Musical artists Demi Lovato faced
some backlash over the weekend
because of her comments made toward
a Los Angeles frozen yogurt shop.
So Lovato made several posts on her
Instagram account accusing the shop
for being quote,
diet culture vultures,
she even used that hashtag.
So here's what happened.
So she visited the Big Chill in
Los Angeles, that's the frozen
yogurt shop in question here.
She was triggered by their
promotion of sugar free cookies and
other diet foods.
Now, Lovato has been very open
about her body image struggles and
issues.
And I think it's important for
her to be open about that.
I think there's a lot of courage
that comes along with doing it.
But in response to the Big Chill,
promoting its sugar free cookies
and other diet foods, Lovato wrote
the hashtag diet culture vultures.
Which she used to call out
companies and
brands that perpetuate a society
that not only enables but
praises disordered eating.
And she also said I'm
very outspoken about the things
that I believe in.
I understand that sometimes my
messaging can lose its meaning when
I get emotional, I'm human.
The Big Chill responded by saying,
we're not diet vultures, we cater
to all of our customers needs for
the past 36 years.
We're sorry
you found this offensive.
So keep in mind that there are of
course diabetics who can't consume
sugar.
So sugar free options are usually
made for people who have diabetes.
And so there's that
component to it.
But, I'm curious what you think
Francesca?
Like should these types of
companies be a little more careful
in their marketing considering that
those struggling with body image
issues could be triggered by how
they message about their products.
>> Yeah, I mean,
it's an interesting question.
I wanted to,
as I dug into this story, because I
know we're going to talk about
Jameela Jamil's response to it.
Is that actually when it comes to
diabetes, apparently sugar free
options are terrible for people
with diabetes because they have
a bunch of sugar supplements and
replacements that apparently
are also not good for diabetics.
So they might have the same impact.
So I just want to, I don't know and
I feel like folks maybe in members
might know more ,those who have
diabetes might know more.
But like apparently that's it's
like not even a good option for
diabetics.
So I think when I first saw this, I
thought, man, it feels like a very
Demi Lovato thing having a bad day
trying to get some ice cream and
frozen yogurt and then was like,
just decided to get mad about
a little sign that said sugar free
cookies or something like that.
And it felt like okay,
you're trying to take down a local
like frozen yoghurt shop, why?
And then seeing that so
many people responded to her and
got mad at her about that.
I was like okay, this is too much.
[LAUGH] I think Internet outrage
first of all, we everyone loves to
be outraged on the Internet.
It's the place we go to just, it's
our it's our pillow that we go and
yell into and scream into.
So, it's just so
hard for someone who's got such
a big profile, to say literally
anything without getting hounded.
Do I think that it was that big
of a deal that there was like some
sugar free cookies on market?
No.
Do I think it's good to draw,
like what I would have done is,
hey, just want to like a shout
out to all the like local
businesses in LA love them.
As a reminder, maybe put different
language around your different food
options, as someone who's struggled
with body image issues and like
health issues, anorexia, bulimia,
whatever your particular struggle,
just make it vague.
[LAUGH] Don't go after a particular
store, what do you think?
>> Well I think a lot of
things that I don't know how people
are going to take it,
but I'm going to be honest.
So first of all, if they're selling
sugar free items, then they need
to let people know hey,
these are our sugar free items.
I don't think there's anything
wrong with that language at all.
There is some language in marketing
that I think is problematic.
So it's important to be specific
about those things.
So for instance, sometimes when
they market diet foods,
and I'm talking generally, I'm not
talking about a specific business.
But when they market diet foods,
they'll refer to it is guiltless.
And so what it's implying is if
you're not eating diet foods,
you're just eating normal food
that isn't sugar free or
whatever cutting calories, then you
should feel guilty about it.
And it's like, I don't like it,
but I also, and look,
I grew up doing ballet, so believe
me, I had like, my dance instructor
put me on a diet at four years old.
So, I know what it's like to have
body image issues, I know how
difficult it is, and it stays with
you for the rest of your life.
I think about my physical
appearance every single day and
it's really hard to kind of break
out of that cycle because body
image stuff surrounds you all day
every day.
And it also, by the way doesn't
help when viewers of the show
respond to me gaining a little bit
of weight by asking you if I'm
pregnant, please don't do that.
Not pregnant, not pregnant.
Anyway, but that's beside
the point, I think what I'm having
an issue though and I've had this
issue in other contexts.
It's when someone is going through
something or someone finds certain
communication or
behavior objectionable.
And since they find
it objectionable,
they want to represent what all
other people in that category feel.
So there was a lot of that with
the Me Too era.
I'm going to keep it real like,
I don't want it, I'm married now
luckily, I don't have to deal
with like navigating dating and
all that stuff.
But if I were single and
if I were dating no,
I don't want the guy I'm dating to
ask me permission every single time
he's going to lay a hand on me like
I find that super unattractive and
I would not be turned on by that.
Obviously I would be
communicative if
I'm uncomfortable with something,
but just because some women want
consent every step of the way, like
verbal communicated consent doesn't
mean that all women feel that way.
And I also like some elements of
traditional masculinity.
