EXCLUSIVE: We Spoke to The Dallas News Anchor Who Was Publicly Body Shamed (And BTW Is a Total Boss)
Unfortunately, body shaming happens every day and, more often than not, women are the victims. Which is why it’s so disheartening when it’s a woman-on-woman crime. Dallas WFAA Channel 8’s traffic anchor Demetria Obilor recently experienced this first hand when she found herself the target of one woman’s cruel remarks about her looks. That woman was Jan Shedd, a basic internet troll that took to Facebook to say Demetria looked “ridiculous” in a “size 6 dress.”
See her full rant below.
Jan’s comments spread like wildfire as does everything on the internet, and while most women would have curled up into a corner and refused to appear on-camera upon hearing said remarks, Demetria handled the entire situation like a boss. “This is the way that I'm built. This is the way I was born. I'm not going anywhere, so if you don't like it, you have your options,” she said via a video she posted to Twitter. “Now, to the people who show love: I love you right back.”
The gag is Demetria is beautiful inside and out! We had reach out to our new favorite news anchor to find out how she so flawlessly handles the haters and sis kept it one hundred.
“I grew up in the city, OK? You develop a thick skin for a lot of different reasons. Man, we played 'dozens,' aka roasting each other, for fun, so it takes a lot to hurt my feelings,” she explained to BET.com.
“But these sort of remarks underline a broader issue that is hurtful and needs addressing. Body shaming and intolerance for diversity is unacceptable and I believe that's why so many people have taken part in this worldwide conversation. For so long, women have been marginalized and prescribed a narrow-minded concept of beauty. We have to shatter all of that and unite to shape a better, more tolerant world for the future. We need to embrace every body type, every color, every hairstyle…at the root of it, we are all human and no one should ever be discriminated against based solely on the way that they look.”
See what we mean? This lady is goals. We would proudly follow her into the thick of a women’s march — should there be another — because acceptance is something women deal with on a daily basis and she’s throwing gems left and right. We asked Demetria if this was the first time she’d been trolled for her looks.
“Just this past May, I shared a hateful, racist email I received about my hair while working on TV in Las Vegas. It read, ‘I can’t believe hair like that can be properly cleaned and therefore must smell bad. I have to fast forward whenever she comes on.’ I've always worn my hair natural. I love my hair and it's sad to think that the hair I was born with elicits that sort of response from some people. I've been told my hair is unprofessional. I've even been told by a former manager that I talk too ‘clubby’ on TV. Like, what the hell do you mean by that?”
While Demetria may tell it like it is, don’t get it twisted — she’s not about this internet clapback life and has the bigger picture in mind.
“I'm not into arguing on social media. No 'Twitter fingers' over here. Instead, I'm grateful that this moment has sparked a much-needed dialogue that will make life easier for younger generations. So to everyone who may be going through body shaming or any form of intolerance, just know that you are not alone. We stand as one and together we will make a change. We can't be stopped.”
*Snap snap* We salute you, Demetria!