James Corden is calling out fellow late-night host Bill Maher for a recent Real Time segment that encourages fat shaming as a method to combat the obesity epidemic.
In his Sept. 6 edition of “New Rules” (which you can watch below), Maher suggests that fat shaming needs to make a comeback, as if it ever really went away. In a seven-minute rebuttal, Corden dings the HBO personality for floating the “common and insulting misconception that fat people are stupid and lazy,” and argues that overeating is a far more complex than Maher makes it out to be.
“We know that being overweight isn’t good for us,” Corden says. “I’ve struggled my entire life trying to manage my weight and I suck at it. I’ve had good days… and bad months. I’ve basically been off and on diets since as long as I can remember and, well, this is how it’s going. But here’s the thing: We’re not all as lucky as Bill Maher. We don’t all have a sense of superiority that burns 35,000 calories a day.
“Bill, I sincerely believe that what you think you’re offering here is tough love… but the truth is [that] you’re working against your own cause,” Corden argues. “It’s proven that fat shaming only does one thing: It makes people feel ashamed. And shame leads to depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior — self-destructive behavior like overeating.”
Corden goes on to stress that “a lack of shame is not the issue here… Until we make healthy food and health care more accessible, and we properly educate people on nutrition and exercise, maybe we can hold back on the whole ‘call fat people virgins until they lose weight’ strategy,” he says. “While you’re encouraging people to think about what goes into their mouths, just think a little harder about what comes out of yours.”
