Former The Biggest Loser host Jillian Michaels is coming under fire for criticizing the praise surrounding Lizzo's unapologetic push for body positivity.
Earlier today, Michaels appeared on BuzzFeed's AM to DM morning show and said she found it strange that we were "celebrating [Lizzo's] body."
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"Why does it matter? Why aren't we celebrating her music? 'Cause it isn't going to be awesome if she gets diabetes," Michaels said, before saying, "I'm just being honest. I love her music, my kid loves her music, but there's never a moment when I'm like, 'I'm so glad she's overweight.' Why do I even care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?"
.@JillianMichaels on Lizzo: "Why are we celebrating her body? Why does it matter? Why aren't we celebrating her music? 'Cause it isn't gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes." pic.twitter.com/FkKBd8J87b
— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) January 8, 2020
However, BuzzFeed News reports that Michaels' comments have incurred some serious online backlash following the airing of the interview, with many accusing her of being fatphobic and feeding into negative body stereotypes for her own business gain.
"Jillian Michaels came to prominence torturing fat people on television for entertainment," as one commenter wrote. "She is loudly and proudly anti-fat because otherwise she can't make money. Her living depends on anti-fat bigotry."
Meanwhile, writer Sara Benincasa echoed this sentiment by writing, "People who have incredibly deep-seated self-hatred and have spun it into a 'fitness' empire are particularly inclined to say shit like this," before adding, "Jillian Michaels has successfully projected her body dysmorphia outwards for years and made a ton of cash off it."
Jillian Michaels came to prominence torturing fat people on television for entertainment. She is loudly and proudly anti-fat because otherwise she can’t make money. Her living depends on anti-fat bigotry. https://t.co/LHLQlpNoYE
— Mx. Amadi (@amaditalks) January 8, 2020
Jillian Michaels hates her own body and is worried that if other people hate their bodies less, they'll stop buying the shit she peddles. She's worried about the bottom line, not Lizzo's health (or yours, or mine.)
— Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) January 8, 2020
Jillian Michaels is a fatphobic hypocrite. “We shouldn’t be celebrating her body”...but her body is literally what she’s known for. She’s only saying that because people accepting fatness is a detriment to the money she makes by perpetuating harmful anti-fat ideals. https://t.co/UbZn8Vfu4u
— 𝔸 ℝ𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝔹𝕒𝕩𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 🧣👜 (@fluffyblkboy) January 8, 2020
I don’t really give two shits about Jillian Michaels, but we celebrate Lizzo because Lizzo unapologetically celebrates Lizzo and encourages everyone to celebrate themselves, so Jillian can fuck all the way off to whatever washboard ab mountain of misery she sits atop.
— Connecticutting (@Connecticutting) January 8, 2020
Just gonna leave this here for you @JillianMichaels pic.twitter.com/E5b0C4YXNz
— Ally 🏒🎬🧜🏽♀️🌈🔮 (@nametags) January 8, 2020
Not only that, but Michaels' comments also sparked some discussion about why a white woman was talking about a Black woman's body to begin with, with one person writing, "People wanna talk body positivity until a BW actually embraces her body shamelessly."
Jillian Michaels needs to stfu and leave BW’s bodies alone. Fat =/= unhealthy. And thin doesn’t mean healthy.
— Four Wheel Workout™️ ♿️ aka 4WheelWarrenCastro (@4WheelWorkOut) January 8, 2020
People wanna talk body positivity until a BW actually embraces her body shamelessly. https://t.co/dvp9iC7RkK
And even AM to DM host Alex Berg took issue with Michaels' criticism, later tweeting that she "had to restrain [herself] from defending Lizzo's honor."
"What I was going to say here is that Lizzo has been incredibly important in giving so many of us a possibility model for accepting our bodies as we are and celebrating bodies that are normally ridiculed," Berg wrote.
What I was going to say here is that Lizzo has been incredibly important in giving so many of us a possibility model for accepting our bodies as we are and celebrating bodies that are normally ridiculed. Had to restrain myself from defending Lizzo's honor! https://t.co/UH2k5MulWo
— Alex Berg (@itsalexberg) January 8, 2020
For her part, Michaels has yet to respond to the criticism.
Photo via Getty