Gigi Hadid has a powerful message for her bullies about body acceptance
If you’ve ever scrolled through the comments of a celebrity’s Instagram, you know people can be jaw-droppingly cruel. And if the celeb happens to be a woman, you can bet your bottom dollar that the bulk of this nastiness will have to do with her appearance. It doesn’t matter how closely the celebrity adheres to standardized beauty norms. When trolls attack women, they believe they can hurt us the most by calling out our face, weight, hair, proportions, and every aspect of our personal appearance.
Recently, supermodel Gigi Hadid took a stand and spoke out against the anonymous haters who have attacked her on Instagram. As Tech Insider reports, the 20-year-old model has been called everything from “old” to “fat” (No, we know. No, seriously, WE KNOW).
Thankfully, her supporters on these threads far outnumber the detractors. Still, this morning Hadid deemed it necessary to stand up for herself, and ended up posting a note on her Instagram calling out her haters.
“So many people are so quick to comment on negative opinions this month,” Gigi begins. “Yes, judgement on social media comes from people who, 99% of the time have no idea what they’re talking about, but I’m human, and I’m not going to lie, I did let the negativity get to me a little.”
She goes on to address the themes found in the negative comments she’s received, and awesomely defends herself on every count.
“No, I don’t have the same body type as the other models in shows. No, I don’t think I’m the best at any given show. Yes I want to have a unique walk but I also know I have to improve. No, I’m not the first or the last model of my type in this industry. You can make up all the reasons you think I am where I am, but really, I’m a hard worker that’s confident in myself, one that came at a time when the fashion industry was ready for a change. I’m just doing my job.”
She makes it clear to her trolls that she has and will continue to rise above their negativity: “Your mean comments don’t make me want to change my body, they don’t make me want to say no to the designers that ask me to be in their shows, and they definitely don’t change the designers’ opinions of me.”
She concludes with a wish for her haters to find something better to do with their time/lives than, you know, hating on Gigi on social.
“I hope everyone gets to a place in their life where they’d rather talk about the things that inspire them over the things that bring others down. At least be open if not part of the change, because it’s undeniably happening.”
As denizens of the Internet, we’ve been taught to avoid comment sections like the plague and shine on our trolls, but, as Gigi deftly proves, there is a time and a place for a thoughtful response when hate hits critical mass. We’re so glad Gigi stood up for herself and took the opportunity to point out the teachable moment here. If you are using Internet comments to spew bile against celebs, it’s really worth asking yourself WHAT it is you’re so angry about (Hint: It’s probably not a random celebrity you do not know/probably never will know) and once you’ve found the source of your rage, do the work you need to do on yourself.
Related:
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This model was told to lose weight, instead she’s campaigning to change the fashion industry
Image via Instagram
