News Anchor's on Air Response to Fat Shaming

I saw this posted on pinterest today and I found it interesting. An overweight female news anchor responds on air to a letter she received from a viewer. The viewer claims she is a bad example to the community and especially young girls because she chooses to be overweight. I had a few thoughts immediately after watching this, and they are as follows.

1. Yes, she does look overweight. Being overweight is not healthy.
2. Are the overweight men at this station receiving the same flack for being overweight? (This is in Wisconsin, you know she's not the only overweight person there Probably not.
3. Should her personal health decisions and struggles be up for public debate? Does this woman owe us her health?
4. Is she really a bad role model for young girls? And if so, should we let all of the teachers, coaches, babysitters, daycare workers who actually spend time with our young girls know that a prerequisite for their job be that they not be fat?
5. My last thought after reading the comments on youtube was that there definitely is a culture of bullying fat people. People seem to think that those in the public eye owe us their good looks, especially women. If a woman is not attractive, we get actual anger from the viewers. "How DARE she not act as a decoration for my viewing pleasure??" I don't think this is really about health, because we don't see the same outrage from the public when someone in the public eye is too thin and looks unhealthy, or smokes, uses drugs, or talks about their love of fattening foods. There are special rules for how we are allowed to criticize when someone is fat.


Please watch the video and respond. It's not too long.
News Anchor Jennifer Livingston On Air Response to Fat Shamer | Healthy Is The New Skinny

there are all kinds of mean people out there. the best thing that you can do is to not be one of them.

Sad to say but it really may be a case where the same standards could be applied as would be legal for a Vegas show girl. Local news anchors are nothing more than fronts and are obviously picked with looks as the primary concern in most markets. We have two on the local morning news I think of as "the shallow sisters". Today, they were unable over a two hour period to come up with the name of the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" even with the help of the weatherman who started the search by incorrectly singing a verse. If you are in a superficial profession, you are going to be judged by superficial standards. I would never want my daughter emulating or using these people as role models anyway.

Chubby girl should have a Twinkie and chill the **** out...

(I kid!!! I kid!!!)

VanceMack said:

Chubby girl should have a Twinkie and chill the **** out...

(I kid!!! I kid!!!)

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Wow, hypocritical about being a bigot in two threads at one time.

Loki97 said:

Wow, hypocritical about being a bigot in two threads at one time.

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I think I struck a nerve twice! Look...its OK...I have friends that are fat...

VanceMack said:

I think I struck a nerve twice! Look...its OK...I have friends that are fat...

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I'm sure you have plenty that are hypocritical troll bigots also.

Loki97 said:

I'm sure you have plenty that are hypocritical troll bigots also.

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I wouldn't call us 'friends'. I barely know you...

VanceMack said:

I wouldn't call us 'friends'. I barely know you...

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Which most people would realize meant I was referring to other persons. You are also incorrect once more, you don't know me at all.

She absolutely made a huge mistake by responding to this. By doing so she elevated what was a crank letter to being a debatable issue that ultimately may affect her employability in the future.

As far as content, it's a crank letter, stupid on all counts and solely about the pet peeves, miscomprehensions and insecurities of the author.

I don't really have an opinion about whether TV newspeople have a responsibility to be healthy or not.

I will say, though, that I give that lady a lot of credit for bringing this up on the air. I bet most people in her position would give just about anything to keep their weight from being a public topic of discussion. Putting it out there on purpose to make a point took a lot of balls.

Loki97 said:

Which most people would realize meant I was referring to other persons. You are also incorrect once more, you don't know me at all.

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You know...I was just responding earlier today how liberals have lost their sense of humor...

VanceMack said:

You know...I was just responding earlier today how liberals have lost their sense of humor...

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Yes, I'm sure you are a riot at the Tea Parties. I imagine they laugh at skinny jean and fat jokes until they soil themselves.

Loki97 said:

Sad to say but it really may be a case where the same standards could be applied as would be legal for a Vegas show girl. Local news anchors are nothing more than fronts and are obviously picked with looks as the primary concern in most markets. We have two on the local morning news I think of as "the shallow sisters". Today, they were unable over a two hour period to come up with the name of the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" even with the help of the weatherman who started the search by incorrectly singing a verse. If you are in a superficial profession, you are going to be judged by superficial standards. I would never want my daughter emulating or using these people as role models anyway.

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I don't see why it has to be a shallow profession. Go watch BBC news, and you'll see newscasters who do their job well and aren't hired for looking like beauty queens. I find it refreshing. I actually tend to think having an "all beautiful" cast on a news station dampens it's professionalism a bit for me. I'd rather watch a station that went with the best candidates, and I think people would feel a better rapport with newscasters they can relate better to.

Loki97 said:

Yes, I'm sure you are a riot at the Tea Parties. I imagine they laugh at skinny jean and fat jokes until they soil themselves.

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Never been to one but I'm guessing they do. Heck...I've got several liberal type friends that laugh at the skinny jean wearers too. Doubt you will score many points there.

Wait...is it because you CAN'T fit in the skinny jeans that has you twisted? I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a personal thing. I'll stop.

VanceMack said:

Never been to one but I'm guessing they do. Heck...I've got several liberal type friends that laugh at the skinny jean wearers too. Doubt you will score many points there.

Wait...is it because you CAN'T fit in the skinny jeans that has you twisted? I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a personal thing. I'll stop.

