Melanie Lynskey Calls Out Body-Shamers Who 'Care About Health'
The Yellowjackets star got real about how frequently people feel the need to comment on her body
Can we please cut Melanie Lynskey a break? In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Yellowjackets star revealed that she was pressured by members of the show’s production crew to lose weight for her role as Shauna in the hit Showtime series. Her badass costars came to her defense and penned a letter to the producers to shut that nonsense down. Even if the on-set body-shaming has been culled, the internet at large still feels like they have a right to comment on Lynskey’s body — you know, because they are concerned about her health.
Writer Ashley C. Ford tweeted, “It’s wild how confused people in the Midwest seem to be that I’m not thin and also not trying to lose weight. Folks act genuinely confounded that I’m not calorie counting, avoiding carbs, or even just hating myself out loud. But…how could I hate someone as sexy as I am?”
Lynskey quoted the tweet and added her grievances with the oh-so-caring public.
“The story of my life since Yellowjackets premiered. Most egregious are the ‘I care about her health!!’ people…bitch you don’t see me on my Peleton! You don’t see me running through the park with my child. Skinny does not always equal healthy.”
Fans and fellow actors shared their own experiences of ‘health-based’ body-shaming after Lynskey shared hers
“Also, even if you DIDN’T run in the park with your kids, ride your Peloton, etc. – it shouldn’t matter. You are allowed to exist in the body you have. Period,” said one.
Donna Lynne Champlin, who played Paula on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, replied to Lynskey’s quote-tweet, saying “Been there, momma. You owe no one a goddam thing but a brilliant performance which you are turning out in SPADES. Keep being fucking gorgeous and talented and know you’ve got fans out here who think you are a beautiful queen and a magnificent actress. ❤️❤️❤️”
“Oh the strangers who are bigger experts on my health than my doctor are my FAVORITE* *not really” replied writer Jenelle Riley.
It is truly wild how some people feel like they can simply assess a person’s health by their body shape, as if skinny people can’t have horrible cholesterol or a litany of other health ailments. To prove this point, one person replied, “I’m thin. I get complimented for being thin. I’m not healthy. Walking down the street in LA a woman asked me, ‘How do you stay so thin?’
I replied, ‘Lung disease!'”
“I mean…. it’s so crazy. Is it going to end in our lifetimes?” Lynskey replied to Riley. We really, really hope so. Let’s all stop pretending to be health experts for strangers under the guise of some sort of compassion.
