Popular Nigerian radio host Toolz opened up about the challenges she faced with online trolls who criticized her looks and size. She recalled a time when something she said on air caused her to trend extensively online, which then led to rampant and relentless body-shaming that almost made her quit her career in media. Toolz recounted how close she came to leaving her job due to the hurtful comments about her appearance.
Taking to her Instagram page, she wrote:
“ So let me tell you about how I almost quit my whole career because of body shaming. My job as a presenter at Beat FM was the first time I experienced life in the public eye. Initially the attention was positive, then the negative attention started – and it was bad. I mean very bad. Someone would disagree with something I said on-air and it would descend into body shaming.
My breaking point happened one morning when I woke up and found out I was trending on (then) Twitter. I trended while I was asleep! It had been a tough week, and waking up to all sorts of horrible body shaming posts made me think that perhaps this career wasn’t for me. I just wasn’t used to all the negativity and at that point quitting seemed to be a great idea. At least that way, I wouldn’t have to deal with all the horrible criticism.
A day or two later, I thought about it some more and realised that I didn’t make the move to Lagos to let some trolls bully me out of a job, and many years later, I’m so glad I didn’t quit.
Honestly, whether you’re big, small, curvy, slim,
have a big booty, no booty, tall, short, someone somewhere will find something wrong with you.
What truly matters is what you think of yourself. You need to remember to keep trying to be the best version of yourself.And whatever changes you make should be for you, not to keep a man like “aunty’ put it.”
Watch the video below:
