A Twitter thread posted by user @Whitleysdaughtr gained traction for sharing throwback photos of female stars labeled “thick” in the ’90s and early 2000s.

The photos served as a brutal reminder of just how toxic those times were and how body image differs from our perceptions today. So much so that Gen Z had a hard time believing it.

The first photo was of star LisaRaye McCoy with the caption: “Another reminder of the women we considered ‘thick’ in the 2000s.”

Another tweet added a photo of Jennifer Lopez, who was placed in the same category. It isn’t hard to see why Gen Z would be shocked by this assertion: JLo, known as “thick” for her butt in the ‘00s, would be considered tiny by 2023 standards.

Other examples in the thread included Kim Kardashian, who left many in awe at the time for being a “thick” white woman.

Jordin Sparks and Raven Symone, who were considered too “fat” to just be “thick” at the time, were also added to the discussion. In fact, when Sparks lost weight back in 2012, many praised her — with one article even saying she had “always been a chunky girl.”

The photos shared seemed so outlandish, Gen Z could not fathom that the celebrity women in question were really called “big” in that era. One even leveled the accusation that: “Y’all just be making sh** up for real.”

Millennial Twitter users were quick to clap back, with one pointing out, “[I don’t know] why [people] saying you lying just [because] they have no recollection/weren’t even born lol.”

Twitter user @Whitleysdaughtr noted it must be difficult to imagine that kind of culture through a 2023 lens, which is why many Gen Z “can acknowledge that skinny was very much in, but can’t believe slimmer women with bigger butts and breast were considered thick.”

With Twitter users of both generations up in arms, body positivity advocate Lizzo weighed in.

In a since-viral TikTok, the “About Damn Time” singer got candid about body image, discussing how discourse around “thick” bodies has changed over the last two decades.

The nearly three-minute video sets the record straight for younger social media users about the evolution of beauty standards.

@lizzo

FUN FACT: EVERYBODY IS A BODY✨

♬ original sound – lizzo

After a brief explanation of the thread, Lizzo acknowledged the disbelief coating some of the comments.

“There are people who are like, ‘You just be saying anything. This isn’t true. This isn’t thick.’ And it’s important to note that a lot of these people were not born yet. Or they were babies in this era,” Lizzo explained.

Lizzo added that she did not post the TikTok to “convince” people of what was “considered unhealthy in the early 2000s.” Instead, she noted that she was simply there to “remark on how quickly the conversation in culture can change.”

Several commented on their own experiences navigating the toxic culture of that era and how it affected them.

“I have serious body [dysmorphia] from growing up in this time and being a teen. The standards were so toxic,” a user commented.

“It permanently caused body issues for all of us who grew up seeing that. I don’t remember ever loving my body. It’s so sad,” another millennial said, reflecting on the era.

As a pioneer of the body-positive movement, the Grammy-award-winning artist said watching it evolve has been “humbling” and an “honor.” In true Lizzo fashion, she ended her TikTok with a powerful message reminding viewers of their inherent worth.

“So, if you feel like the outlier, or if you feel like you’re not like everybody else, keep being yourself and watch the world catch up with you,” she said.

TikTok viewers praised Lizzo for speaking out, thanking the musician for her candor.

“Lizzo, if I had had you as an example as a young girl, my whole self-perception would have turned out so much better. I am thankful for you,” one viewer wrote.

“FUN FACT: EVERYBODY IS A BODY,” Lizzo wrote in the caption of the clip. 

Blavity-UBlavity-U-Entertainmentbody imagebody shamingBody-positivitygen zJloKim KardashianLisaRaye-McCoyLizzoMillennials