Why Billie Eilish's Body Shaming Protest Is So Meaningful
Plenty of stars have dealt with body-shaming, including Kelly Clarkson, Gigi Hadid, and Lucy Hale, to name a few celebs. This unfortunate trend is one reason why the enigmatic Billie Eilish has launched a powerful protest against the attention that's focused on her physical form. The Grammy winner addressed this cause during a Miami concert on March 9, 2020, playing a video in which she told the crowd (via USA Today), "Some people hate what I wear, some people praise it, some people use it to shame others, some people use it to shame me, but I feel you watching..." As some fans are already aware, the "Bad Guy" singer is known for wearing oversized outfits to avoid being sexualized.
Eilish also noted that if she made her choices based on people's opinions, she'd "never be able to move." She explained, "If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman. If I shed the layers, I'm a slut. Though you've never seen my body, you still judge it and judge me for it." Eilish concluded, per Entertainment Tonight, "If I wear more, if I wear less, who decides what that makes me? What that means? Is my value-based only on your perception?" To back up her questions, she took off her shirt and appeared in a bra.
Not only did this protest make it clear that Eilish is determined to control the conversation around her body, but it also acts as a testament to her ongoing activism.
Billie Eilish has experienced body dysmorphia
Billie Eilish talked to Rolling Stone in July 2019 about issues she faced when she was younger, including her body image struggles. The singer, who used to be a dancer, revealed, "At dance, you wear really tiny clothes. And I've never felt comfortable in really tiny clothes. I was always worried about my appearance. That was the peak of my body dysmorphia. I couldn't look in the mirror at all."
Things didn't get any better when Eilish suffered an injury, rupturing the growth plate that's located in her hip. The accident prevented her from dancing, and this led to another serious issue in her life. "I think that's when the depression started," the Los Angeles native said. "It sent me down a hole. I went through a whole self-harming phase — we don't have to go into it. But the gist of it was, I felt like I deserved to be in pain."
Eilish is doing better nowadays but acknowledges that plenty of people aren't in the same place. "Sometimes I see girls at my shows with scars on their arms, and it breaks my heart," she admitted. "I don't have scars anymore because it was so long ago. But I've said to a couple of them, 'Just be nice to yourself.' Because I know. I was there."
Many can probably agree it's important to practice understanding and compassion in these situations, so bravo to the musician for drawing awareness to this issue.