Billie Eilish was objectified for wearing a tank top and fans are defending her
24 June 2019, 13:10
"Billie Eilish literally said she wears baggy clothes so she doesn’t get sexualised and the minute she shows some skin y’all sexualise her? Gross."
The internet is currently in full Billie Eilish defence mode after the 17-year-old musician was objectified by a Twitter user after being photographed in public wearing a tank top.
If you know Billie, you'll know that her signature aesthetic involves a lot of baggy clothing. She's rarely seen in public or on stage wearing anything other than that, for reasons she explained in a recent Calvin Klein ad.
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So when a tweet which included a picture of Billie in a tank top alongside the comment "Billie Eilish is THICK" went viral over the weekend (June 22), it was rightly - and swiftly - called out by thousands and thousands of people who all came to defend the teenager.
In a recent project with Calvin Klein, Billie opened up about why she wears such baggy clothes all the time. "I never want the world to know everything about me. I mean, that's why I wear big baggy clothes," she said in the ad.
"Nobody can have an opinion because they haven't seen what's underneath. You know? Nobody can be like 'oh, she's slim thick. She's not slim thick. She got a flat ass. She's got a fat ass.' No one can say any of that because they don't know. "
It's heartbreaking to know that a 17-year-old feels like she has to wear baggy clothes in order to not be objectified by the public - and it only makes this tweet even more infuriating.
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People began quote tweeting the original tweet and calling out the user who posted it. A huge amount of those tweets went viral, with some gaining over half a million likes within 24 hours.
she wears baggy clothes all her career and then the one moment she puts on a tank top y’all jump on her immediately and oversezualize her lol y’all need to back up shes literally 17 YEARS OLD https://t.co/tNRyJYl8Th
— justine (@biticonjustine) June 23, 2019
billie eilish literally said she wears baggy clothes so she doesn’t get sexualized and the minute she shows some skin y’all sexualize her? gross https://t.co/JXbCz3fDKf
— 2019 Predictions (@2019_predicts) June 23, 2019
yall make fun of her for wearing baggy clothes even though she has said more than once that she dresses that way because she doesnt wanna be sexualized,,, and then yall actually sexualize her the moment you get a chance. she's a minor this is so gross https://t.co/fC1msr31ZH
— gee (@starkoIogist) June 23, 2019
This is why she wears baggy, oversized clothes to avoid creeps like you, both in real life and internet.
— izzy ⍟⃝ ᱬ (@winchestersmcu) June 23, 2019
Also, she's fucking 17 years old, you dickhead. https://t.co/6W97w758Z7
she literally said she chooses to wear baggy clothes so nobody can say shit about her body. the fact she even has to worry about that is sick.
— bridie not birdy (@eidirbs) June 23, 2019
The fact that Billie Eilish is a child going to great lengths to hide her physical self from people to avoid being sexualized only to be sexualized the moment anyone sees her in something not reminiscent of a TENT makes me want to barehanded snap necks I'm just sayin
— The Gemini Collector (@fullmetalcunt) June 23, 2019
Billie Eilish: I wear baggy clothes because I don’t want people sexualizing me & looking at my body like that.
— Jill Collis (@jfcollis53) June 23, 2019
Billie Eilish: *wears fitted shirt ONCE*
Every sex-crazed douchebag on twitter that doesn’t know how to fucking respect women: Billie Eilish THICCCCC
Y’all, fuck off.
The original tweet hasn't been deleted and follow up tweets have also been posted, further objectifying Billie in pictures when she was just 14 years old.
Can you image being 17 and having strangers on the internet commenting and thirsting over your body after you've specifically said that you dress a certain way to avoid that exact thing happening? It's disgusting and it shouldn't be happening.
In an interview with Marie Claire, Billie also opened up about the negative side of the astounding levels of fame that come with her success. "Fame is horrible. It’s worth it because it lets me play shows and meet people, but fame itself is fucking dreadful," she said.
