Exactly 3 weeks ago today, YouTube personality Meghan Tonjes released her personal thoughts on the "Dear Fat People" video which targeted overweight people. If you have not yet watched it, you can view it here.
It truly breaks my heart to see someone like this in tears due to someone else's harsh criticism. Following the "Dear Fat People" scandal, Meghan Tonjes (another rising female YouTube personality) released this statement prior to viewing Nicole Arbour's rant. I have already spoken on my opinion of Nicole Arbour. That is not why I have decided to write. I am more interested in Tonje's message and how she attempts to connect with her audience.
Personally, I am proud of Tonjes for her courage, strength, and hard work to promote positive body image. She has been working for several months to promote body acceptance along with health (she even states some of her latest work in the beginning of the video.) I encourage more women to follow her work; she is an incredible representative for victims of shaming and usually offers excellent advice to overcome obstacles one may face.
Unfortunately, no one is that strong and resilient 24/7. In response to Arbour, Tonjes is visibly affected by her words; for the majority of the video she is forcing back her tears. And despite her pleas, for change and some peace from people "who agree with Nicole Arbour", her argument fell on deaf ears. For the most part, her audience was not receptive to her wishes.
In Jay Heinrichs's book "Thank You for Arguing", he explains that in order for an argument to be successful, your audience must be receptive an attentive (pg. 57). While her audience listened, the majority of viewers responded with negative and hateful comments such as the ones below (WARNING: you may hate humanity afterwords):