Samuel Studer
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Have you ever heard of Nicole Arbour? You’re not alone; neither have I. Though Arbour is a YouTube celebrity, many had not heard of her until her video on “fat shaming” spread across the Internet.

This six-minute video focuses on how “fat shaming” is nonexistent. She also makes a series of unfunny jokes about body image.  These included “They smell like sausages” and “That’s just their aroma. They were so fat, they were that standing in sweat fat.” 

This video destroyed her relationships with other YouTube celebrities. The large outcry from YouTube viewers led the website to shutdown her channel. Arbour had a loud reaction on social media and seemed upset. She then talked about how she had the right to free speech.

This brings up the question: Are we willing to censor things that cause outrage? These days, it seems like every little thing causes a reaction. But if the public had not responded in the way they did, and few people saw her video it never would have been deleted.

Arbour should be entitled to her thoughts. This censorship was an overreaction to one person’s opinion.  Even though her viewpoints are bigoted, YouTube did not have a right to delete her video. If it can have other graphic content, it must allow Arbour to have expression of her own.  The video was reinstated a few hours later, but never should have been taken down.

Arbour’s views should not have been censored, though they are disrespectful and uncalled for. The content of her video should not be taken as joke.  According to the National Association of Anorexia and Nervosa and Associated Disorders, in a survey of 185 female students on a college campus, 58 percent felt pressure to be a certain weight. Videos like Arbour’s add to negative thoughts young students feel.

These videos exacerbate the issues we face as a society. Her thoughts should be put on a national stage so these sorts of views are put in the hot seat. We can address issues like anorexia, which can be hard to confront and are awkward to talk about. Nobody wants to confront a friend who clearly has an eating disorder; yet not talking about these issues can lead to more harm.  It often seems that, as a society, we don’t want to address issues that are hard to deal with.

By having these issues in the hot seat we can brainstorm ideas for solutions. Many individuals have stepped up and expressed thoughts on the video. This creates a realm where ideas can be expressed. These expressions make a stand for the people who are scared to do so. Taking a stand is difficult, but it can lead to change. Even though things should not be censored for being outrageous, they should be addressed. We should talk about problems through the realm of social media.  Next time someone makes an “outrageous” stand, state your thoughts. Help to define a new future and do not be the person who lets society’s views determine yours.