'Silly me thinking I should ever go out in public and be treated like a person': Best-selling author fat-shamed on a flight
Many of us can relate to suffering through an airplane flight from hell in coach, imagining the comforts of a first-class seat.
When we experience being insulted, we might also imagine that something like that would never happen if we were famous and successful. That’s not entirely true, at least not for best-selling author Roxane Gay, who said a fellow first-class passenger weight-shamed her with the snap of a photo.
“Just caught the guy next to me taking a picture of me,” she tweeted while on her flight. “If the floor could open up and swallow me right now I would be grateful.”
Just caught the guy next to me taking a picture of me. The kind he will share with his friends to laugh about the fat woman he is sitting next to on a plane. If the floor could open up and swallow me right now I would be grateful.
— roxane gay (@rgay) September 20, 2018
Years after Gay released her memoir Hunger, which chronicles what it’s like to live as a larger woman in a fat-phobic world, she still faces this kind of treatment. This seemed to happen just hours after being surrounded by A-list stars at the Emmys and en route to speak about female power alongside former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards at Connecticut Forum’s Women Rising event.
Right away, the writer’s followers, including actress Patricia Arquette, offered messages of support, love — and anger toward her seat mate.
“I’m sorry this happened to you,” Arquette wrote. “It really is repulsive of him, and HE should be the one to fall through the crack in the Earth.”
I’m sorry this happened to you. It really is repulsive of him and HE should be the one to fall through the crack in the Earth. It has no reflection on you. Sad how petty and immature many people can be. Again I’m sorry. People are mean.
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) September 20, 2018
Dear goddesses: Please let the floor open up and swallow this jerk with the phone. @rgay deserves better.
— Professor Snarky (@ProfSnarky) September 20, 2018
Several people, including Sarah Silverman, wondered if maybe the man recognized her and wanted to share that he was next to a celebrity.
U might be right, and if so he is human garbage but it’s also possible (tho I know you’ll never think so) that he was sending it w “OMG sitting next to Roxane Gay.”
I love u & our whole office is so painfully in love w you I know u hate these in ur mentions ok I’ll stop sorry— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 20, 2018
But others dismissed that as a viable explanation, especially given how it made Gay feel.
To all the responders saying, "Maybe he was innocently doing this?"
Black, fat women & femmes have a lifetime of this sort of thing. TRUST US when we tell you we find it offensive & uncomfortable. We don't need your backseat judgements. We need you to LISTEN & stop this shit.
— BiFi Activation Code (@applewriter) September 20, 2018
A few trolls stepped in to wonder if the author was taking up the man’s seat. In a since-deleted reply, she explained that she was in first class and had plenty of space.
While many fans wanted her to take a photo of the man for revenge, she did not respond to those requests. (She has also not responded to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.)
She later added, “Silly me thinking I should ever go out in public and be treated like a person. Won’t happen again!”
Anyway. It’s fine. Silly me thinking I should ever go out in public and be treated like a person. Won’t happen again!
— roxane gay (@rgay) September 20, 2018
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