Pregnant Anchor Reads Hate Mail About Her Body On Air And Gets Awesome Response
Watch as meteorologist Kristi Gordon calls out the bullies who attacked her appearance. (Video: Global News)
Chief meteorologist Kristi Gordon of Canada’s Global BC News recently went on-air to deliver an exciting forecast: she was pregnant, and going to have her second child.
However, the delivery of this announcement came with a strange request attached. She asked viewers to, please, be nice about the clothes she wore on TV during her pregnancy. “It was horrible last time,” Gordon declared, in reference to her first go-round carrying a child.
Gordon stood up to show her growing baby bump: “You can’t really hide something like this,” she said. (Photo: Global News)
This did not help. People exploded with more “hate mail” than ever about Gordon’s wardrobe and her changing body — which she decided to read during a recent broadcast.
A sample? “Nowhere on North America TV have we seen a weather reader so gross as you,” one piece of mail read. “Your front end looks like the Hindenburg and your rear end looks like a brick [censored] house… We now turn off Global.”
Gordon, left, and her coworkers pose for a funny photo. (Photo: Global News)
Here’s another nastygram: “Buy some decent clothes and have some respect for your unborn child. You’re not the first pregnant woman. OMG.”
Body insecurities are especially common among pregnant women, whose bodies are changing rapidly, says Brett Worly, MD, an ob/gyn at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “A woman of normal weight is recommended to gain 25-35 pounds in pregnancy, and the weight and other changes associated with pregnancy cause many other issues,” he tells Yahoo Health, noting mood changes to fatigue, exercise intolerance to insecurities about sex.
Gordon’s detractors also did not like the fact that she shows off her baby bump in form fitting clothing. (Photo: Getty Images)
While most women do well, Worly says, some can struggle. And the support of other pregnant (or formerly pregnant) women can make a huge impact on this group. “Reassurance can be very helpful,” he says. “It can also be helpful for pregnant women to exchange ideas with other pregnant women, so they can get a sense for what might be normal.
Gordon with her husband and son at a game. (Photo: Twitter)
And changing bodies are normal — something Global BC News viewers reminded Gordon. Many women were horrified by some the cutting remarks she read on air, causing a parade of ladies to tweet out support with “bump” and “belly-sharing” photos of their own.
Some of the pics were kind and uplifting, and others were light-hearted and silly — which Worly says can be helpful for pregnant women dwelling on their physiques, to redirect the tenor of the body talk from downtrodden to upbeat. “Humor can sometimes be a powerful tool to change the focus of the conversation,” he explains. “None of us are without blemish internally or externally, and reminding ourselves of this can be helpful.
“Creating and supporting life is truly a miracle, and everyone has had a mother at some point — somebody who made this sacrifice for them, and looked ‘different’ so that they could be alive today,” Worly continues. “Offensive comments aimed at pregnant women are short-sighted, inconsiderate, and overly materialistic.”
Gordon seems to be embracing Worly’s perspective that the unkind words are unfounded. In response to the outpouring of support, Gordon wrote a blog postexpressing gratitude for the esteem-boost. “I am overwhelmed by all the responses. When Robin, Squire and I decided to talk about this topic on News Hour PLUS, we hoped it would get people talking but we didn’t expect it to go viral,” she writes.
In an age where thoughts can be broadcast to tens, thousands or millions in a matter of seconds, Gordon also issues a reminder that those words are seen — and felt. “No matter how rational or confident you are, the mean things people say can have an impact,” she continues. “The negative thoughts seep in when you don’t even realize it. Even a little joking comment could do some damage. Hopefully this can help us all be more aware of our impact on others.”
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