Fans Are Comparing Lizzo And Saweetie To Point Out Double Standards In Body Shaming

Hip-hop stars Lizzo and Saweetie are at the center of a debate swirling on social media about double standards in body shaming after a video of Saweetie indulging in a gigantic, Frankenstein’s monster of a cheeseburger went viral. Saweetie constructed the burger during an Instagram Live session with fans, combining what looked like two cheeseburgers with a handful of friends and dubbing it a “McGangBang.” However, a day later, fans had Lizzo’s name trending on Twitter after pointing out the disparity in fan reactions to the two rappers’ viral videos.

Fans noted how much of the reaction to Saweetie’s decidedly unhealthy snack were mostly positive, as commenters joked that the sandwich looked delicious and shared their own wild taste concoctions. However, a video of Lizzo working out a few weeks ago garnered a different reaction, with commenters deriding Lizzo’s size and weight even as she literally exercised for the health benefits. In fact, ever since she emerged into the mainstream spotlight with her hit song “Juice,” Lizzo has been subject to disingenuous concern trolling over her health — even to her face on live television.

However, other fans were quick to shut down the comparisons, telling their fellow fans that even their defenses for Lizzo could be seen as counterproductive, reductive, and unhelpful. As one put it, “Y’all act like y’all defending Lizzo by making her the poster child for fat people.” Another questioned, “Why seeing Saweetie eat bring up Lizzo in your head?”

The trending topic furthered a much-needed, ongoing discussion about body shaming and double standard in pop culture, but it also relied an another age-old, toxic trope — pitting women against each other. Neither artist is a stranger to this phenomenon. Last year, fans compared Lizzo to Ari Lennox during a debate about which made more “soulful” music after an awards show, while Saweetie’s music video look for a Bird Of Prey soundtrack single sparked complaints that the stylist ripped off Rico Nasty’s signature look.

The lesson here, it would seem, is to let women in entertainment just be without comparing them or criticizing them for things that ultimately won’t really harm anyone else — and in fact, let fans feel seen and represented relatable watching their faves do relatable things like working out for the health benefits, chow down on indulgent snacks — or even do both, a perfectly reasonable compromise between the two.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.