News anchor called 'fat' and responds with class :)

I may catch some heat for saying this....But I am really getting tired of the word "Bully" It's used WAY too often...

His email IMHO was not bullying. He stated his opinion respectfully. Although I do not agree with what he said....but it was not bullying.

I agree with ----^ Not a bully more like a d*ck.

Here's his FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE after all the media attention.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=8835044

"Kenneth Krause stood by his statements and was apparently unmoved by the response. He declined an invitation to appear on the television station, and then issued the following statement.

"Given this country's present epidemic of obesity and the many truly horrible diseases related thereto, and considering Jennifer Livingston's fortuitous position in the community, I hope she'll finally take advantage of a rare and golden opportunity to influence the health and psychological well-being of Coulee region children by transforming herself for all of her viewers to see over the next year," he wrote. "And to that end, I would be absolutely pleased to offer her any advice or support she would be willing to accept."

That last sentence he says I think summarizes his state of mind. He clearly is insensitive and that final statement sounds like a final dig. Despite hearing Jennifer's personal situation (thyroid condition; she IS active, etc.), he doesn't truly care. He has zoned in on the fact that she still LOOKS fat and that appearance disgusts HIM and HE"S got to have it HIS way, because he is after all Master of the Universe. Interestingly, he declines to appears to on TV. He doesn't think we can handle seeing his perfect body.

Ya, we've seen it.

Wow, she's amazing. I've notice a lot of people defending the man, and i think this points to this narrative of fatphobia as the last
accepted form of discrimination. There's so much wrong with that man's email. 1) the misogyny, i wonder if he would've felt compelled enough to write to a male news anchor about his weight the same way he felt compelled and moved by an unsolicited moral imperative to offer back-handed advice to a complete stranger. Men are never scrutinized the way women are, and his 'hey fat lady, why don't u go hide and come back when you're thin enough' narrative is disturbing. 2) the disingenuous 'health' argument fatphobic people employ is facepalm worthy when the truth is a lot of people just don't like seeing fat people around, and would like them to disappear. 3) This idea that fat=unhealthy, skinny=healthy paradigm is incorrect and one can be fat and healthy, and there are plenty of skinny folk who do not exercise, partake in healthy diets, but society doesn't put them on trial because they fit a particular standard. 4) the audacity of a complete stranger to think he has a right to police the body of others, and offer it as helpful advice, as if the news anchor didn't already know she was fat. He knows nothing of her history, and admitted to hardly watching the show, yet felt so moved to fight on behalf of the innocent children of america who might see that woman and think , 'wow i wanna be fat too'…..i think she handled him well, and taught us an important lesson that bullying, discrimination, misogyny can also clothed in passive aggressive rhetoric…If folks are really concerned about the obesity epidemic, how about we start addressing systematic issues like America's food culture, obsession with cars over public transportation, economic inequalities (there's a reason why European countries look the way they do, and it has nothing to do with their population valuing self control or valuing exercise)….Lastly, what about the mental health of fat people? why the fake indignation regarding their physical health but lack of concern for their mental? because we all know how much shaming and abuse can do wonders and encourage an individual to start a healthy lifestyle. smh...

You could have just posted a link to any of the other 4-5 threads on this same thing today

One of my best friends is the news producer for that show! So proud of that whole team!! Spent quite a few years in that town myself. Very, very good message to all of us out there.

awesome response, brava!

Obesity is an unhealthy lifestyle that is/has become an epidemic in our nation, so how exactly is this guy a bully for privately telling her the truth. If he had tried to publicly humiliate her, then yes I would consider that being a bully, but to send her a private email stating his opinion is a far cry from what a bully is.

I think it is funny how some men on here have a weight issue that they are trying to deal with but any time I see a post about weight or being fat they are always the first to bash fat people, holy get a grip on your own issues and stop passing judgement on someone else's weight loss battle. You are obviously dealing with a lot of insecurities of your own. Dude you aren't skinny yourself so stop bashing over weight people already.

For my grad school I wrote a paper on workplace bullying. Bullying encompasses far more than force or coercion, as someone stated earlier in this thread. There is the pysical, verbal and psychological. I'm sorry people think that the term bully is overused but there really is a lot of it going on, at schools and the work place. Bullying has caused at least 3 suicides in NYC, and not kids, adults who were bullied at work & couldn't take it anymore. Being bullied can be devestating to someone's self-confidence.

I have followed this story from the beggining. I am from LaCrosse and encountered it on my facebook far before it went viral/nationwide. From everything I have gathered, Jen used this as a catalyst to talk about bullies after much support was received on facebook. She was going to leave it alone but it bothered her husband so much he posted about it. She saw the support she received and thought of it as an opportunity.

I think it is funny how some men on here have a weight issue that they are trying to deal with but any time I see a post about weight or being fat they are always the first to bash fat people, holy get a grip on your own issues and stop passing judgement on someone else's weight loss battle. You are obviously dealing with a lot of insecurities of your own. Dude you aren't skinny yourself so stop bashing over weight people already.

hmmm, I am def not a man. Perhaps the men are just more realistic and dont try to kid themselves.... we are all here cuz were fat right? I love how some people are allowed to have an opinion and others cant cuz its not the right one...LOL

Just shared it on Facebook. It is so true that people learn to bully. I hear children repeat what their parents say all the time. We need to set high standards for our own behavior if we are going to set high standards for the behavior of others.

@affleck- not meant to say can't have opinion but every time I see this person on any forum it is always about saying how he is disgusted with fat people but he isn't skinny, I just don't like this judgement based on weight, everyone on this site is here for support and help on getting to a healthy weight and I don't understand why he is always so negative towards bigger people (i'm so not skinny), I think we are allowed to not be attracted to whatever we want but instead of insulting someone because of their weight they should be judge by their character, that's all. Never meant that we can't have our own opinions just sad to see that we are all here to relate to people that are struggling, well not all, but a lot are struggling with the same issues and it would be nice if instead of the insults people just gave either constructive advise and help.

hmm... i have mixed feelings on this. I say cudos to her but seriously. It seems like the new channel was running out of material and needed something so there were like " hey! someone called you fat! half of the american population is overwieght, they can relate." so the did a few minute slot on it and tried to shape it around bullying. But personally if it was me, and i wanted to do it "classy" i wouldnt broadcast it on natinol tv. Id send a responing email with a big FU in it and call it a day. She caused more embarassment for herself by passing it around and showing it to the public. Maybe that man was actually concerned for her well being, and also im sure he didnt mean for the rest of the world to see it when he sent a personal email, he could have easily posted it to the channels website, facebook page, his facebook page.....

^ AGREED.


Not only that, but IMO it was defensive. Almost insecurity based. Why acknowledge this one guy's opinion with that "YOU DON"T KNOW ME!!" attitiude. Really? Does his little email really mean THAT much to you that you decide to rant about how you're fat and you know it and nobody knows you. Okay....? Good to know that some random strangers opinion of you gets under your skin like that. Way to have confidence in yourself lady. And I don't mean that image of "confidence" that she's trying hard to come off as.
I don't understand why people are praising this woman. :huh: