SL Community Roiled by Avatar Fat Shaming from Thin Avatar Fashion Brand

For at least the last 24 hours and probably much longer, the Second Life user community has been in tumult over an SL fashion brand that's been sending out body-shaming messages on its group channel. ("Remember that real beautiful girl is the slender and graceful, and not looks as a fat pig!" reads the announcement in fractured English.) That anti-fat message is also reflected in the brand's SL-based store, where a "No Fat Chicks" sign has been placed on a pedestal in the center of a showroom displaying wares for thin female avatars. (For obvious reasons, I'm not going to identify the fashion brand by name.) The anti-fat campaign has since gone viral across many SL-themed social media channels, and has even generated in-world protests. 

"I personally think it’s offensive," says Starr Nasworthy, who'd been waving an avatar body diversity protest sign in the showroom (above) for at least an hour before I arrive.  "We have too much hate in this world," she tells me, "We don't need it in here. People have their own opinions on who they want to be in here, but to shame people's body type and calling [them] fat pigs. No sir."

The body shaming campaign, it should be pointed out, seems to be entirely aimed at large female avatars, and make no mention of their real life owners. However, in practice that distinction is not very meaningful to many who are offended:

For one thing, Second Life in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of full-figured, Kim Kardashian-esque avatars with large thighs and curvy bodies. (See Starr's above, a typical avatar of this style.) And many of their real life owners seem to be choosing avatars which are more proportionate to what they look like in real life. So for some, a body-shaming message directed at avatars is likely to be indistinguishable from body shaming in general, applicable across realities.

While it's unclear if the body shaming has helped the thin avatar fashion brand's sales, it certainly seems to have helped its foot traffic. Sitting in the center of the show room (see above), the owner has put up a sign sarcastically thanking all the avatars who've showed up in flash mobs to protest.

Comments

[Dreamerra]

The body can’t a new mesh body and it effects women and teen women feelings. Like she trying say lol like this your not good enough. I’m a size 14 in real I could not fit in those. I know everyone’s body’s are different you don’t see other stores shaming women body’s this unprofessional and childish. It’s called graceful she she even know what real graceful if it’s means being lady a lady would never body shame she help those. Facebook has banned body shaming over places. Linden labs will have field day many people reported we are not liking this. New girl joins second life comes to this story sees this why tells a girl she gotta change her body just because it’s your store this game to to live free not shame. Better to value and love others. We women stand together to protect this effects trend and all women we have rights. A good designers would have good heart not like this. This won’t help
Her sales they look 2012 out of date. She have to grow up stop shaming she has some insucurw ways.

[AmyDindra]

Well everyone has a right to look as they wish in Second Life but people also have the right to say what they don\t like. This whole 'fat shaming' thing in a virtual world is stupid-it's not fat shaming in SL. This is the problem I have with people seeing an avatar as themselves, it simply is not and if you can't distinguish that line there is something wrong .

There are too tall and skinny avs and then there are too wide and fat avs, they exist. Best way to protest is with your money and don't spend it there instead of standing around someone's sim and griefing them over it. Get some real problems, ok?

[amandamagick]

Body Shaming is still body shaming whether in Ll or SL. This business is run and owned by a mean person who I will for one not be giving any business or any more exposure. I have said my piece and will share to have awareness but I think the people protesting and taking pictures and eating popcorn and cookies for those pictures have the same right of free speech. All I know is that I do not agree with the business or the one who owns it. I promote everyone is beautiful and I don't like this at all. She is happy everyone is flash mobbing and giving her exposure for free.

[Censored Voice]

I think its child abuse raising a family in real life being a tub of lard as a role modal.
One hour a day is all it takes and patience doing a 30 minute walk and 15 minutes of intense cardio with no equipment and 15 minutes of using resistance ropes to get down to a normal weight.

If your addicted to food as much as you are second life you have a eating disorder so it's time to get help! stop trolling other residents 2ndlives because you cannot find the will power in real life to eat a healthy diet.

Try a Keto Diet,Paleo Diet or even the Snake Diet, what they all have in common is reducing the pies you shove in your mouth.

Been there,done that so take responsibility for your addictions, if you live by excuses ten live with them just keep your own private hell to yourselves.

One reason I've barracked myself 4000ft in sky on a private island it seems the ones who made secondlife feel like a new world have died off replaced by drama queens and the army of alts they troll with.

