Fat-shaming has become something of a buzzword over the past year.
And now YouTube star Nicole Arbour, in a six minute video, has claimed that a) it’s not a real thing, and b) overweight people are basically slow-moving zombies.
"What are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do?" she says challengingly at the beginning of her video.
"You gonna chase me? Really? I can get away from you by walking at a reasonable pace."
The comedian also poked fun at the recent flurry of positive body image movements, insisting: “OH MY GOD, the hashtags!
“#BodyPositive. If you want to be positive to your body, work out and eat well. That's being positive to your body," she explained.
"You really think if enough of you hashtag something bad for you, it makes it okay?"
You can watch the video below:
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Nicole’s comments sparked OUTRAGE online, leading to her being sent death threats online.
And, despite the fact the video clocked up over a million views, her account was even briefly suspended by YouTube bosses.
But while there’s no denying that hurtful comments about people’s size (whether they’re big or small) are unacceptable - it seems as if a LOT of people have missed the point of the video.
First things first, she says this is absolutely NOT aimed at women with curves, or (as Nicole puts it) girls with a “little extra cushion for the pushin’”.
She adds: “And if there’s people watching this with a specific health condition - this is not aimed at you.
“I’m talking about the 35% of North Americans who are obese. That means you are so fat that you are affecting your OWN HEALTH.”
Yup, she’s aiming this solely at the morbidly obese - the people who have been advised by their doctors, time and time again, to lose weight.
Taking steps to tackle obesity is important because, in addition to causing obvious physical changes, it can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:
And Nicole isn’t targeting these people out of spite; she’s doing this to help shock them into taking action.
She says: “Genetics plays a part in things to a degree… but I’m really f**king selfish and I want to keep you around.
“I have no idea of the correlation between heart attacks and calorie intake, but I’m not gonna question it.
“And I’m not saying this to be an asshole; I’m saying this because your friends should be saying it to you.
“The truth is, I will actually love you no matter not, but I really hope that this bomb of truth exploding into your face will act like shrapnel that seeps into your soul, makes you want to be healthier, so we can enjoy you as human beings for longer on this planet.”
That’s all well and good - and you will either agree with her or not.
As a comedian, Nicole is out there to shock, to challenge our opinions, and to be funny. And, sure, her own personal brand of satire might not be everyone’s cup of tea - but that’s the way comedy works.
Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of Index On Censorship, explains: “The ability to express ourselves freely is fundamental to a free society.
“This includes the freedom to publish, to satirise, to joke, to criticise, even when that might cause offence to others. Those who wish to silence free speech must never be allowed to prevail.”
In short, comedy and satire shouldn’t be censored - and comedians like Nicole shouldn’t be left in fear for their lives just because some people out there didn’t understand or appreciate what they had to say.
What did YOU think of Nicole’s video?
Let us know via Facebook or Twitter (@CloserOnline) now.