Meghan Trainor didn’t know producers would digitally alter her waist in her new video to make the young singer appear curvier and leaner. And the hugely talented singer and songwriter didn’t sign up for a business where perceptions created for public consumption usually don’t quite match reality. She signed up to make music. But on seeing that her body had been “fixed” for the now controversial “Me Too” video for her new album Thank You, Trainor erupted and had the video pulled from Vevo and YouTube. A new unaltered video will replace it, with Trainor’s full-size waist featured prominently. Trainor isn’t in the fake image business, she wants fans to know. And she won’t let anyone put her there. She obviously has a lot in common with Howard Stern, who likes to cut through the image hocus pocus also. Trainor guested on Stern Tuesday — perfect timing.
The digital liposuction is all the more egregious because Trainor is a positive body image advocate and stands up for herself and for those without her platform. The whole record is meant to be more inspirational than aspirational — meaning it’s not about what you want but who you are. Trainor, who went from songwriter to superstar performer when “All About That Bass” became a smash in 2014, doesn’t have to play the image game. She’s too smart and talented — plus it actually works against her, the inauthenticity. But look, it’s not like she doesn’t care. She told Howard Stern that in the video she was “already wearing Spanx.” What they did just “looked ridiculous.”
A devoted fan posted the shot below:
