Cling film hack video slammed for body shaming curvy women

A Facebook post aimed at curvy women has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

If you happen to be conscious of your figure, you might not take kindly to a stranger calling you ‘chubby’ or suggesting ‘hacks’ to make yourself look slimmer. But for thousands of Facebook users, one ‘helpful’ tip really took the biscuit.

5-Minute Crafts posted the ‘Must-Know Chubby Girl Clothing Hacks’ video on their Facebook page. Racking up more than 35,000 reactions, it seems tens of thousands of users were keen to learn the ‘must-know clothing hacks for curvy beauties’ and ‘top secrets of plus size girls’ the video was meant to contain. Unfortunately most were left angry, disappointed or just incredulous.

https://www.facebook.com/5min.crafts/videos/800546433649420/

The first hack in particular got hackles rising. The video opens with a woman pulling on a little black dress, then clutching at her stomach and looking upset.

‘Need girdle?’ a caption asks. The video then cuts to the woman in her underwear, happily wrapping cling film around her midriff. Yes, cling film. We then see a split screen showing ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of the woman in her little black dress, looking slightly slimmer in the ‘after’ shot, supposedly showing the body shaping effects of the cling film.

But commentators weren’t impressed. ‘Why? Why the bodyshaming?!’ asked one.

‘If you have to work that hard to feel attractive you need to rethink your life,’ said another.

Others were quick to point out the potential pitfalls. ‘Go ahead, try that clear wrap one. Then sit down. Yah. It won’t work like that…’ said one.

‘This looks like a huge heat rash waiting to happen,’ said another. ‘Every time I watch some of these “ideas” I feel like my intelligence drops a little bit.’

‘Oh yeah? And what happens when I get lucky later that night and we both have to spend twenty mins getting the godforsaken clingwrap off my belly?’ demanded another viewer.

‘I once used duct tape to look skinnier instead of wrap,’ another warned. ‘Don’t ever, I repeat, don’t ever try it. I cried in the bathtub trying to get it off.’

Many suggested a change in attitude might be more helpful. ‘Is this really necessary??’ asked one viewer. ‘Just be proud of yourself. Beauty, figure, looking perfect is not everything.’

‘I’ve got a good idea: accept yourself,’ suggested another. ‘In bonus: it’s free.’

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