An Open Letter To Katie Hopkins

Dear Ms. Hopkins,
                              Hello. I used to like you, way back when, Katie. When you were on The Apprentice I thought out of everyone in your series you deserved to win the most, had the best ideas etc. I still think you should have done to be honest, maybe then you'd be spending too much time on your important, highly paid job to crop up across our TV screens and in our magazines being a judgemental bigot.
See, I just read your article 'Being A Size 16 is NOT Okay' which I am loathe to link to because I know each page view is money in your pocket. (Sorry readers, if you want to read it, google the title!)
You have some very interesting things to say on the subject, such as:

"Fat people are always unhappy with their weight. Show me a happy fat person and I will show you someone beaten by Maltesers. Most are so afraid to take on a battle with their weight they would rather lie to themselves and find an excuse."

I should probably tell you now that I am fat. Fatter still than those women that you are relentlessly shaming in your article-I am a size 18-20. So I expect that in your mind I am chronically depressed over just how fat I am, because my entire happiness in life boils down to what size jeans I wear, right? Well, Katie, you couldn't be more wrong because I'm pretty darn happy. Actually, more than happy (you might want to brace yourself here), I look in the mirror and I like what I see. I think I look pretty awesome, actually. And I know you won't believe me, that you think I'm just deluding myself because "In our hearts we know that slim is better." but I have to disagree-I look great and I don't think losing 4 dress sizes could possibly make me feel any happier about myself.

 It is true that a lot of fat people are unhappy with their weight, but do you know why that is Katie? It's because there are so many people like you out there who are dictating who has a right to happiness and telling people how they should look in order to obtain it. It's difficult to be fat and happy when every single day you see or read things that are designed to make you feel ashamed of yourself, to hate the way you look because it's not "normal, the same as everyone else"-again your words. I don't think you mean 'normal' Katie, I think you mean 'different from you' and if that's the case then I wholeheartedly celebrate my 'abnormality'-because I hope to never be one iota like you!

I for one think it's brilliant that Debenhams are displaying size 15 models in their shops because it helps to reinforce the fact that beauty isn't just 'one size fits all'. We're all different-we don't conform to your narrow minded chocolate-box idea of beauty-where we're all the same size, wearing the same clothes, styling our hair the same way and smiling the same Stepford wives smile.

So I too have some advice for those ladies who are wavering on their New Year's Resolutions-but it's slightly different to yours! Ladies, don't let anyone tell you what size you "should" be to be happy, don't let anyone tell you that you need to lose weight in order to be "normal". If you are healthy, if you like what you see when you look in the mirror, if you love yourself, then no-one can tell you to be any different. And if you're not happy, then sure, diet, exercise, lose weight if you think it will make you feel better about yourself, but don't just do it because some judgemental, small minded bigoted person told you to. You are so much more than a number in your jeans, and your happiness levels should not be tied to that alone.

Katie Hopkins, you can take your unwanted opinions and crawl back under the rock you came out from, you're a pretty horrible person. I would definitely rather be fat (and loving it!) than be as judgey of other people as you are.

-Jenni-