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Guys, I'm gonna ask that you bicker somewhere else. If you'd like to discuss the post, feel free to stay.

What's wrong with having eye candy with the news?

This is all over FB today. I watched it and kind of disagree with the anchor here. Lets look at the comment.

Hi Jennifer,

It's unusual that I see your morning show, but I did so for a very short time today. I was surprised indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn't improved for many years. Surely you don't consider yourself a suitable example for this community's young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain. I leave you this note hoping that you'll reconsider your responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a healthy lifestyle.

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First of all, no one would argue that this woman isn't somewhat obese. I wouldn't call it morbidly so but she is obese. Her response was a little bit contradictory. This clearly upset her as she did the bit linked in the OP.

Personally, think the email is bit douchey, really because its calling out a truth the average person wouldn't say as it would be rightfully deemed an insult. But is it bullying? In fact, while blunt and to the point, the email isn't really what I would consider bullying. My problem with the email is that its someone pontificating what they deem is acceptable. Unfortunately, the Anchor did the same thing by invoking the bullying nonsense.

I say to each their own. If she wants to be fat and her husbands is into that, good on them. But turning this into an obesity vs bullying thing is just dumb.

Fishstyx said:

This is all over FB today. I watched it and kind of disagree with the anchor here. Lets look at the comment.



First of all, no one would argue that this woman isn't somewhat obese. I wouldn't call it morbidly so but she is obese. Her response was a little bit contradictory. This clearly upset her as she did the bit linked in the OP.

Personally, think the email is bit douchey, really because its calling out a truth the average person wouldn't say as it would be rightfully deemed an insult. But is it bullying? In fact, while blunt and to the point, the email isn't really what I would consider bullying. My problem with the email is that its someone pontificating what they deem is acceptable. Unfortunately, the Anchor did the same thing by invoking the bullying nonsense.

I say to each their own. If she wants to be fat and her husbands is into that, good on them. But turning this into an obesity vs bullying thing is just dumb.

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I could see why some people wouldn't consider this bullying, but I don't see how she was contradictory. I do think the person who wrote the letter thought he was being appropriate and stating facts as he saw them. But it was rude. And quite arrogant if he thought she was suddenly going to change her personal behavior because some guy she never met wrote her a letter. She doesn't owe it to strangers to lose weight. That's just ridiculous.

kerussll said:

I could see why some people wouldn't consider this bullying, but I don't see how she was contradictory. I do think the person who wrote the letter thought he was being appropriate and stating facts as he saw them. But it was rude. And quite arrogant if he thought she was suddenly going to change her personal behavior because some guy she never met wrote her a letter. She doesn't owe it to strangers to lose weight. That's just ridiculous.

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I don't disagree with any that. I think she was contradictory in the fact that she starts out by saying "it doesn't bother her" and then gives us this diatribe about this being bullying. While it is rude, don't necessarily think the emailer's intent was to be mean or to bully. This strikes me as a "cause" person. Hasn't a the "War on Obesity" been going on for few years now? Strikes me as someone thats "goosestepping" along with it and taking to this level.

Again, we don't know the emailer's motivation. But just by the way its worded, its doesn't necessarily strike me as something was meant to bully.

kerussll said:

I could see why some people wouldn't consider this bullying, but I don't see how she was contradictory. I do think the person who wrote the letter thought he was being appropriate and stating facts as he saw them. But it was rude. And quite arrogant if he thought she was suddenly going to change her personal behavior because some guy she never met wrote her a letter. She doesn't owe it to strangers to lose weight. That's just ridiculous.

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I don't see this as bullying. I see it as someone giving their opinion. Which they are entitled to. If she took it offensively, that's her problem.

kerussll said:

I don't see why it has to be a shallow profession. Go watch BBC news, and you'll see newscasters who do their job well and aren't hired for looking like beauty queens. I find it refreshing. I actually tend to think having an "all beautiful" cast on a news station dampens it's professionalism a bit for me. I'd rather watch a station that went with the best candidates, and I think people would feel a better rapport with newscasters they can relate better to.

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I'm not supporting the fact that it has become a shallow profession but it is what it is. Probably because it no longer involves any journalism higher than reading off a teleprompter, ability is trumped by appearance. Also, since being overweight doesn't make one a member of a protected class, you can be fired for it easily especially if the employer is smart enough not to state that as a reason. The only type of discrimination case this woman would have would be if they didn't apply the same standard in their treatment of male, on air employees as they do her. The viewers aren't her direct employers and are entitled to whatever opinion they wish to express about the station's personnel. You can't stop someone from having a biased opinion.

Public figures get all sorts of mail complementary, critical and nutty. The writer of the email was silly and cruel( could have been her husband...:2razz, but, she is the one who chose to share it and bring attention. I would have more sympathy if she were doing what Al Roker did (losing 115 lbs) and someone tried to tear her down. As such this story does not have a lot of fat on it.

Chaddelamancha said:

I don't see this as bullying. I see it as someone giving their opinion. Which they are entitled to. If she took it offensively, that's her problem.

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So I suppose that walking up to a person in a wheelchair and saying, "Your legs don't work" wouldn't be considered bullying either.

VanceMack said:

I think I struck a nerve twice! Look...its OK...I have friends that are fat...

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I got it! That's funny.