What is so hard about leaving the real world out of others private virtual lives.

[Pleasently Plump]

I find the above comment repulsing i am big not because of my diet but because of a thyroid problem.Alot of people aren't fat cause they don't eat right some have serious health issues. I eat right no fatty foods i work out as much as i can and still have this issue so before people start calling "People" in general fat maybe they need to research cause not everyone stuffs there face.

[Nope]

Please, protest this fool by NOT going to the SIM. Giving her traffic just makes her rise up on the search so peopke will find her more easily. :(

[amandamagick]

I think we all know who the Censored Voice is.

[Censored Voice]

@Pleasently Plump
" I eat right no fatty foods i work out as much as i can" sounds like another excuse to me.. real weight loss comes with eating healthy fats like coconut and olive oils with fatty avocados. Alternate fasting and longer then 72 hour fasts cures most cases of diabetes to thyroid issues

"People" in general fat maybe they need to research cause not everyone stuffs there face." if only you really knew and allowed yourself to no longer be a victim of lack of control.

my first 2 weeks of water fasting was hardest but then i remembered Jesus used to fast up to 40 days at a time that allowed me to stay strong. made sure to add teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt and potassium chloride to my water to keep electrolights up to not dehydrate.

Your not going to die after 4 days of fasting teaching your body to eat its own fat instead the hunger pains do go away.. stuffing your face 3 times a day is killing you softly literally.

Those who want to break free and become normal know a Keto Diet,Paleo Diet or even the Snake Diet is the key or just go strait to fasting.

your excuse is your health is too poor to fast and blah blah blah instead its more important to use all that time and energy you have to grief other residents virtual lives instead of making the changes needed but maybe you like being a helpless victim it would allow you to take no responsibility to reinforce your self delusions?.

@amandamagick
"I think we all know who the Censored Voice is."
you have no clue with me being an active poster here many years under several names and often I need not have an agenda to have an opinion.

Maybe you both should get a VR Headset, jump on a threadmill and run around the mainlands?

Being fat is a choice not a disability.

[Zoey]

@ Censored Voice , although i agree in most cases its a choice there are people with medical conditions that are not a choice of their own and cause them to have weight that they just cant lose... one being thyroid problems. There are also other health conditions that causes a person to be over weight that they cant control.

Im a fitness trainer and marathon runner in Real life and a couch and mentor a lot of women and men to be healthy no matter what size they are, i have close friends and even a roomie that has extra weight , my roomie goes to the gym and runs with me everyday. she just has extra weight she cant lose even when i control her diet and exercise...is she out of shape no she will put almost anyone to shame out running them and doing more in the gym than they can and medically she is healthy.

Its not always DIET and exercise ...the whole you need to get out and exercise excuse used on anyone with extra weight is a cop out for people that dont understand what a healthy body is and what causes weight gain or the inability to lose it.

Are there alot of people that are over weight cause they dont exercise and dont eat right sure and it will catch up to them as they get older but you cant use that to make a one basket fits all approach to anyone that looks over weight.

Being overweight to some is a choice but it is also a disability to others.

[Sanita]

This is just my opinion about what i see in SL past years..
First of all, i am not a body shamer. I don't care about people looks in RL. Everyone is different, everyone has different health and habits..personality/heart is most important.

I know SL is place you can be, look whatever you want to. If you want to be skinny - be one. If you want to be fat - be one. My opinion is not about skinny or fat, but those unnatural body shapes (huge butt, tiny waist, and some unnatural shapes that doesn't make any sense) you see them on every corner. Of course, there are people with gifted bodies in RL. I know, everyone wants to look sexy, perfect. I am often just thinking.. isn't it too much? Specially new people, kids. They inspire from TV, photoshop and etc. This is why we get body shame. We ourselves create something hat is not real, but seems to be perfect. And not only fat people. Also people little overweight and thin people get shamed because they don't have right breast/ butt size, or maybe cellulite, scars...i can go on and on.

What i want to say is.. Be more natural. At least try to. And maybe we will get less body shaming in future.

[jiff]

So much for going into VR to escape your RL.

[Fat Avatar Anonymous (FAA)]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_yUeH8TsG5pxqvkOxBtsFA/videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/drericberg123

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xyIpdVfNW0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVK6zSatRz4

Tax payers are paying for these domestic hippos to lay around milking the system, the reality is the government needs to investigate Linden Lab customers for disability fraud.

