Fatphobic or Sensitive?

We live in a generation accused of being sensitive. We point out the flaws in our parents' words, our grandparents' beliefs, certain songs—the list goes on. Most people use artistic outlets to express themselves, such as music, art, poetry, and writing. But where does expressing oneself become offensive to others? Popular artists are often accused of racism, ableism, fatphobia, objectification of women, and more in their art. Recently, Taylor Swift’s new album and music video was accused of being fatphobic. In her music video, Taylor is on a scale, and as she glances down at the scale, it reads “FAT.” Taylor defended her video, which she wrote and directed herself, and stated that it is her own personal struggles and experiences she was trying to demonstrate with body dysmorphia. The video sparked controversy throughout social media—some made the argument of how harmful the word ‘fat’ is, while others argued it was her artistic right to portray her own experiences.

Words hold so much power. They can either make or break a person. Lyricism is defined as “an intense personal quality expressive of feeling or emotion in an art (such as poetry or music).” There have been endless controversies over lyrics in the past with big artists like Beyonce and Lizzo, where both used the slur “spaz.” After much criticism, both artists acknowledged the problem and changed the lyrics. Popular rap lyrics (not all) are also notorious for objectifying women. The misogyny behind these lyrics use many derogatory terms towards women. But there are also lyrics that do the opposite, and instead of offending, they empower.
As humans, it’s in our nature to create and express ourselves. There’s a saying, “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.” I believe artistic expression is important to feel more alive. The Renaissance is a prime example of how as humans we flourish in our creativity. But where do we draw the line between expressing ourselves and offending others? The freedom to express is a privilege that can easily be taken away, especially with the toxic cancel culture that exists today. It’s a thin line we need to learn how to maneuver.

With Taylor Swift’s recent music video and the backlash it received, Swift ultimately decided to edit and crop out that portion of the video. She was trying to convey her struggles with disordered eating and body image, but recognized that it caused harm to some of her fans. I don’t necessarily think Taylor was trying to do harm—but the way she used the word “Fat,” it seemed like she made it equivalent to the word “ugly.” And maybe that’s the biggest issue with that word. People automatically assume that a synonym to the word fat is ugly, or unworthy, or all these negative things because of the negative connotation of it. We live in a society where there is a lot of gray area in these controversial topics. I can’t take a side on the situation since I understand the reasoning on both perspectives. But I do give credit to those who did pick a side and defended what they believed in. It shows we are not a sensitive generation. We are just a generation that is not afraid to speak up on the flaws in situations. We are open minded, progressive, and yes, very bold. But we defend what’s right, even if it means going against our parents, or our favorite artist. Don’t let someone’s creative outlet offend, and don’t let your own creative outlet offend others either. Instead, let the goal of creating be to flourish, grow, and express what you can’t necessarily put into words (unless you're a writer).