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It’s been a big year for Lizzo. The singer, who was recently named Time’s Entertainer of the Year, beat out every other artist to get the most Grammy nominations for the 2020 awards ceremony, including nods in all four of the most prestigious categories and she was streamed over 1.1 billion times on Spotify in 2019 alone.
But according to one person, these achievements have nothing to do with her talent and everything to do with her body.
Confused? Us too.
On Friday, social commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins went viral after he tweeted that Lizzo is “popular is because there is an obesity epidemic in America,” writing that “rather than encouraging people to do better, we are simply lying to them and telling them that they are just fine the way they are.”
After Lizzo performed on SNL on Saturday night, Watkins shared a few more unprompted thoughts writing that watching her sing “about the joys of being fat and raunchy makes me think of slaves performing for massa and his friends on the plantation.”
#Lizzo popular is because there is an obesity epidemic in America. Rather than encouraging people to do better, we are simply lying to them and telling them that they are just fine the way they are.
Unfortunately, Many of these people are dying from diabetes and heart disease pic.twitter.com/75TY8jJRIX
— Dr Boyce Watkins (@drboycewatkins1) December 20, 2019
Watching #Lizzo dressed in all Gucci on SNL singing about the joys of being fat and raunchy makes me think of slaves performing for massa and his friends on the plantation. “We are here to serve you in every way imaginable. Just keep bringing dem biscuits.”
— Dr Boyce Watkins (@drboycewatkins1) December 22, 2019
Naturally, Watkins’ tweets got hundreds of replies with many calling him fatphobic and others pointing out the body-shaming double standards when it comes to female and male artists: if you’re going to say unnecessary things about other’s bodies, firstly, don’t, and secondly, why not say the same thing about the likes of DJ Khaled or Rick Ross?
Lizzo performs. She sings, dances and has energy on a stage.
DJ Khaled just walks around and throws his hands up.
Black women have to be thin and perfect to get the same respect a fat black man gets for doing the bare minimum. Ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/Gx9QCnes58
— AbnormalNerd (@KatCantAnymore) December 23, 2019
The tweets even made their way to Lizzo herself, who shut Watkins down by responding with the facts: “I’m popular because I write good songs and I’m talented and perform high energy hour and a half shows filled with love.”
“The only person who needs to do better is you. Keep my name out ya mouth & look in the mirror before you come for me,” she continued, before alluding to the fact that Watkins just wrote the tweets to bring attention to himself, writing: “Here’s the attention you ordered.”
I’m popular because I write good songs and I’m talented and perform high energy hour and a half shows filled with love.
The only person who needs to do better is you.
Keep my name out ya mouth & look in the mirror before you come for me.
Here’s the attention you ordered 😏 https://t.co/zXnOv4f9Dr
— Feelin Good As Hell (@lizzo) December 23, 2019
To top it off, the same day ‘Good as Hell’ hit number one on US iTunes. But of course, that’s entirely because of an obesity epidemic…
Still we rise 🙏🏾 https://t.co/5K9eUxRaCW
— Feelin Good As Hell (@lizzo) December 23, 2019
