WKBT anchor Jennifer Livingston took a moment during Tuesday's morning newscast (Tuesday 2nd October 2012) to directly address a recent email she received from a viewer complaining about her weight:
"To the person who wrote me that letter — do you think I don't know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don't see?" Livingston asked in response. "You don't know me. You are not a friend of mine. You are not a part of my family. And you have admitted that you don't watch this show. So you know nothing about me but what you see on the outside. And I am much more than a number on the scale."
Livingston went on to say that October is National Anti Bullying Month, and that she hopes her response to the email will serve to raise awareness of bullying behavior, which is "passed down from people like the man who wrote me that email."
"If you are at home and talking about the fat news lady, guess what? Your children are probably going to go to school and call someone fat," Livingston said.
Livingston thanked friends, family and colleagues, saying, "I will never be able to thank you enough for your words of support, and for taking a stand against this bully. We are better than that email. We are better than the bullies that will try to take us down."
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Unbelievable… so “being overweight is a bad example for young people, girls’ in particular”, that viewer says... What’s terribly damaging, especially for girls, is to constantly see 1.80m female TV presenters with a size 36 as if it was the norm; that only stunning and super skinny women can take part in most advertisements (let alone “macho” adds such as those of AXE); that a girl has to cope with the idea that she’ll be wearing a size 36 or a 40 depending on the clothes shop she decides to visit, and that most of those shops don’t sell bigger sizes than a 42... Women neither are nor can be photocopies of a false standard. Obesity is not defensible, but as damaging as what this viewer claims to be “a healthy lifestyle”.
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