It is, but "fat" is not a feeling – it's a state of being, and I do think she could have used "gross" or "ugly" or literally any other negative word ED sufferers associate with their bodies, any word that didn't target a group of people in society she is not and has never been in.
That was how I saw it, she was creating a video that expressed her experience of going through an eating disorder. As someone who is fat and struggles with it, I wasn’t offended.
Really well said. I know a lot of people will be like, she's sharing her lived experience of an eating disorder and body dysmorphia but there are guidelines for how you should approach these things and they definitely don't include implying that being Fat is a terrible thing. If I was the director I would have suggested she look in the mirror and see words coming up like "not good enough" etc etc. Same message, less shitty.
100% agree. I think one of the main issues for a lot of artists nowadays, honestly, is that they get too much control of things like their music videos. As I said above, Taylor directed this music video herself – I wonder if, had there been a professional music video director involved, they might have had some alternative suggestions.
Edited to add: see also, Billie Eilish who, at a remarkably young age, seems to be being told she is an incredibly talented music video director when, like… why would she be?! She's a musical artist (and an amazing one!) but surely there are a lot of people out there who have a lot more talent and skill and experience in that particular realm. But it seems like no one around her is saying, "nah, Billie, get an expert in to do that part".
I've been getting ready to get into Taylor Swift and this album I was like - here's my time. So.. yeah. Little disappointed, which like you say, may be worse.
I type this after listening to Should've Would've Could've repeatedly all evening so I do want to cut her some slack. It's not her fault the word carries so much weight. If it was just a fact we'd have no fatphobia. I'm similarly earnest when it comes to Kim Kardashian. I think it's a "Don't hate the player, hate the game" situation where the player has something to learn, and I think Taylor has. I am heartened to see how the feedback was taken board and the video edited.
Isn’t the scale representing her eating disorder?
It is, but "fat" is not a feeling – it's a state of being, and I do think she could have used "gross" or "ugly" or literally any other negative word ED sufferers associate with their bodies, any word that didn't target a group of people in society she is not and has never been in.
That was how I saw it, she was creating a video that expressed her experience of going through an eating disorder. As someone who is fat and struggles with it, I wasn’t offended.
Really well said. I know a lot of people will be like, she's sharing her lived experience of an eating disorder and body dysmorphia but there are guidelines for how you should approach these things and they definitely don't include implying that being Fat is a terrible thing. If I was the director I would have suggested she look in the mirror and see words coming up like "not good enough" etc etc. Same message, less shitty.
100% agree. I think one of the main issues for a lot of artists nowadays, honestly, is that they get too much control of things like their music videos. As I said above, Taylor directed this music video herself – I wonder if, had there been a professional music video director involved, they might have had some alternative suggestions.
Edited to add: see also, Billie Eilish who, at a remarkably young age, seems to be being told she is an incredibly talented music video director when, like… why would she be?! She's a musical artist (and an amazing one!) but surely there are a lot of people out there who have a lot more talent and skill and experience in that particular realm. But it seems like no one around her is saying, "nah, Billie, get an expert in to do that part".
I've been getting ready to get into Taylor Swift and this album I was like - here's my time. So.. yeah. Little disappointed, which like you say, may be worse.
I type this after listening to Should've Would've Could've repeatedly all evening so I do want to cut her some slack. It's not her fault the word carries so much weight. If it was just a fact we'd have no fatphobia. I'm similarly earnest when it comes to Kim Kardashian. I think it's a "Don't hate the player, hate the game" situation where the player has something to learn, and I think Taylor has. I am heartened to see how the feedback was taken board and the video edited.