It seems like TikTok has got some explaining to do, after Lizzo called out the video-sharing app for removing clips of her wearing bathing suits.
On Wednesday, March 4, the Queen of Pop herself posted a clip repeatedly belting out the words ‘I know’ to camera, while the real message is in the text overlay.
‘TikTok keeps taking down my videos with me in my bathing suits,’ the text in the clip reads. ‘But allows other videos with girls in bathing suits.’
The next slide goes on to say: ‘I wonder why? TikTok… we need to talk.’
It appears as though Lizzo is implying the social media platform removed the videos because of her body type, after the singer has spoken so candidly about feeling confident when it comes to pointing out the double standards of people’s bodies.
The Good As Hell singer previously told Glamour:
When people look at my body and be like, ‘Oh my God, she’s so brave,’ it’s like, ‘No, I’m not.’
I’m just fine. I’m just me. I’m just sexy. If you saw Anne Hathaway in a bikini on a billboard, you wouldn’t call her brave. I just think there’s a double standard when it comes to women.
I don’t like it when people think it’s hard for me to see myself as beautiful. I don’t like it when people are shocked that I’m doing it.
Despite the fact Lizzo isn’t doing anything different to what other pop stars have done for years, the singer’s body type has become a topic of constant discussion after American personal trainer Jillian Michaels publicly asked: ‘Why are we celebrating her body?’
The fitness guru added:
Why aren’t we celebrating her music? ‘Cause it isn’t going to be awesome if she gets diabetes. I’m just being honest. Like, I love her music. Like, my kid loves her music. But there’s never a moment where I’m like, ‘And I’m so glad she’s overweight!’ Like, why do I even care? Why is it my job to care about her weight?
Jillian was instantly accused of being fat-phobic and body-shaming, prompting her to take to social media to later clarify her intentions.
‘As I’ve stated repeatedly, we are all beautiful, worthy, and equally deserving,’ she wrote on Twitter. ‘I also feel strongly that we love ourselves enough to acknowledge there are serious health consequences that come with obesity — heart disease, diabetes, cancer to name only a few. I would never wish these for ANYONE and I would hope we prioritise our health because we LOVE ourselves and our bodies.’
The point that seems to be missed is the fact Lizzo isn’t promoting any form of body type. She’s promoting self-love and self-acceptance: two things that would make the world a better place for all of us.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.