Woman Shares Her Issues With The “Body Positivity Movement” In A Viral Video
Interview
The body positivity movement is incredibly problematic. That’s the message that TikTok content creator Talia Lichtstein, from Los Angeles, wanted to get across in her viral video. She shared that we should be focusing on body acceptance and neutrality, instead of body positivity, many aspects of which she utterly despises.
In the video, Talia lists all the reasons why body positivity isn’t as positive as it looks from the outside and shines a spotlight on the pressure women face to conform to certain beauty and body standards despite being told that they’re perfect as they are.
Check out Talia’s full video below and let us know what you think, dear Pandas. Do you agree with her message? Do you think body positivity or body acceptance is the better way forward for society? You can share your insights in the comment section at the bottom of this article; we can’t wait to see how you feel.
I reached out to Talia and she was kind enough to answer my questions about her views on body positivity and acceptance. She told Bored Panda that the emphasis on body positivity rather than acceptance “reflects an internet-wide shift towards toxic positivity”, which has can have a very detrimental effect on our mental health.
“I remember first noticing this obsession with the ‘glass half full’ mentality in the days of Tumblr and it’s grown way bigger recently—probably because the world has been extra dark and scary in recent years. Being optimistic in dark times is important, but why is it suddenly a bad thing to admit I don’t like something? Why am I constantly being told to counteract every negative thought with a positive one? Wouldn’t it be easier to just feel what I’m feeling and move on?” she mused. Scroll down for Bored Panda’s full in-depth interview with Talia.
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Talia listed the various problems with body positivity and explained why it’s toxic. Check out her full TikTok video right over here
@talialichtsteinI prefer body acceptance over body positivity♬ original sound – Talia
I have written about body positivity, acceptance, and normalizing normal bodies extensively and tackled the topics from a variety of different angles for Bored Panda. Talia isn’t the only one who sees issues with body positivity as it currently stands. Body acceptance (aka ‘true’ body positivity) appears to be the more grounded approach because it deals with the reality of how one is, instead of creating the illusion that absolutely everything is 100% perfect.
Talia told Bored Panda that she believes we all need to be far more realistic and honest both with ourselves and each other. “Having negative feelings is human and bottling them up or forcing yourself to find the bright side of everything is not productive. We just need to stop lying to each other on the internet to seem happier to everyone else. We all have negative thoughts and bad days. Either you have them and pretend you don’t, or you talk about them,” she noted and I completely agree with her. Ignoring or repressing certain feelings is far from healthy. What’s more, you end up completely sidelining an entire aspect of the human condition (I’m a bit believer that we should embrace sadness when we feel sad, instead of running away from it).
According to Talia, body acceptance and neutrality are better alternatives to toxic positivity
Image credits: talialichtstein
Image credits: talialichtstein
Image credits: talialichtstein
Image credits: talialichtstein
The TikToker noted that, in her experience, the current discussion about body positivity hasn’t helped her form a healthy relationship with food or her weight. “There are times I love how my body looks and times I don’t. If someone’s telling me I should love my body all the time, I’m thinking, well I guess I need to maintain a weight of 135 because that’s when I love how I look the most. That’s just the truth. Everyone has a number on the scale they like the most,” Talia opened up to Bored Panda.
However, she pointed out that she doesn’t want to keep on chasing that ideal number all the time. “I personally would rather accept that the number on the scale is gonna go up and down, sometimes I’ll like it, sometimes I won’t, and that’s fine because my body isn’t the most interesting thing about me,” she said. “However, to each their own. You can go ahead and convince yourself to love every inch of your body if that’s what makes YOU feel good. But don’t force that mindset on me.”
Meanwhile, I also wanted to get to know Talia’s journey as a content creator on TikTok. She told me that she started to consistently post videos just a couple of months ago, in June 2021, right after graduating college.
“I was beginning to apply for jobs in digital content creation—I’ve always wanted a career as a host or correspondent in comedy entertainment. I figured I should start creating my own content to show employers why they should hire me to make content for them. But then my account blew up, and it’s become my main focus. I’m trying to use it as a stepping stone for a career as an entertainer,” Talia told Bored Panda about her ambitions in life.
“I’m a very outspoken and highly critical person; I’m a big believer in ‘agree to disagree’ and love to debate. So I get on TikTok and share my opinions and it seems to be inspiring a lot of people—especially women—to share their thoughts without fear of being perceived as mean. If my TikTok were to teach anyone anything, I hope the lesson would be that there’s a difference between being opinionated and being an asshole.”
She added: “You can be a critical person and still a happy, upbeat person.”
Here’s how some internet users have reacted to Talia’s viral video
I completely agree that "body positivity" has been hijacked by brands and marketing departments and has become a meaningless buzzword, but what was the point in this rant? Nobody is saying that every person should love every part of their body and consider it perfect never to be improved. "Body positivity" is about not looking in the mirror every day and thinking "f*ck I'm awful", it's accepting you are as you are at the moment, or finding things you do like about yourself to counteract the parts you don't like, which is exactly what she is saying she does.
Yes. It feels like people just need a reason to rant every other day.
