Taylor Swift has cut a scene from her ‘Anti-Hero’ music video following backlash from fans.
The scene features Taylor standing on a scale and the word “fat” appears where the numbers should be.
She sings the chorus lyric “I stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror” before the camera pans to another Taylor looking at her, shaking her disapprovingly.
This is meant to symbolise her negative body image and the fact that she’s never satisfied with how she looks.
Fans have accused her of being fatphobic as she equates being fat with being unattractive.
Page Six revealed that Swift has now scrubbed the scene from the Apple Music version of the video after health professionals and critics slammed it as damaging.
“Taylor Swift’s music video, where she looks down at the scale where it says ‘fat,’ is a shitty way to describe her body image struggles. Fat people don’t need to have it reiterated yet again that it’s everyone’s worst nightmare to look like us,” Shira Rosenbluth, a social worker with a specialisation in eating disorder treatment, wrote in a tweet.
Taylor Swift’s music video, where she looks down at the scale where it says “fat,” is a shitty way to describe her body image struggles. Fat people don’t need to have it reiterated yet again that it’s everyone’s worst nightmare to look like us.
— Shira Rose (@theshirarose) October 21, 2022
Rosenbluth added, “Having an eating disorder doesn’t excuse fatphobia. It’s not hard to say, ‘I’m struggling with my body image today’ instead of I’m a fat, disgusting pig.”
Another social media user pointed out, “I saw someone say that she could’ve put ‘not thin enough’ and I think that would’ve been more in line with what she was trying to get across anyways on top of not being offensive.”
I saw someone say that she could’ve put “not thin enough” and I think that would’ve been more in line with what she was trying to get across anyways on top of not being offensive
— Hannah Holcombe (@historichannah) October 21, 2022
“Lmfao the comment section does not pass the vibe check. It’s understandable that people have ED and see their bodies as ugly, but Fat isn’t a feeling fat is a state of being. When people who have ED say ‘ew gross I feel so fat, I’m ugly’ of course feelings about their bodies are real,” a third fan wrote.
“But it’s still enforcing the idea tht fat is gross/bad. Her feelings can be valid, while still promoting fatphobia. This isn’t a competition. ED & Fatphobia are both real, but just because someone has ED doesn’t mean that they should promote the idea that fat is gross.”
are real , but it’s still enforcing the idea tht fat is gross/bad. Her feelings can be valid, while still promoting fatphobia. This isn’t a competition. ED & Fatphobia are both real, but just because someone has ED doesn’t mean that they should promote the idea that fat is gross
— KingBerleezy (Queen of the Bean) (@KingJaszy) October 22, 2022
Upon releasing the video, Taylor explained the meaning behind the imagery: “The Anti-Hero video is HERE, which I wrote and directed. Watch my nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts play out in real time.”
The Anti-Hero video is HERE, which I wrote and directed. Watch my nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts play out in real timehttps://t.co/3ieastDifu pic.twitter.com/h5mpzVLKDY
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) October 21, 2022
