Canadian comedian Nicole Arbour of “Dear Fat People” went on “The View” today to defend her pro-fat-shaming video, and the co-hosts were — to put it mildly — none too impressed with her defenses.After playing a clip of “Dear Fat People,” Whoopi Goldberg asked Arbour whether she even understands why people found her video offensive.
“What I find most offensive about that video is my hair. Frankly, if I knew it would go viral,” she was saying when Goldberg cut her off. “You’re here, this is your shot,” she said, “so did you expect to offend people?”
Arbour replied that she did, because that’s her shtick. She added that she only made the video because “fat people” in her audience felt left out of her vlogging. “That topic was actually voted in by fans,” she said, “some of whom are fat.”
Joy Behar noted that as a comic, it’s one thing to make fun of yourself and your own failings, another to upbraid others for theirs. “I’m a comic,” she said, “so if I’m going to make a joke about a fat person, I’m going to call myself ‘fat’ first. That’s your problem — you’re not fat.”
Arbour repeatedly claimed that her video was satire, but co-panelist Michelle Collins couldn’t see it. When asked “Where is the satire?” Arbour wasn’t able to formulate a coherent answer. That shouldn’t be too surprising, as satire requires an object to be satirized, and Arbour’s comedy — at least in this case — lacked one.
Watch the entire segment via “The View” below.
