Like most of us, Jonah Hill’s weight has fluctuated over the years. But unlike most of us, his body has been the subject of plenty of unfair scrutiny and commentary from strangers on the internet. As you might imagine, that’s gotten a bit tiresome, and on Wednesday, the actor posted a message to his Instagram asking fans to stop commenting on his physique — even if they’re trying to compliment him.
“I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body,” Hill wrote. “Good or bad I want to politely let you know it’s not helpful and doesn’t feel good. Much respect.”
That’s a totally reasonable request under normal circumstances, but can Hill expect people to actually honor it given that he’s a celebrity? Should actors just accept that people talking about your appearance is part of the price of fame, something they implicitly agree to when they pursue a career as a public figure? In a perfect world, everyone would respect his wishes and stop commenting on his body — and, while we’re at it, everyone’s bodies — but is that a realistic expectation of our current social media hellscape?
Maybe it’s time we stop dismissing all the body-shaming and harassment that celebrities are regularly subjected to online as something that simply comes with the territory. After all, the only way things will ever change is if more people like Hill start calling out the behavior and pushing for it to stop. It can be difficult to remember that celebrities are people too, and no one deserves to have their physical appearance constantly mocked or scrutinized. As Hill points out, it doesn’t feel good, and even if it’s part of being a famous person, it certainly shouldn’t be. So please, as a general rule of thumb, let’s all refrain from talking about people’s bodies — whether said bodies belong to celebrities or regular, anonymous strangers — moving forward.
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