A Gchat Conversation About Body-Shaming & That Playboy Model

Update: Mathers' case has been investigated by the Los Angeles police department and is now being reviewed by the L.A. city attorney. CBS News reports that, if she is charged, she could be sentenced to up to six months in prison. Mathers' victim has said she's willing to testify if necessary and the city attorney is expected to make a decision soon as to whether to file charges. To learn more about the controversy, read our original story below. Anna: Ok, so you know that basically 50 different people have sent me the news about that Playboy model Dani Mathers and the awful awful snapchat she posted of a woman showering at her gym And I've really been on the fence about how to cover it! Because on the one hand, it's terrible. But on the other hand, would we be inadvertently adding to that poor woman's embarrassment? Amelia: Yea I've been thinking a lot about it as well. I do think that blacking her out, keeping her anon, keeps the focus on Dani Mathers' mistake and not on her though. Anna: That's true. I guess the other reason I kind of hated it was that it spreads this narrative of girl-on-girl hate that I don't think is necessarily accurate for the majority of women Amelia: Totally. I think that's what’s disturbing about it though and maybe what makes it worth covering? I don't think we should cover it in a tabloid-y way where it's like burn Dani at the stake! Anna: Definitely. And I think things kind of feel different now that there is actual fallout from this for Dani — she was suspended from her job as a regular guest on a radio show and was banned from the gym Amelia: Yeah, and I really think what this is an example of is her totally flaunting her privilege as a skinny, white beautiful model type. Anna: (Side note, THANK YOU L.A. Fitness for reassuring customers that you value their privacy and don't abide by body-shamers) Amelia: (And also, you know, THE LAW. Right? Isn't it also illegal what she did?) Anna: Oh for SURE. It does seem like she's sorry and maybe starting to get it, don't you think? Amelia: Yes. The upside here also is that the response was swift. We can all agree that this was just so inappropriate and wrong on so many levels. And hopefully, as she says in her apology video, she really is going to take the time to reflect on why she would do something like this in the first place. Anna: Yeah — especially since her first "apology" was that she didn't know how to use Snapchat. That's…not exactly the issue here, lady And I think that brings me to what freaks me out most about all of this — that she even had the impulse to do this, even privately It just shows how much more work we have to do on the body positivity front. The way we talk about and value bodies HAS to change Amelia: Yeah, definitely... It's pretty much a lesson in how it's not just a grade school / high school problem. It needs to be a given (whether you're a Playboy model or not) that all bodies are beautiful, so that no one would even think to do something like this. Anna: YEP. Okay, I think that about does it. Be kind, everyone; there’s enough shittiness in the world.