Body shaming is unacceptable

In light of the recent South Park episode depicting Donald Trump in bed with Satan, the creators chose to portray the president with a small penis. Whatever your views on Trump- politically or personally, the widespread acceptance of mocking someone’s genitals is a form of body shaming that’s both toxic and deeply entrenched in our culture.

Two years ago, Morgan Carpenter, Magda Rakita and Bo Laurent called out this form of body shaming in a guest post on the University of Oxford’s Practical Ethics blog, titled “Body Shaming is Unacceptable, Even if Directed at Vile People. An Intersex Critique of “Small Dick Energy”.

As the authors write in their post, “Scornful remarks premised on the idea that a ‘small dick’ is something to be ashamed of are not benign: they have real-world consequences.” For many intersex people, these kinds of jokes echo the stigma and trauma associated with medical interventions and societal expectations around bodies.

Body shaming—especially when it targets traits linked to marginalised communities is never harmless. It reinforces harmful norms and can perpetuate discrimination, even when aimed at public figures. We can challenge injustice without resorting to ridicule rooted in physical traits.

Read the Practical Ethics post here:Guest Post: Body Shaming is Unacceptable, Even if Directed at Vile People. An Intersex Critique of “Small Dick Energy” | Practical Ethics

Read a short post on how body shaming is an intersex issue here: https://interaction.org.au/30697/body-shaming-intersex-issue/