Too thin? “Why don’t you eat something.” Too fat. “Hey, you should start working out.” Doesn’t society just love monopolizing women’s bodies? They always have something to say about how a woman looks like or worse, should look like. Guess, they love it because this is the best way to decide her merit for them. And the scariest thing about this prejudice is that it functions on the most indiscreet way, when the flagbearers don’t even realise that they are doing something wrong. The only solution? Calling them out! Loud and clear! Just like Four More Shots Please star Maanvi Gagroo recently did.
Maanvi took to Twitter on Thursday to call out a fashion brand for casually fat-shaming her and using a picture of her without any permission for their sponsored advertisements. Enraged by the caption under her picture that said “Styles to hide your curves“. Maanvi posted a screenshot from the brand’s Facebook page and rebuked them for the insensitive and irresponsible marketing. She criticised the brand for their messaging and explicitly establishing that they have no right to “fat shame ANYONE” whatsoever.
“I didn’t wear this dress to ‘hide my curves‘. Not only does the brand NOT have my permission to use my picture as a sponsored post, they definitely don’t have my permission to fat shame ANYONE! I stand against everything this distasteful tagline points to,” Maanvi wrote.
Here’s her post:
I didn't wear this dress to 'hide my curves'. Not only does the brand NOT have my permission to use my picture as a sponsored post, they definitely don't have my permission to fat shame ANYONE! I stand against everything this distasteful tagline points to. pic.twitter.com/GwY1TkOjCQ
— Maanvi Gagroo (@maanvigagroo) May 28, 2020
Maanvi has always been vocal about the rhetoric of fat-shaming and has never shied away from opting for roles based on similar messaging. In fact, in the recently concluded second season of Four More Shots Please!, her character Siddhi Patel talks about how her body is the first thing that people have always used to size her up. Towards the end of the season, Siddhi learns to embrace her body, her identity, and leave everything and everyone who cannot see her worth beyond her body.
Imagine how pathetic it happens to be for a brand that makes clothes in all sizes (‘coz business!) but fails to address even the most basic body-positive messaging. Reeks of selfish interest and capitalism, right?
Perhaps, this would change once brands actually start caring about their customer base instead of just pretending to so. Till then, let’s keep dissecting these prejudiced messages and calling them out, just like Maanvi Gagroo.
Featured Image: Instagram
