drink too much caffeine, and eat too much chocolate.
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