Affect as Community Connectedness: Re-Framing Weight-Related Stigma and Disordered Eating Online

Abstract

This article examines how affect, as community connectedness, is strategized by an influencer with her audiences when re-framing weight-related stigma and disordered eating online. An analysis of plus-size model Tess Holliday's Instagram posts ( n = 212) identifies four main frames: (1) disclosing experiences of body-shaming/blaming/stigmatization as “our pain,” (2) collaborating with fellow influencers in de-stigmatizing disordered eating among (fat) women, (3) engaging audiences in validating body diversity, and (4) defending their community against hate comments. The analysis foregrounds the action of emotion when exploring affective community-building strategies and project stigma in a context depicted as “authentic” and “intimate.” The article concludes by noting some limitations with influencer strategies and this study before offering suggestions for future research.