By: Grace Zhang
Famous Tik Toker Remi Bader was kicked out of a horse ranch called Deep Hollow Ranch because she is over 240 pounds. An employee at the ranch laughed and made a Tik Tok reacting to her complaint comment saying: “When you’re not a fat b—-, you can ride at Deep Hollow Ranch.”
Remi Bader is known on Tik Tok for her “Realistic Hauls” brand. She orders clothing online, tries it on, and reviews it. She’s gained more than 2.1 million followers as of June 23rd, 2022. She was inspired to model because after losing her job in June 2020, her father suggested it.
After the Deep Hollow Ranch incident, Remi has proved to be understanding and respectful of a link on the ranch website which shows that “horses can’t comfortably bear more than 20% of her weight.” Remi said, “I’ve ridden horses in the past, I’d never want to hurt the horses. I get it, some places have weight requirements. I shared what had happened because of the way I was spoken [to] and laughed at … and the way I was treated overall,” referring to the video posted by the ranch employee “who made it very clear they did not want me there because of my weight and that’s very disappointing.” Deep Hollow Ranch itself apologized for the employee’s video, which has been deleted.
Unfortunately, this kind of experience is not rare at all. 40% of American adults report bad experiences with weight based teasing. The more teasing there is, the worse it gets. People who are overweight are already aware, and do not have to be reminded of it. The shaming causes more stress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and eating disorders.
Often, overweight people reply to the negative comments by avoiding social activities, like public pools, gyms, parks, etc. Some Americans who were surveyed for a newsletter have mentioned exercising in abandoned places far from their neighborhood or city. Turning negative, hateful comments, into sympathetic, warming comments could really help boost these people’s self-esteem.
Obesity is a very excruciating thing, and Remi Bader made the right choice posting her experience online, because It could seriously impact other people’s lives. Bader continues to shine as a role model who promotes the message that people should never be ashamed for the way their body is.