Singer Lizzo has let it be known that she’s done with the hateful online chatter about her weight and is considering quitting music. Having spent many years in the public eye and weathering all types of criticisms, Kevin “Boss” Ross shares his thoughts, including a special message for the Grammy Award winning artist.
FULL TRANSCRIPTION BELOW:
You are now listening to TheGrios black podcast network, black culture amplified.
Hi, I’m Kevin Ross. And this is The Podcast Lizzo. You and Your Mental Health Are Worth Talking About.
Either the day before or the actual day I celebrated joining the “Still got it at 60 Club”. Thank you for the birthday well wishes, by the way. Grammy Award winning artist Lizzo announced she is close to giving up on everyone and quitting her music career.
All because of the nonstop fat shaming she endures now, despite being seen as an example of embracing oneself, the 35 year old songwriter and flutst is admitting that online comments are starting to make her quote, hate the world.
Known for such hits as “Good as Hell” and “Special”, the singing sensation who’s only been considered a mainstream successful talent for what Less than five years? She’s claiming that she’s tired of it all. “I just want to get on this app” She’s referring to Twitter “without seeing my name and some bullshit” quote unquote.
If I can keep it 100, Lizzo to me is an incredible talent. I dig her. Is it my business What she weighs? Absolutely not. Do I have an opinion about her size? Absolutely. Will I share what that opinion is publicly? Absolutely not.
What I will say is how taken aback I am after reading the comments that discussed the controversy, they went along these lines. “I’m tired of seeing her trying to convince people that morbid obesity is healthy”. That was one.
“Stop flaunting your flab. You never saw Pearl Bailey or Ella Fitzgerald or Aretha Franklin strut on stage in bikinis. It’s just not attractive and it never will be”. That’s another. “Get on some weight loss, drugs or have weight loss surgery otherwise you’ll be dead at 50 signed Captain Obvious”.
Wow. Meanwhile, the song “Special” has been viewed on youtube over seven million times since its release. The comments, 4,000 plus and they’re overwhelmingly positive.
Here’s one “As a big girl that has struggled with her weight and mental health all her life. This song makes me so happy and so accepted. No other artist makes me feel confident. Any time I’m down, I turn on Lizzo” and I’m gonna read one more. “I started crying midway through this song. You’re needed Lizzo. I appreciate you and all your music”. I would encourage you to read for yourself what Lizzo supporters and detractors have to say. she’s right. Just her presence generates a lot of heat.
I challenge, however, Lizzo assertion that the love does not outweigh the hate on social media. In fact, I object and having been a judge, I will sustain my own objection.
Because in my years of living, what I’ve come to understand is people typically only talk about folks worth talking about.
I’ve experienced it firsthand. Back in the nineties, I hosted my own radio program. It was on once a week, Monday through Friday, I worked as a prosecutor. This was when talk radio was starting to explode and I was in Los Angeles, the second biggest media market behind New York City and I was doing my thing.
Talk radio, 790 KABC, this is Kevin Ross and we’re keeping it real here at 1 800-222K ABC. That was how I rolled right. Now, it was a challenge sustaining an audience that would be considered an understatement as far as I was concerned since I was competing with other AM hosts, FM music stations, listeners playing cassettes or CDs. Not to mention people going to dinner the movies, clubs or hanging out any and everywhere in LA. Then of course TV and cable was always a factor. And yet folks would tune in religiously.
Some would write letters telling me how stupid or wrong I was about a particular topic I’d cover. I was advised that I sucked as a radio host and to not even think about quitting my job as an attorney, which I likely also sucked at.
There were people out there who actually loved to hate me and what did I learn to refer to them as fans short for fanatics, which means someone filled with or expressing excessive zeal.
My job was to have people tune in as they listen to the commercials sandwiched in between my segments. So that’s what I did.
It was the best experience I could have received before years later having my current daytime show America’s Court, which it does the exact same thing, providing opportunities for advertisers to put their products before consumers and the messages about how lousy I am. But now as a judge, they pour in even more frequently, especially through the internet and the fact that my court show is broadcast in America as well as several other countries.
And yet I’m, I’m grateful for possessing a certain resilience that has resulted in my journey speaking for itself. That’s my wish for Lizzo instead of giving up on something that you’re really great and passionate about. Lady, you better become Popeye and let the criticism be your spinach.
Comedian and daytime TV host Sherri Shepherd recently said “Lizzo don’t post this stuff because there are things that you tell your therapist that you tell your friends when you put it out, then people start knowing what your triggers are, which gives them power”. That’s Sherry’s take on the controversy. Me, I totally disagree with Sherri and I love her and she’s a fan of my show, but I’m holding out hope that Lizzo perhaps is doing both talking privately and publicly about how this type of bullying is having an effect on her well-being. See, mental health is nothing to play with.
60 Minutes recently did a segment about the rising rates of depression in the United States calling it a urgent public health crisis. The surgeon general has noted that instances of self harm and anxiety are particularly up among adolescents.
And according to the Center for Disease Control, the number of teenage girls who have been suicidal has increased 50% nationwide since 2019.
Those girls, I would submit to you, are the very core of Lizzo fan base. She can actually use the opportunity to speak directly to their struggles.
Lizzo can empathize with the impact Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter has had on one’s feelings of self-worth because she’s dealing with those emotions in real time as for People of Color. Also Lizzo audience, a New Gallup study shows that lifetime depression rates among blacks and Hispanics are rising and have now passed those of whites.
So instead of Kowtowing to fat shaming lean in Lizzo. You are not the first to experience this, but you just may be the one to cause people to think twice about what they say publicly.
Write more affirming songs continue to be vulnerable, share your pain along with those victories that spotlight what your true purpose is. To quote the woman herself. Lizzo, you’re special, Lizzo, you’re special.
We will always love you the same. You’re special. We’re so glad that you’re still with us broken. But damn, Lizzo, you are still perfect. Thank you, Lizzo and folks don’t let anyone steal your joy. And so it is.
I’m Kevin Ross and this is The Podcast powered by TheGrio. Follow me @IamBossRoss on Instagram and Twitter Thanks for listening. See you next time.
