Why Jennifer Livingston is America’s New Heroine
News anchor Jennifer Livingston made the news herself last week, as a video of her went viral online. I believe her strong rebuke to a viewer’s remarks about her weight is long overdue. We should not only applaud her courage, but we should also garner more support from those who believe that we need to teach both kids and adults to be more tolerant. Teaching the principles of common courtesy goes a long way in keeping bullying under wraps. Jennifer’s problems highlight two very serious issues that every parent must confront in raising kids.
First, there is the bullying issue. October is, appropriately, anti-bullying month. How apropos that the man who chided her did so at the end of September. No one deserves to have another person write or speak humiliating remarks to them. Saying shameful things to an adult is difficult, but doing so to a child can have long term effects on their self esteem.
The man who wrote to Jennifer was completely out of line to write to her, and her weight is none of his business. I wonder what his parents did wrong to raise a man who feels that he has the right to be mean to others. We need to teach our children the rules of common courtesy so that we don’t contribute to raising the next generation of bullies.
Second, we are living in a profoundly superficial and weight-obsessed culture. Almost half of all third grade girls have said that they need to be thinner and by the fifth grade, many of those young girls have tried dieting. Eating disorders (both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa) are rampant on college campuses. No wonder that anxiety and depression are rising in our kids. They feel that they need to starve in order to be accepted by their peers.
How peculiar that the gentleman who wrote nasty things to Ms. Livingston didn’t write to her emaciated counterparts—the hundreds of female actresses and models who starve themselves in order to get on the covers of ladies’ magazines. The message that our young girls get on a daily basis draws them into a dangerous obsession over what they eat—and what they don’t eat. Those who are “successful” in starving become emaciated. Those who are equally obsessed with food but can’t starve go in the opposite direction and become overweight.
The only weapon we parents have against bullying of our kids by mean people and becoming obsessed with dieting or overeating is to intervene with some common sense. First, we need to teach our kids to stand up to bullies. I can guarantee that the man who wrote to Jennifer Livingston won’t do it again because she gave him a piece of her mind. Bullies are weak-kneed and only bully those they feel will take it. So make sure your child doesn’t take it.
Second, we need to address the cultural obsession with thinness and food head-on. Teach your daughters exactly where the pressure to be thin comes from. Then teach them that they are to be strong, not weak. Help them focus on developing solid character and put less focus on the superficial. The only way to combat illness around us is to face it and diffuse it. Even young girls get this. I know, because I’ve seen them combat it successfully time and time again.
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15 Responses to “Why Jennifer Livingston is America’s New Heroine”
Bravo, Meg! I love how you called out that viewer for both his remark on her weight and his negligence to go after the skinny-minnies.
I was a chunky kid and teen. You know how you look, and you compare yourself endlessly to the thin/pretty girls. I was just telling my girls this weekend how I despaired of finding a boyfriend who would look beyond the weight and see the real me.
There are almost always emotional issues behind eating, or not eating, whatever the case may be. Just telling kids they are overweight and restricting their food is not helpful.
Your post also points to the ridiculous nature of the anti-obesity programs in the schools and the restrictive lunches. Their message is much more about how being thin is the goal.
Such an important message that needs to be heard over and over again.
I would say Brava to Jennifer Livingston for the courage it took to stand up for herself. I think that we’ve all been bullied in one form or another in our lives and it is difficult to stand up to someone who makes us think less of our selves.
I worry about my daughters. They are 5 and 3. Yes, they are young now but I know the influences of society is everywhere. I try to keep things positive at home. Whenever I workout I tell them that I do it to make my body healthy and strong (NEVER about losing weight). We talk about how our bodies are gifts and that we should take care of them. We also talk about what foods are good for us. We have a color system that my Kindergarten age daughter enjoys. Green foods– foods that we can eat as much as we want (fruits & veggies). Yellow foods– good foods that we can eat everyday but not a lot of (like cheese). Red foods– foods that we can eat but only sometimes (like cake or cookies). She loves asking me what color the foods are when we eat.
I must admit that as a parent I’m afraid for what my children will be facing in the future. I want them to have the tools to stay strong but peer pressure certainly is terrifying.
Posted on Facebook. (To a homeschooler group on facebook).
I have struggled with my weight all of my life. It is not an easy battle. It got infinitely harder once I had kids. Kids have no qualms telling you that you are fat. Where do you think they learn this? Their parents. Trust me, obesity is not a life choice.
I try to remember that my kids hear what I say about and to other people. I wish more parents did the same.
I, too, was amazed when I saw the video of this strong example of a woman standing up to not only bullying that was happening, but bullying that was happening to her. Let us all be examples like her!
Meg, thank you for your voice of truth on this blog!
This almost made me cry, I loved how she stood up for herself! Good for her!
Wow, Jennifer, you are a strong powerful woman. To not only stand up to bullies but to be accepting of yourself is something we should all aspire to. Thank you for sharing this with all of us so we can all be inspired by a positive spiritual message.
It scares me when I hear my 1st grader already talking about being ‘fat.’ What is this world coming to? We need to stop focusing on numbers on a scale and start focusing on health and making healthy choices.
What a great example. Thanks for sharing.
It took having kids for me to quit hating my body, I mean it made 2 perfect humans! I hope to have my kids appreciate their bodies for what they can do and not what they look like.
You go girl! Didn’t this dudes mom ever teach him that it’s inside that counts? Pray for him!
I applaud Jennifer. Our culture needs these doses of encouragement. We need more humility from our Creator who gives true foundation of worth that is unchanging because of His love. Then we can truly respect each other.
This brought tears to my eyes. It’s ashame we have become so hateful and critical of others.