--- description: Nicole Arbour stirred up controversy on YouTube, but she's not apologizing title: 'Dear Fat People' Comedian Nicole Arbour: 'I'm Not Apologizing' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2fedb44a8a2db73c/698862d70a4a223eef9c5fc1/nicole-arbour.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'Dear Fat People' Comedian Nicole Arbour: 'I'm Not Apologizing for This Video' by [ashley Ross](/author/ashley-ross/) ## ashley Ross Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 10, 2015 4:23 PM CUT  Nicole Arbour attends the 2015 Shorty Awards at The Times Center on April 20, 2015 in New York City. Nicole Arbour attends the 2015 Shorty Awards at The Times Center on April 20, 2015 in New York City.Michael Stewart—WireImage/Getty Images by [ashley Ross](/author/ashley-ross/) ## ashley Ross Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 10, 2015 4:23 PM CUT Nicole Arbour isn’t apologizing for a controversial video she posted on Sept. 3 called “Dear Fat People”—in fact, she feels proud she’s started a conversation about weight, body image and what it means to be a female comedian. The controversial “fat-shaming” message in the video—which has racked up nearly three million views and spread rapidly on social media—drew swift reactions from [YouTube stars](https://twitter.com/tyleroakley/status/639725226247393280 "undefined"), [comedians](https://twitter.com/OpieandJimmy/status/641580502391128064 "undefined") and [columnists,](http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/08/dear-fat-people-vrial-video-canadian-comedian-nicole-arbour "undefined") who slammed Arbour for apparently mocking those who weigh more than she does. But in an interview, Arbour, who has 159,000 YouTube subscribers, maintained that the video is satire and anyone who doesn’t realize that is missing the point. “I feel it’s really important that we make fun of everybody,” she told TIME. “I think \[what\] brings us together and unites us as people is that we can poke fun at all of us.” Much of the criticism of Arbour has focused on her [lack of subtlety](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXFgNhyP4-A "undefined") in discussing fat-shaming, obesity and health. In the video, she says people are entirely responsible—or, as her tone implies, to blame—for their own weight. Among Arbour’s lines that drew particular attention: --- > “” --- Arbour doesn’t see her comments as bullying, but rather an intense form of truth-telling. She said she hopes the video convinces people to exercise and eat healthier, and she bristled at the idea that people had found her words offensive. “I find seeing someone’s head being blown off offensive,” she said. “I find children starving in a country with more than enough food offensive. I find women’s bodies being mutilated for religious purposes, that is offensive to me. But words and satire I don’t find offensive.” Arbour said her comments were partly inspired by other comedians who have touched on weight issues, like Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Mindy Kaling and Sarah Silverman. One difference, though, is that these comedians tend to make fun of themselves—like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the [Golden Globes in 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4rSKCXqEw0 "undefined")—rather than treating fat people in general as a humorous topic. ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME When asked about her personal body image and her own experience with her size, Arbour responded by speaking generally, saying, “every single girl has an issue with their body—we never think we’re perfect, ever.” But Arbour’s Twitter account is also filled with retweets of those who condone “fat-shaming” and those focusing on the idea that she’s “encouraging healthiness” with the video. > [](https://twitter.com/NicoleArbour/status/641658718199902209) > [](https://twitter.com/NicoleArbour/status/640316750278488064) Grace Helbig, a YouTube personality and host of the E! series _The Grace Helbig Show_, addressed the controversy with her own [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1VUrOxRUsE "undefined") called “Oops We’re All Humans.” “I was bummed that someone that seemed really smart and funny would speak about weight that way,” she said in the video. “I’ve had my own issues with body image in the past, some really dark personal struggles I’ve really worked on. Most people with body image issues are pretty self aware deep down.” In her response, Helbig also suggested that Arbour used the video to “leverage subscribers and attention in a really negative way.” Others have posited that the video, and Arbour’s subsequent claim that her YouTube channel was [suspended](https://twitter.com/NicoleArbour/status/640603824458199040?lang=en "undefined") for a short period, might be part of a [larger publicity stunt](http://www.inquisitr.com/2400610/dear-fat-people-is-the-nicole-arbour-fat-shaming-video-fake-youtube-ban-a-publicity-stunt/ "undefined"). But despite the negative reactions online, Arbour is sticking to her original message: “I’m not apologizing for this video, but if someone got something from it, then that’s great, fantastic. Comedy with a message, let’s do it.” ### PHOTOS: See the Same Woman Photoshopped in Different Countries  Argentina (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Australia (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Bangladesh (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Philippines (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Bulgaria (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Germany (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  India (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Kenya (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  Morocco (left), Original Photo (right) Courtesy of Esther Honig  U.S.A. 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