Billie Eilish releases short film against body shaming

Why do we judge others for their bodies? That's enough. That's th body I was born with.

With these words, last March in Miami, on the stage of the first date of her Where do we go? tour, Billie Eilish introduced Not My Responsibility, a short film against body shaming that is now available on YouTube.  In the four minutes of the video the young Californian singer addresses the haters and asks:

Do you know me? Really know me?

As she slowly undresses, first taking off the black hoodie, then the tank top, until she plunges completely into the dark water that surrounds her like the negativity of those who are always ready to judge, she says:

The body I was born with – is it not what you wanted? If I wear what is comfortable, I am not a woman. If I shed the layers, I am a slut. Though you’ve never seen my body, you still judge it and judge me for it. Why? You make assumptions about people based on their size. We decide who they are we decide what they’re worth if I wear more if I wear less who decides what that makes me? what that means? is my value based only on your perception? or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?

This isn't the first time Billie has lashed out against body shaming, pointing out how the relationship with her body is very personal, an often delicate balance that no one has the right to question. 

There was a point last year where I was naked and I didn't recognize my body 'cause I hadn't seen it in a while. - She explained in an interview with Vogue - I would see it sometimes and be like, "Whose body is that?" Sometimes I would look at it and wonder who it belonged to. It's not that I like (my body) now, I just think I'm a bit more OK with it.

While in Calvin Klein's video campaign, I Speak My Truth In #MyCalvins, the pop star revealed the reasons behind the choice to always wear oversized clothes: not to be judged for her physical appearance, but only for her professional skills and, above all, to oppose the objectification of the female body.

I mean, that’s why I wear big, baggy clothes - the singer says in the clip - Nobody can have an opinion, because they haven’t seen what’s underneath. Nobody can be like, "she’s slim-thick, she’s not slim-thick, she’s got a flat ass, she's got a fat ass." No one can say any of that because they don’t know.