Shaneil Muir shuts down body shamers

Shaneil Muir said that she has been body-shamed "especially since [she] surfaced on the scene of the music industry".

The dancehall recording artiste hit out against body shamers in a post she made on social media last weekend and suggested that she was not afraid to lose any followers.

"If ya'll don't like the way I look, just unfollow me, simple," she posted. Four months ago she touched on the topic of body-shaming in her single Naturally. Speaking with THE STAR, she delved deeper.

"The platform of social media has led people to thinking that it is okay to give free speech on the topic of someone's physical appearance even if it includes an opinion that may hurt or even emotionally damage another person who may have little to no confidence, based on the entire society, which seems to normalise surgeries and the appearances thereafter," she said. "This hurts a lot of people emotionally and it could affect their confidence allowing them to feel insecure about their bodies. It may also push them to depression and that is not good because they're creating this normal narrative that natural is not beautiful.This is an actual situation that could affect younger children growing up and once we can affect the future there is definitely a problem at hand." She shared that she has had too many experiences with other women, some who have done cosmetic surgery and others who are of a different body type, who make many negative comments towards women who don't have similar features.

"I say that natural is OK because I think it is important to remind the general public that not because you don't undergo cosmetic surgery that is to look a certain way like others, it does not mean that being natural is any less beautiful or any less attractive than what they are seeming to be. Ladies...stay strong and humble no make nobody tell you are not beautiful," Muir said.

The Top Gyal artiste urged women who have not changed anything about their physical appearance surgically to join in the conversation and speak up against body-shaming.

"That may help another person who may think differently to appreciate themselves more," she said, adding that she plans to be an ambassador for the cause as she is already advocating.

She said that men are also victims of body-shaming.

"Most times names such as 'Bigs' or 'Fatman' become aliases under these situations. At the end of the day, we are all humans made in God's likeness. Women and men need to know no matter the size, shape or form you are physically, once you are confident in yourself, that's all that should matter. I also just wish that talent, hard work and genuine personality were admired as much as the physical appearances," Muir said.