The salacious lawsuit filed against mega pop star Lizzo by several of her backup dancers is not only ironic, but it’s also a reminder that our identities should be defined by personal character, not by how many oppression boxes we check. In the lawsuit filed last week, the former backup dancers accused the singer of body shaming and pressuring them to perform grotesque sexual acts at an Amsterdam strip club.
Lizzo — the woman who built her brand around being an obese, anti-bullying, vaguely LGBT, racial minority — is accused of actually being a fatphobic, sexually harassing bully. It’s ironic because Lizzo has personally made her weight a focal point of her public persona. She has publicly proclaimed “I like being fat” and dubbed herself a “body icon.”
You might wonder why Lizzo, a popular pop star, would want to proclaim herself a “body icon” instead of a “music icon.” But when people like fitness influencer Jillian Michaels point that out, Lizzo and her fans recoil because, according to contemporary culture, Lizzo’s weight is intrinsically tied to Lizzo. It’s who she is, not merely an accidental characteristic.
Obesity is part of the intersectional coalition of our society’s protected classes, among which are black, Hispanic, indigenous, and LGBT people. That’s why Lizzo and other overweight individuals appear proud of their obesity — a debilitating condition that can cause heart disease, diabetes, depression, and early death, among other problems.
To be someone of importance in modern society, one has to be able to demonstrate a level of oppression.