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While I mostly agree on the body positivity movement often being toxic and really dishonest, I don't know why she claims skinny women are the beauty standard and have no problems. You can be skinny and have an "ugly" face, thin lips or a hook nose or too small breasts or any other kind of thing that isn't considered beautiful.
I was in total agreement with her until she used the term 'skinny' which is as equally damaging! I am a thin person and I too feels the pressures because I don't have the curves of a Kardashian. How about you do you and not worry about everyone else and how they look or how they perceive you
Wholeheartedly agree. I think many people don’t realise how horrible opinions on skinny people can be. My best friend always struggled with her weight because she was too thin. Her own mother told her she was too ashamed to go to the beach with her. I can’t even begin to imagine how much that must have hurt.
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It does get irritating when celebrities post tons of bikini photos of their perfect figures while telling the rest of us to love ourselves. Pauline porzkova, Selma Hayek, etc
"money doesn't bring happiness" - first world Millionaire who was raised in a sheltered middle class family and thinks he knows what hard work is because he worked a summer job as a waiter as a teenager.
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Call it whatever the f**k you want as long as you keep body hate away from me.
THIS. THIS. THIS. THIS. Finally, someone has reached the logical end of this movement. The opposite of obsessively hating your body isn't obsessively loving your body (which isn't possible), it's to STOP THINKING ABOUT YOUR BODY ALL THE TIME.
I totally agree, I am 17 years old. And I accept myself like who I am, because we need to take care of ourselves and don't pay attention to the opinion of others , it only matters your opinion
Yeeeeees, thank you. I'm never going to say my stretch marks are "beautiful" or "celebrate" them, but I do accept they're part of me. But I don't like them.
Look at some footage taken on a 'muscle beach'. You'll see more stretch marks there than anywhere, and not a single one of them is ashamed or trying to cover them up, because stretch marks are not inherently unattractive.
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Eat healthy, move more, and *throw away every scale and full-length mirror in your home*. That, folks, is my advice. Male or female or neither or both, I don't care. Obsessing over numbers and "should be" only leads people into self-harm of some kind.
I agree that we should accept the things we don't like about our body and learn to love certain other parts of our body and that should be okay and that none of it should be rooted in a beauty standard. But saying skinny woman can't feel like big women do is just wrong. I've been both. And I felt hideous when I was a skinny teenager and now I am more happy with my body being overweight. Every woman goes through feeling like she doesn't meet the standard. In the past, I would have been envious of this woman's face and wished I had facial features like hers. What if I told her she doesn't have the right to feel ugly because her face fits standards? Kind of a weird double standard.
wow, shes crazy. she went from HOT to absolutely NOT very quickly haha. talking about misgyny omitting a crucial detail, misogyny from women themselves and the vast majority of designers etc who are gay maybe some straight too what im trying to say 99.9% DO NOT like very skinny women, the impossible beauty standards she talks about. MOST OF US DO ONT FIND THEM SEXY HOT BEAUTIFUL OR HEALTHY, WE HATE FOR EXAMPLE HEROIN CHIQ OF THE 90S WOMEN LOVED THAT
you know a large portion of the bad body image comes from the cosmetic and fashion industries right? Women fashion designers want to show their product, that is marketed to women and for women on skinny models because that's what works to sell to women. yep sounds like misogyny.
It's mainly male fashion designers trying to dress women with figures like boys because it's more "aesthetic". But sure, go off.
Load More Replies... Oh wow finally a website that has enough brain cells to allow a discussion from users... First of all do NOT start your video with "muh misogyny". You're making yourself look like yet another crazy feminist. Second, stop walking around when you make a video... The way she does it is so obnoxious. Talk like an adult. Third... No, she is half right. The problem is that not all people are 10/10 beautiful. Accept yourself like she said but also try to improve. Be objective, accept criticism, be confident not arrogant. If you are 100 kg, and you want a 10/10 guy, you need to change. Stop bullshitting us guys with "I'm a BBW, chubby, plus sized, hope you can handle a REAL woman" stop acting like a little child who refuses to accept reality and improve. The fat isn't the real problem. It's the attitude.
I agree these people need help, but criticism and shaming is the opposite of help, and that's exactly what's happening. Likewise, the other extreme (the "you're perfect just the way you are" thing) isn't helpful either because they know it's a lie. Also, diabetes is not always the cause or the result of it. I was never morbidly obese, but I was indeed overweight and struggling. Then I found out I inherited weak kidneys, so when I tackled that problem, all my excessive weight was gone -> turns out, it was water retention more than fat from sugar/calories. So, the best solution is for everyone to simply mind their own business, unless directly approached for help. Then you can take a comprehensive approach and lead them towards a solution, or, if not guiding them, you can be their moral support, by exploring this together (depending on the bond you have).
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Ooooh, a new different font. Mixing it up now, aren't we?
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I completely agree that "body positivity" has been hijacked by brands and marketing departments and has become a meaningless buzzword, but what was the point in this rant? Nobody is saying that every person should love every part of their body and consider it perfect never to be improved. "Body positivity" is about not looking in the mirror every day and thinking "f*ck I'm awful", it's accepting you are as you are at the moment, or finding things you do like about yourself to counteract the parts you don't like, which is exactly what she is saying she does.
