Tess Holliday condemns body shaming app that makes images of plus-size models thinner
‘Never let anyone make you feel like you need to alter your appearance or who you are’
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Tess Holliday has condemned a photo-editing app that illicitly used photos of plus-size models to promote a harmful, body shaming message.
The Google Play app, called “PIP CAM - Photo Maker”, used photos of Tess Holliday as well as two other plus-size models to demonstrate how to digitally alter an image of an individual to make them appear slimmer.
Holliday shared a video of the app’s promotional material on Instagram, expressing her extreme disapproval over its marketing approach.
“I’m sharing this because I wanna address a few things,” she wrote.
“First of all, the fact that anyone thinks it’s ok to market this to ANYONE is appalling.”
The model continued, stating that she would never partner with a brand or allow one to use her image unless she genuinely believed in the product.
She revealed that she’d been offered to promote teeth whitening and weight loss products in the past, all of which she’d turned down.
Holliday concluded the caption with an important statement about body positivity.
“Lastly never let anyone make you feel like you need to alter your appearance or who you are,” she wrote.
“You are enough. You are worthy of love in your current body, whatever that body looks like.
“As for this bogus app, my lawyers will be sliding in your DM’s boo,” she warned, signing off with the hashtag “effyourbeautystandards.”
Holliday has been commended for speaking out about the app, with many of her 1.5 million followers leaving messages of support in the comments.
“What kind of message does this send? I got a knot in my stomach just watching this,” someone wrote.
“Thank you for taking a stand.”
“Please take them out for copyright, this is disgusting and none of you deserve to be treated like this,” another individual remarked.
“Hope they think it was worth it for this crappy ad.”
In April, Ashley Graham criticised an Instagram account for describing plus-size models as “fat” and slimmer models as “real”, saying: “Nothing defines what a real model or a fat model or fake model is."
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