Streamer Faces Backlash After Controversial Comments About 'Obese' People
A streamer has faced a wave of backlash on Twitch following her controversial comments about 'overweight' people, stating that obesity should not be glorified.
There is still a great deal of fat-shaming connected to gaming, whether it's players constantly being compared to the World of Warcraft player in the South Park episode 'Make Love, Not Warcraft', or 'Fat Thor' causing a storm among God Of War fans. Despite some members of the gaming community claiming that obesity should be seen as an addiction, others state that this mindset is a form of 'fat-shaming'.
One streamer, "Fanfan", has now added her voice to the conversation by comparing obesity to a 'heroin addiction' and that people who are overweight should have their own roped-off areas in restaurants. Her comments have sparked backlash on Reddit, with fans from both sides of the argument stating their views.
What Did The Streamer Say About 'Obese' People?
During her Twitch stream on December 15, Fanfan was asked about her opinions on obesity, which sparked her to share her views on overweight people. In the passionate rant, Fanfan said: "People shame others for stuff like smoking, stuff like alcohol, stuff like heroin, and meth and stuff, which are all addictions. You don’t walk past a guy shooting up heroin on the side of street with his f*cking blankets, you don’t go 'wow this guy is so brave he’s living his best life, I hope he’s happy.' You don’t think that. You think, 'what the f*ck is that guy doing'."
Fanfan didn't stop there, however. The Twitch streamer further claimed: "People even have dedicated areas for f*cking smoking. You got to a restaurant or a hotel and they have a little roped off smoking area […] why don’t they f*cking have that for obese people." Fanfan also questioned "why we do not shame people for being morbidly obese" and that people who are considered to be overweight shouldn't be called "brave".
Although, Fanfan was quick to dispute any claims that her comments could be seen as bullying. As she concluded her rant, Fanfan clarified: "I’m not promoting bullying people who are overweight. It’s more like not promoting people who are overweight, because right now, according to social media, if someone is overweight they’re brave but they shouldn’t be brave."
Fans React To Fanfan's 'Obese' Comments
A clip featuring Fanfan's 'obese' comments surfaced online and quickly grabbed an overwhelming amount of attention on Reddit. Some fans agreed with Fanfan and the idea that obesity shouldn't be glorified. However, others were horrified by Fanfan's comments. One fan who shared their personal story stated: "As someone who used to be morbidly obese and is now a healthy weight, shaming did not help me lose it, it made me feel worse and made me eat more." Another fan stated: "We might need a roped off section of Twitch for these kind of takes. Holy hell." Other commentators on the post called Fanfan out as a hypocrite for criticising nicotine addictions while vaping.
Of course, Fanfan isn't the only streamer to have kicked up an explosive debate on social media. For example, Hasan "HasanAbi" Piker sparked a wave of controversy following his Twitch ban for using the 'anti-white racist' term "cracker". The Botez sisters were also in hot water for their comments made at the Chess World Championships in Dubai. As of writing, Fanfan is yet to respond to backlash from her clip.
