The (Bloomberg) Following criticism and discussion over her usage of the word "fat," Taylor Swift altered her latest music video.
The singer's followers observed the modification to the Apple Music single "Anti-Hero" video. Swift stepped upon a scale that read "fat" in an earlier iteration of the video as an evil Swift pointed and laughed. Swift is now seen stepping on the scale in the video, but the word is missing.
After much anticipation, Swift's most recent album "Midnights" was released a few days ago. Online discussion about the incident reached a fever pitch: Some listeners said the artist was promoting fatphobia because the word was used in a negative or ominous manner. Others said that the film itself was an attack on anti-fat prejudice. Fans speculated that Swift's history with eating disorders and body image issues may have influenced what she characterized as her "nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts" on Twitter. Swift acknowledged these issues in the 2020 Netflix documentary "Miss Americana."
The word appeared in the YouTube video as of the time of publication. An inquiry for comments was not immediately answered by Swift's representatives.
The clip was sure to spark debate, according to Gianluca Russo, author of "The Power of Plus: Inside Fashion's Size-Inclusivity Revolution," because there are so many possible interpretations of the scene.
"Fat activists are actively fighting to dispel the stigma surrounding that phrase and restore fat to what it is—a characteristic of our bodies," added Russo. Although many people have been able to destigmatize the word for themselves on a personal level, many others have not, in my opinion. This is because society has placed so much emphasis on fat being bad for decades.
According to a 2021 study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, more than 40% of adults in the US across a range of body types reported experiencing some type of weight stigma during their lives. A number of health problems, including disordered eating, can result from this stigma.
According to data tracker Luminate, "Midnights" has sold more than 1.2 million units in its first three days of release, making it the first album to surpass 1 million sales in five years. Over 33 million people have watched the "Anti-Hero" video on YouTube alone.
Swift follows Lizzo and Beyonce in revising music this year soon after it is released. The songs that had previously contained ableist slurs were redone by both singers.
The accountability, according to Russo, is crucial. If we have a platform and power, we should always think about how sharing our unique experiences will affect society as a whole if other people are watching.
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