Taylor Swift EDITS Anti-Hero Music Video To Remove ‘Fat’ Reference Following Online Backlash!

L. F.

Whoa!

Taylor Swift’s clearly been paying attention to all the conversation surrounding the release of her new album Midnights — even the negative stuff!

While fans have been jamming out to her new music, some were left hurt by the inclusion of the word “fat” in the music video for Anti-Hero. In the controversial scene, the singer stands on a scale that reads “fat” as another version of herself looks displeased. The video was supposed to show the artist’s “nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts [playing] out in real time,” she told fans on Instagram. And, well, it turned into a nightmare as she was struck with major backlash!

Related: Taylor Sparkles Alongside A-Listers In Bejeweled Music Video!

Fans put the pop star on blast for perpetuating fatphobia. Taking to Twitter, users complained:

“Taylor swift saying ‘Imagine if I was fat, that’s a nightmare!’ IS fat phobic even if it was unintentional and that’s why people are upset she’s used her enormous platform to display fatphobia and think about who a majority of her fans are (teenage girls)”

“It is possible to appreciate Taylor Swift and midnight as an artist AND call her out on her blatant fatphobia. Taylor Swift should have done better because even if it is relatable and an ‘intrusive thought’ it is damaging and fatphobic. Listen to fat ppl when they tell you it is”

“I think some people are confused on what fatphobia is: it doesn’t have to be saying ‘I hate fat people’ or outright harassing fat people. It can also be what is in the Taylor Swift music video.”

Yeah, not great…

Well, have to fear, T-Swizzle wasn’t going to let her fans continue to feel upset or triggered by the scene. As of Wednesday afternoon, she has edited the video on Apple Music so it no longer shows the close-up shot of the scale. Ch-ch-check it out:

 

Wow!

It’s pretty awesome to see an artist process criticism and then take appropriate action! If only her rival Kanye West would do the same. Sigh.

So far, the music video remains unedited on YouTube, though the streamer does have a function for users to edit content without deleting the original video, so there could be a change coming. The music video currently has 33 million views and counting, so we doubt she’d want to delete and re-upload it! Also, Taylor and Apple Music did not respond to a request for comment from Variety, so it seems like she’s trying to make this switch as subtly as possible.

It’s definitely interesting to see Taylor take such a big step. Since the video was very much autobiographical, detailing her own insecurities and experiences with eating disorders, we can understand why she included the scene and didn’t think it would cause such an uproar.

Related: Scooter Admits ‘Regret’ Over How He Handled Purchase Of Taylor’s Music

The songwriter first got candid about her body image issues in her 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana. In the film, she revealed:

“[When I see a] picture of me where I feel like I looked like my tummy was too big, or… someone said that I looked pregnant … and that’ll just trigger me to just starve a little bit — just stop eating.”

She elaborated even more on the sensitive subject in a cover story with Variety at the time, adding:

“I didn’t know if I was going to feel comfortable with talking about body image and talking about the stuff I’ve gone through in terms of how unhealthy that’s been for me — my relationship with food and all that over the years. But the way that Lana (Wilson, the film’s director) tells the story, it really makes sense. I’m not as articulate as I should be about this topic because there are so many people who could talk about it in a better way. But all I know is my own experience. And my relationship with food was exactly the same psychology that I applied to everything else in my life: If I was given a pat on the head, I registered that as good. If I was given a punishment, I registered that as bad.”

So far, the edit is creating a division among Swifties, with some happy to see the scale gone and others upset Taylor had to make a change. Take a look at some of the hot takes (below):

“I actually think the edit to the Anti-Hero video makes that clip MORE meaningful because before it was the scale objectively telling her she’s fat (in a bad way) but now it’s her and her toxic self looking at the scale and the toxic self is telling her her weight is bad.”

“ok but as someone who has struggled with weight gain and is plus sized, i’m shocked by people spinning taylor’s ed against her from the anti hero mv- she never said fat was a bad word, she’s literally showing how her ed had control over her”

“You can love an artist and still critique them! The fat scale in anti hero was a mistake. There are many ways to express body dysmorphia without marginalizing people”

Hmm. What do YOU think about the change, Perezcious readers?! Sound OFF (below)!

[Image via Taylor Swift/YouTube]

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