Kapamilya actress Angel Locsin shrugged off her bashers who have been continuously criticizing her weight gain on social media in an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda.”
The talk show host asked about her opinion on the negative comments being posted by social media users following her comeback in primetime television.
Boy Abunda remarked, “Nagbalik ka ngayon, lalo na sa social media. I react to whatever that’s written about you, whether it’s praise, paghanga or hindi paghanga. There are some on the net, for example, who would shame you because of your weight. Napipikon ka pa rin?”
Locsin answered that she still gets irked by some comments but added that she would rather shrug it off and get on with her life.
“Parang maaawa ka na doon sa tao kasi anong klaseng person ka para magawa mo ‘yon? Perfect ka, sobrang perfect mo? Parang ganoon,” she replied.
“Hindi mo na lang papatulan… Ayokong makipag-deal sa mga ganoong klaseng tao kasi sad ang life nila. Ako walang problema, bakit ikaw ang dami mong issue? E katawan ko ‘to, ako ‘to, sarili ko ‘to. E ikaw ba, okay ka ba?” Locsin continued.
The 33-year-old actress was also criticized for the same issue when she attended the ABS-CBN Ball in September 2018.
In a February 2011 interview, she remarked that she supports plus-size women.
“Ibig sabihin po ba hindi magaganda ang mga matataba? Huwag niyo naman sabihin na pangit kasi, ang dami kong kakilalang medyo healthy pero napakaganda naman ng ugali, napakaganda naman ng hitsura. Aminin naman natin, hindi naman tayong lahat kapayatan, ‘di ba?” Locsin said.
High-earning women more prone to body shaming
While body positivity continues to be advocated, experts note that women from all over the world still face judgments about their weight and physical appearance.
Dietitians Association of Australia Spokeswoman Julie Gilbert said that high-earning women would often be the recipients of such remarks.
“The pressure is greatest among women of high socio-economic status, they will (feel pressure) to get dressed up just to go and pick up the kids,” she said in a June 2017 interview.
Gilbert noted that men wouldn’t be judged for gaining weight since it suggests that they are not “wimpy” or weak-looking.
“Men don’t have that same pressure and they grow up wanting to be stronger, so to be thin is almost like you’re the wimpy guy. They are used to being big and strong,” she said.
Gilbert added that people expect high-earning women to “have it all,” hence the standard that they should conform to the stereotypical definition of being beautiful.