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Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

Thursday 04 October 2012

After newsreader Jennifer Livingston received an email telling her she was a bad role model to young people due to her size her husband took to his web page to voice his outrage.

And when the post, which included the email from the unidentified critic, was flooded with hundreds of comments of support for Jennifer, she decided to address the issue during her TV show.

Jennifer Livingston
Jennifer Livingston during the emotional broadcast

The video, in which the American newsreader emotionally talks about how the email made her feel and discusses her fears over bullying both online and in the playground, has gone viral and been viewed over 5 million times.

Jennifer begins the message by acknowledging that her public profile means she accepts a certain level of criticism and interest but that the 'internet has become a weapon and our schools have become a battleground'.

She continues 'As the mother of three young girls it scares me to death - we need to teach our kids how to be kind, not critical' and goes on to explain that as parents it is important to be aware that children pick up lessons in how to talk to and about others at home.

Community email
Jennifer read out the email in full during her appearance

She also addresses the issue of bullying in America, where there have been a high number of teen suicides in recent months, saying 'To all the children who are lost, who are struggling with their weight, listen to me do not let your self worth be defined by bullies. Learn that the cruel words of one are nothing compared to the shouts of many.'

Jennifer says she has been literally overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she has received in face of the email, entitled Community Responsibility in which the writer says 'your physical condition hasn't approved for many years. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make.'


Watch the full broadcast

The writer of the lettter has now been revealed as Kenneth Krause, a personal injury lawyer and fitness enthusiast.

And to him she adds 'You don't know me, you know nothing about me - I am much more than a number on a scale'. And to those who spoke out in support 'i will never be able to thank you enough for taking a stand against that bully.'

'We are better than the bullies that try to take us down'.

More real life stories:
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Readers CommentsReaders Comments

Posted by rjdj

RE: Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

The real bully - is actually her. She took a private message and made it into a public event. No matter what she thought of the guy or what he wrote - she knew that he would be hounded and abused by the press and public.

No matter how many people talk about what a beautiful person she is - she is actually fat. Criticising someone just because of their appearance is a cheap insult - but saying that being fat, unless it's due to a medical condition, is absolutely OK is definitely the wrong message to give.

Posted 12/10/2012 14:52:27

Posted by SummerInFrance

RE: Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

I completely disagree with rjdj. In the email, he says she is a bad role model for 'girls in particular'. Would you prefer girls' role models to be women with bleach blonde hair, loads of make up, and boob and bum implants? I think it's good that she can stand up for herself, and OK, obesity isn't healthy, but she's barely overweight. I personally would rather my children had her as a role model than a popstar that dresses revealingly, and is completely fake, sending the message that all girls have to do is look sexy for men. And who does he think he is, telling her she needs to lose weight to be on TV? People can look like what they want, and they can't help it. Maybe she's naturally big, but it's no one else's responsibility to tell someone how they should look.

Posted 18/10/2012 10:54:04

Posted by SummerInFrance

RE: Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

I completely disagree with rjdj. In the email, he says she is a bad role model for 'girls in particular'. Would you prefer girls' role models to be women with bleach blonde hair, loads of make up, and boob and bum implants? I think it's good that she can stand up for herself, and OK, obesity isn't healthy, but she's barely overweight. I personally would rather my children had her as a role model than a popstar that dresses revealingly, and is completely fake, sending the message that all girls have to do is look sexy for men. And who does he think he is, telling her she needs to lose weight to be on TV? People can look like what they want, and they can't help it. Maybe she's naturally big, but it's no one else's responsibility to tell someone how they should look.

Posted 18/10/2012 10:54:08

Posted by rjdj

RE: Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

He wrote an email directly to her expressing concern about her size. He wasn't using crude abuse or insults. "She's barely overweight" .. really? What would you consider to be overweight then? Are people only "fat" to you when they are so big they can't move without help?

Girls are being forcefed completely contradictory ideas of "beauty" - skinny/curvy, makeup/natural, etc. That's not the issue here. His email is about health not beauty.

I'm guessing you support "fat acceptance". The message going around now that fat is "beautiful". But just like bulimia and anorexia can ruin health and even kill, so can obesity. Heart disease or diabetes are not "beautiful".

Anyway, back to my main point - she made this a public event. The guy was tracked down and hounded for expressing his concern. It turned out the guy himself used to be fat and worked hard to lose weight and get in shape. The media frenzy inspired by her was a bullying tactic - how dare he even suggest that she should think about what message she is giving to her viewers. Time for some revenge.

Should he have bothered to write to her? I wouldn't have. And I'm sure he regrets taking the time to do it - but the message was not sent to bully.

Posted 18/10/2012 11:09:56

Posted by cmx

RE: Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

I personally don't believe her weight is an issue, but then again I don't think she should have victimized the person who sent the email. What he or she said was not okay, but she should not have blown it up the way she did. Let her be the size she wants, obesity should not be anyone's goal and it isn't in particularly healthy, but we don't know her fitness regime or diet.

Posted 12/12/2012 11:44:06

Posted by cmx

RE: Anti-bullying rant goes viral after newsreader receives cruel comments about her weight

I personally don't believe her weight is an issue, but then again I don't think she should have victimized the person who sent the email. What he or she said was not okay, but she should not have blown it up the way she did. Let her be the size she wants, obesity should not be anyone's goal and it isn't in particularly healthy, but we don't know her fitness regime or diet.

Posted 12/12/2012 11:44:45



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