[LagOh]

"For obvious reasons, I'm not going to identify the fashion brand by name"

So you do a story on this one brand and you think it is obvious that the brand not be named. Why? If you were doing a story on a trend then you would cite one source and that would be prudent. But when doing a story on a single brand you, as a journalist, should name the brand.

[Juliet]

Firstly, it's ridiculous for you to "hide" the name of the business because obviously it's not that hard to find out. Especially since your'e doing a "Report" on this situation. Secondly, your reporting is hardly unbiased since you show people protesting but not the skinny mini owner. Or is she. Maybe she's being so vociferous because she's actually "fat" herself.

Avatar size is a choice, just the same as what *kind* of avatar i.e. human, vampire, drow, dragon, cat, whatever. And having a larger avatar does not indicate one is "Fat" real life. I know quite a few larger sized avatars whose rl is quite large so that proves little one way or another.

Further, it's pure ignorance to assume that a person is larger sized due to laziness or because they stuff twinkies in their mouths 24/7. An ounce of research into obesity in America alone will show you that there's a biological trend (three words, high fructose corn syrup) towards obesity which no amount of dieting will lose, not to mention health factors such as depression, hypothyrodism and more. If you happen to be thin, no matter how much you diet or exercise or don't eat that brownie... at least part of your thin ness is no more than pure luck. Be grateful. At 30 I wore a size 10 dress, at over 50, I don't any more and it's the health factors that did it, not what I ate.

Finally, body shaming, especially fat shaming is toxic. Just listen to the things you people are saying about larger sized people. It's abusive and you should be ashamed.

[Elora Lunasea]

@censoredvoice "
I think its child abuse raising a family in real life being a tub of lard as a role modal."
Wow, judgement much?
This commentary is wildly offensive and uninformed. Not everyone who is larger than average is "a tub of lard" by choice.
Some, have medical issues which makes it difficult to shed weight such as:

Hypothyroidism.
Cushing's syndrome
Depression

Some have physical disabilities where physical movement is difficult or impossible. Lucky you if you've never had to have surgery that kept you immobilized.

Others, take medications for various conditions which make it difficult to lose weight.

Last, how do you know that "tub of lard" hasn't been trying to lose weight, and actually has? Maybe said tub of lard used to be even bigger but is trying to get healthier but the way you see it, trying doesn't even matter.

Just the fact that you used demeaning words to get your point across says a lot about you. What are your flaws? We all have them, perhaps one of yours is something we can all joke about and make you feel crappy about yourself.

/rant off

[Someone in SL]

This is really stupid that people care more about what happens in a virtual world than in real life. Worry about fat shamming in real life and not SL. If you want to hurt the brand, then dont teleport to the sim to give them traffic, or join their group, or like their social sites. And lastly, the most important thing of all is.....DON'T SHOP THERE! Its that simple folks.

[Seljober]

People are worse than a herpes virus.

[Fat People Are People, Too]

I want to scream at all the fat shaming in RL and SL, and the fat shaming going on right here in these comments! People saying stupid stuff like, "It's only an hour a day that's all if you just tried harder you wouldn't be a tub of lard." WTF?? A tub of lard? What in God's name gives you the freaking right to judge others?? Would you call a Black person the N-word? No! So why don't you give someone who is overweight the same courtesy?? You can think it all you want, that a fat person is disgusting, and gross and repulsive. But that DOES NOT give you the right to infer that fat people are inferior!!! What a judgmental asshole! What about if I pointed at you and said, "Oh look, a talking asshole!" Because that's basically what you are. JERK. How about a little compassion? Good grief!

[Savannah Vielle]

I would like to know whom the store owner is so I can block them on all my avatars and never accidentily purchase of them. Anyone that knows please send an im to Savannah vielle inworld, would be appreciated.

[Reality check]

I'm going to buy something from the store. Thanks for the heads up that they were being boycotted by morons.

[Reality check]

Turns out that is a really nice looking avatar.

I have no respect left for the pro unhealthy crowd. You're killing yourselves, and that's your problem not mine, but I don't respect you for it. You're taking a stand for being unhealthy. Having a cause, something to be offended by, and a safe space is the new norm, I know - but at least pick something positive. High BMI means early death. Defending and promoting that - literally evil. literally.