It's just my preference, so I also
get super uncomfortable when there
are women are like, it's all toxic,
it's all toxic masculinity.
Now I kind of like some of it and
I don't think that some of
it is toxic.
I think some of it is just the guy
being a little different from now.
[CROSSTALK] >> What's the line?
A guy standing in front of
the girl, asking her to please go
through the door that he has held
open for her.
Just thank God, >> I mean I like,
I like that staff.
I don't care.
>> Absolutely, yeah, I agree.
I mean, I lived in Latin America
for a good chunk of time and
I definitely I enjoy that, but
it didn't mean it came along with
like any more rights for women.
So that was that was the problem.
But you're you're definitely right,
there's a little bit of a one
size fits all when it comes
to approaches to whether it's like
our reaction to diet culture,
or yes, our ideas of feminism,
and whenever you sort of top down
graft that onto others,
is when it starts to be not okay.
And yeah, and this felt, look,
there is a doughnut shop
a block away from my house, every
day I pass it and I think I need to
doughnut, I need a doughnut.
[LAUGH] And then I like,
don't look,
don't look, don't look and there's
a sign on the outside that says.
Get this, every day is cheat day
with this eat of cheat, e-a-t.
And you're just like, yes it is.
[LAUGH] It's so hard, but
it's like a reclaiming.
You're like yeah,
every day's cheat day.
Hell yeah.
I don't think there's
any sugar free options or
fat free options in that place and,
but there are doughnut holes.
So you can always eat a little
bit less and so that's good.
>> Yeah.
>> But it's hard.
>> It is hard and I think that like
a lot of the communication about
health is kind of skewed and
like this, that actually ends up
being super counterproductive.
So that's why I don't like
the guiltless
messaging because no you shouldn't
feel guilty about anything you eat.
Like what we need to be comfortable
with is communicating moderation.
So like I don't like the no carb
diets, I don't like the nothing but
red meat diet that like
Jordan Peterson's daughter is
doing, I think it's weird and
it's probably not healthy,
everything in moderation.
A well balanced diet and don't feel
guilty when you let yourself have
a little nibble here and
there on something sweet.
Because I know personally whenever
I've tried to deny myself,
a certain food group, usually
sugar I'll do it for a day and
then the next day I'm binging on
sugar like you wouldn't believe.
And that's just not healthy.
We shouldn't think of food
that way.
But to get to Jameela Jamil's
comment here she says,
if an eating disorder advocate says
she sees products that
are positioned as guilt free and
it is potentially triggering,
that doesn't mean she's too stupid
to remember that diabetics exist.
It just means that we need to
change the marketing of products
that are for
people's medical needs.
She continues to say, she's just
one of the few celebrities
reminding us to look out for for
mental illness, guilt free is diet
culture terminology, and we need
to stop using that f--ing term.
So yeah, I agree with her on guilt
free, but sugar free items
are sugar free items.
I don't know how else you would
market that really.
>> Yeah, I mean,
it's like, I guess it'd be like
marketing something for celiacs, as
carb free rather than gluten free.
So there's there's that fine line
of, yeah, just call it gluten free,
versus carb free or some crap.
But yeah,
look welcome to capitalism.
We will do literally anything and
especially women.
There's a lot of money made on
making you feel terrible about your
body and how you look.
But yeah, I feel like it's one
of the things that we're changing
Jameela has been so, first of all
anything she says I'm like yes,
I agree with her.
Because that's how I feel about her
every time I want to like not agree
with her, I'm like, nah, I just
what she said, because she's great.
And she's been leading a lot of
the charge on this.
And it's a language thing.
I think eventually we
will get there where it's like,
this is sugar free or
this is you know, I don't know
calling it vegan instead of fat for
I don't know is that, it's like
that's a nice work around.
>> Yeah >> This doesn't have animal
fat in it kind of thing, which
by the way, sugar free stuff once
again, not actually better for you.
There's a lot a lot of other crap
in there.
There's stuff that is synthetic
that should not be in there and
leads to other problems.
So I think a lot of health experts
have generally said not like quack
health experts, but actual health
experts have been like,
no fat is good, but just
in moderation, not a lot of it.
It's actually really good for you.
And sugar is actually, natural
sugars totally good for you.
>> Is it, is that true?
I mean it's not good for you but
it's fine for you.
It's not it's not as evil as
the entire industry of like
fat free and sugar free foods in
the 80s made it out to be.
And like all the other things like
aspartame or whatever the hell else
like other things that are sub like
supplemental actually have been
known to lead to like other
diseases like things that are bad
for you.
So anyway,
essentially sugar in moderation,
fat in moderation, totally fine.
>> Yeah, in fact,
aspartame opens up your appetite,
it makes you hungrier.
So for those who like drink diet
sodas with aspartame in it,
just know that you might be doing
something counterproductive.
It might actually make you
hungrier.
And that obviously doesn't help if
you're trying to get down to
a healthy weight.
But anyway, super interesting
story, and I think we're
mostly in agreement on it.
But I was going to ask you
guys to share what you think but
we don't have a poll on it.
So we're just going to move on.
[LAUGH]