Taylor Swift is facing backlash after “hurting the feelings” of fans over what some are calling “fatphobia” in the video for her new song “Anti-Hero,” criticized as demonizing and shaming the overweight alongside those with eating disorders.
Use of the word “fat” is being singled out for the criticism. In the video released on Friday, Swift stands in a bathroom in front of a set of scales, while a version of herself, which appears to be her inner critic, watches.
When she steps onto the scales, the word “fat” immediately appears in capital letters on the dial, and she has a look of fear and self-judgement on her face.
The scene drew criticism online after the video’s release for allegedly demonizing and shaming fat people while offending the collective feelings of the overweight community.
“Taylor Swift’s music video, where she looks down at the scale where it says ‘fat’, is a shitty way to describe her body image struggles. Fat people don’t need to have it reiterated yet again that it’s everyone’s worst nightmare to look like us,” New York-based eating disorder therapist Shira Rose wrote on Twitter.
“Having an eating disorder doesn’t excuse fatphobia.”
Others pointed out that such complicated illnesses shouldn’t be reduced to a single word, and the use of “fat” in a derogatory way reinforces the myth only thin people can have an eating disorder.
Australian activist Nic McDermid – a “huge fan” of Swift’s – said she cried when she watched the video because her feelings were damaged by seeing the word “fat.”
“Why do we continue to perpetuate the narrative that fat is the worst possible thing you can be. And that fat is synonymous with lazy, unworthy, disgusting, abhorrent or any other f***ing adjective that non-fat folk use to describe how horrendous their bodies are,” she wrote on Instagram.
“This kind of anti-fatness, particularly with such a large and impressionable audience is absolutely reprehensible.”
McDermid acknowledged while Swift’s intentions may not have been to “erase the lived experiences of folks in bigger bodies or to perpetuate such vile anti-fat rhetoric”, the impact she believes the scene has had.
“Intention does not equal impact. I really, really hope you take this feedback and do better,” she wrote.
Swift is yet to publicly respond to the criticism although she has been drawing attention on another front as well.
The singer recently teased an unnamed Midnights video starring trans actor Laith Ashley as her love interest in a huge “win for sexy people.”
Taylor Swift attends the Republic Records MTV VMA 2022 after party at the Fleur Room in Chelsea on August 29, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)
Just before she dropped her 10th album Swift teased a number of upcoming music videos with a video posted to Instagram.
The montage features snippets from several different music videos – Swift is seen in a starry cloak, a bath of purple liquid, a bejeweled head dress and a glittery corset.
The snippet that has reportedly caught the attention of fans is one of Swift lying in bed with Ashley, with Swift stroking a pool of glittery rainbow liquid on Ashley’s back.