I don't know when it became acceptable to shame people (especially women) for their bodies, but it's got to stop. It's toxic, it's poison, and really it's also just rude. But how to handle a body-shamer without being arrested for assault? Here are a few ideas.
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1. Stand up
If you overhear someone body-shaming someone else, speak up! You don't have to go into great detail, just say "That's not nice!" and give them your best withering stare. Then address the poor girl who's been shamed, smile, and say "Screw them. You look great." and leave it there.
2. Smile
This is my new favorite way to handle body shamers. When someone throws shade, I just smile and say, "I know!" like they've just paid me an incredible compliment, and walk away, adding a little extra bootie-shake, because why not?
3. Delete Them
What if the body shamer is a friend? Then get rid of the miserable wretch. She is not allowed to masquerade as a friend if she's really just a bitch. Unfriend!
4. Call Them on It
If someone tosses you a compliment that's really body-shaming in disguise, call them on it! For instance, if you're a curvy girl and someone tells you they don't know how you find the confidence to wear short shorts with thighs like yours, let her know how ridiculous that is.
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5. Use It as Fuel
When my ex tried to tell me there was no way a woman with my body could ever be a runner, I used his snark as fuel, and it powered me through the first few (miserable) months of running. And guess who did her first marathon a few weeks ago?
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6. Stop the Spread
It's hard to stop the spread of body shaming when we're so bad about shaming ourselves. If you catch yourself censoring or shaming your own body, freeze right there and let that shit go. No bueno.
7. Form Your Squad
Get your squad together and have the no-body-shaming talk, the one where you all (a) agree to speak up when you hear someone shaming anyone else and (b) agree not to engage in self-shaming talk. That's a squad goal I can get behind!
How do you handle body-negative bullies? Let me know in the comments... and thanks!
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Comments
Traci: Thank her and smile baby with your head up. She can never be you Boo.
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