Yes. It feels like people just need a reason to rant every other day.
Load More Replies... While I mostly agree on the body positivity movement often being toxic and really dishonest, I don't know why she claims skinny women are the beauty standard and have no problems. You can be skinny and have an "ugly" face, thin lips or a hook nose or too small breasts or any other kind of thing that isn't considered beautiful.
I was in total agreement with her until she used the term 'skinny' which is as equally damaging! I am a thin person and I too feels the pressures because I don't have the curves of a Kardashian. How about you do you and not worry about everyone else and how they look or how they perceive you
Wholeheartedly agree. I think many people don’t realise how horrible opinions on skinny people can be. My best friend always struggled with her weight because she was too thin. Her own mother told her she was too ashamed to go to the beach with her. I can’t even begin to imagine how much that must have hurt.
Load More Replies... It does get irritating when celebrities post tons of bikini photos of their perfect figures while telling the rest of us to love ourselves. Pauline porzkova, Selma Hayek, etc
"money doesn't bring happiness" - first world Millionaire who was raised in a sheltered middle class family and thinks he knows what hard work is because he worked a summer job as a waiter as a teenager.
Load More Replies... Call it whatever the f**k you want as long as you keep body hate away from me.
THIS. THIS. THIS. THIS. Finally, someone has reached the logical end of this movement. The opposite of obsessively hating your body isn't obsessively loving your body (which isn't possible), it's to STOP THINKING ABOUT YOUR BODY ALL THE TIME.
I totally agree, I am 17 years old. And I accept myself like who I am, because we need to take care of ourselves and don't pay attention to the opinion of others , it only matters your opinion
Yeeeeees, thank you. I'm never going to say my stretch marks are "beautiful" or "celebrate" them, but I do accept they're part of me. But I don't like them.
Look at some footage taken on a 'muscle beach'. You'll see more stretch marks there than anywhere, and not a single one of them is ashamed or trying to cover them up, because stretch marks are not inherently unattractive.
Load More Replies... Eat healthy, move more, and *throw away every scale and full-length mirror in your home*. That, folks, is my advice. Male or female or neither or both, I don't care. Obsessing over numbers and "should be" only leads people into self-harm of some kind.
I agree that we should accept the things we don't like about our body and learn to love certain other parts of our body and that should be okay and that none of it should be rooted in a beauty standard. But saying skinny woman can't feel like big women do is just wrong. I've been both. And I felt hideous when I was a skinny teenager and now I am more happy with my body being overweight. Every woman goes through feeling like she doesn't meet the standard. In the past, I would have been envious of this woman's face and wished I had facial features like hers. What if I told her she doesn't have the right to feel ugly because her face fits standards? Kind of a weird double standard.
wow, shes crazy. she went from HOT to absolutely NOT very quickly haha. talking about misgyny omitting a crucial detail, misogyny from women themselves and the vast majority of designers etc who are gay maybe some straight too what im trying to say 99.9% DO NOT like very skinny women, the impossible beauty standards she talks about. MOST OF US DO ONT FIND THEM SEXY HOT BEAUTIFUL OR HEALTHY, WE HATE FOR EXAMPLE HEROIN CHIQ OF THE 90S WOMEN LOVED THAT
you know a large portion of the bad body image comes from the cosmetic and fashion industries right? Women fashion designers want to show their product, that is marketed to women and for women on skinny models because that's what works to sell to women. yep sounds like misogyny.
It's mainly male fashion designers trying to dress women with figures like boys because it's more "aesthetic". But sure, go off.
Load More Replies... Oh wow finally a website that has enough brain cells to allow a discussion from users... First of all do NOT start your video with "muh misogyny". You're making yourself look like yet another crazy feminist. Second, stop walking around when you make a video... The way she does it is so obnoxious. Talk like an adult. Third... No, she is half right. The problem is that not all people are 10/10 beautiful. Accept yourself like she said but also try to improve. Be objective, accept criticism, be confident not arrogant. If you are 100 kg, and you want a 10/10 guy, you need to change. Stop bullshitting us guys with "I'm a BBW, chubby, plus sized, hope you can handle a REAL woman" stop acting like a little child who refuses to accept reality and improve. The fat isn't the real problem. It's the attitude.
I agree these people need help, but criticism and shaming is the opposite of help, and that's exactly what's happening. Likewise, the other extreme (the "you're perfect just the way you are" thing) isn't helpful either because they know it's a lie. Also, diabetes is not always the cause or the result of it. I was never morbidly obese, but I was indeed overweight and struggling. Then I found out I inherited weak kidneys, so when I tackled that problem, all my excessive weight was gone -> turns out, it was water retention more than fat from sugar/calories. So, the best solution is for everyone to simply mind their own business, unless directly approached for help. Then you can take a comprehensive approach and lead them towards a solution, or, if not guiding them, you can be their moral support, by exploring this together (depending on the bond you have).
Load More Replies... Ooooh, a new different font. Mixing it up now, aren't we?
Load More Replies... 
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