A TikTok influencer who frequently posts about fat acceptance and body positivity is receiving applause for her take on fatphobia and toxic beauty standards after a video of her and her thin, muscular husband went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Alicia McCarvell shared screenshots of the tidal wave of trolling comments about her and her husband Scott's relationship she received in response to the video, all of which centered on disbelief that a muscular guy like Scott would ever fall for a fat woman.
McCarvell even said that one thin, conventionally attractive woman was so nonplussed she DM'd Scott to tell him he should be with her instead of his wife.
And McCarvell wasn't about to let the trolls' actions slide. She posted a TikTok that not only put the trolls on blast but also addressed the very deep toxicity of fatphobia and beauty standards, and it's left people applauding.
See her video below.
McCarvell addressed "the trash beauty standards in the room" by acknowledging that by the measure of traditional beauty standards she and Scott "don't make sense."
She then detailed the myriad cruel and ridiculous presumptions people routinely level at her and Scott because of this—that McCarvell must have been thin when they met, that Scott must have a fat fetish, or the perennial favorite, that Scott must be gay.
Or maybe—and hear us out—fat people are just people and other people fall in love with them all the time.
But that notion seems bonkers to all too many people, because as McCarvell explained:
"We’ve been made to believe that somebody who is physically fit like Scott could never in a million years be in love with or compatible with a fat woman."
"That’s solely because the world has literally taught us that we have to value our worth on our bodies."
McCarvell went on to put an even finer point on the issue.
After telling about the woman who DM'd Scott, she gave a perfect explanation of just how insidious toxic beauty standards are—for everyone, whether thin, fat or in between.
"Me telling myself for the majority of our relationship that I'm not worthy of his love because of my body is the exact same thing as this thin woman telling him that she is worthy of his [love] because of her body."
"I'm undervaluing myself and she's overvaluing herself."
"We've both been made to believe that our value lies in our body."
On TikTok, McCarvell's message definitely resonated.
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Here's hoping McCarvell's message reaches the people who so desperately need to hear it.
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