Thinking about it, Nicole Arbour is not the first to be hailed a hero for bullying and discriminatory behaviours.
There are the Paul Henrys -- who, by theorising whether a Governor-General with Indian ancestry is "a proper New Zealander", have "the balls" to voice what everyone's too scared to say out loud.
The Ann Coulters who are lauded as "courageous" for their racist and homophobic rants -- not to mention stating women should lost the right to vote.
The Donald Trumps, who, by saying breastfeeding is "disgusting" and that women in the military can expect to be raped, are "telling it like it is".
And the John Keys -- who pull waitresses' hair because they're "not afraid to have a little fun".
But actually? Nicole Arbour et al are not brave.
They're simply jumping on the bandwagon -- adding to a public discourse which reinforces certain identities are less; subhuman.
For example, us 'fatties' are told we're defective almost daily. From boy-racers chucking eggs out their windows, to Sir Bob Jones calling us "human hippos", to ads for bariatric surgery promising we'll get married if we get skinny, to teachers who allow students to make posters encouraging the shoving of obese children out of the way -- we get the message.
There's nothing brave about trivialising rape, when our victim-blaming culture ensures sexual assault convictions remain embarrassingly low. Or making racist "jokes" when our country still takes issue with "Kia Ora" in shops. Or pulling a woman's hair in a society with appalling records of gender violence.
What is brave?
The fat person who continues with their day, even when some idiot screams obscenities out their car window. The teen assaulted at a party who decides to press charges. The Asian family who comes to New Zealand to forge a new life. The woman who leaves a violent relationship. Or anyone deemed "other" in society who gets up and faces life every day.
These are our heroes. "Comedians" who compare fat people to Star Wars villains need not apply.
