To say we were disgusted by the Project Harpoon movement is an understatement.
The Instagram account (which has been since shut down) was set up and all the small-minded people of the world decided to troll women’s accounts to edit their shape under the ideal that they’re simply “about reposting #thinnerbeauty.”
Project Harpoon trawled the web for images of women above their perceived body ideal and photoshopped them to a skinnier version of the photo.
The callous movement was editing women without their consent, virtually changing their body types and promoting the most close-minded idea of what makes a woman’s figure beautiful.
Thankfully the social media accounts were suspended – but not before women were deeply hurt and offended by their actions.
Now one plus-sized Canadian model Ruby Roxx has decided to voice the bigger issue of why this group felt the need to edit her image.
Starting her letter, Ruby writes:
‘Dear Project Harpoon,
First, what I really want to say is F**K YOU….but I don’t want to start my letter off with even more hate. You’ve already put enough of that out into the world, so instead, I will say THANK YOU. Thank you for showing me that I have the drive and determination to fight bullies like you. Yes, you used my photo, yes, I read horrible, threatening, comments, yes, you even used my photo as your profile picture without my permission, but my fight isn’t for me. I am a strong, confident, plus model, who is PROUD of her body. It has gotten me through 31 years, of health, sickness, pain, freedom, love and adventure. My body and I have been through a lot together, and I will not let online bullies such as you make me feel bad about loving myself.
The reason I fight you is for the thousands of women out there who aren’t where I am yet. Who don’t love their bodies. Some of the girls you photoshopped weren’t models or celebrities, but just everyday girls. They might not have confidence, but they posted that photo on a day they felt good about themselves, and you BUTCHERED it with your atrocious photoshopping, and made them feel bad. What if she isn’t happy with her body, and had been trying to be healthy and more confident. What if that photo WAS her after she hit her goal weight (no, not everyone’s goal weight is a size 2), and you dragged her through the mud. How DARE you bring someone down, simply because she is not YOUR immature, close minded ideal! It’s ok to have preferences, but it is NOT ok to make people feel bad because they aren’t yours. Guess what, bullies and jerks are NEVER anyone’s preference.’
She then continued by pointing out that although they preached that they were acting as a ‘inspiration to lose weight’ that the effects were much more in line with bullying, humiliation and threatening behaviour: ‘I suffer from anxiety and depression, and your page did not help me. It put me into a downward spiral from which I struggled to pull myself out. I didn’t do it alone. I did it with the help of my amazing boyfriend, friends, family, followers, and supporters. You did not and you will not get the best of me. Even when I have bad days, I remind myself of the things I love about myself, and my worth and potential does not depend on if I am a size 14 or a size 4. It is what’s inside is what counts. My heart, my laugh, my brain, the way I treat other people, the way I can make any baby laugh, the love I share, the way I will not quit when something is important to me. You did not win, and you will not. Not with me, not with anyone. 
‘I don’t know if I was the first to share your horrible page….I hadn’t heard of it until a follower of mine alerted me to the fact you were using my image. I shared it to get help reporting my photo and your page. The support I received completely outweighed the hate you were spewing at me. However I also got messages from everyday girls who weren’t shared on your page. They had read the comments and were in TEARS over the hurtful things you called people who looked like them and whom they looked up to. You said “no shaming” on your page, but that is exactly what you were doing. You said you were “inspiring” people to lose weight and be healthy, but all you did was bring people down.’
Ruby then tells the bullies that she won’t be valued by their interpretations of her, adding:
‘We are no less valuable at 200 lbs as we are at 120 lbs. We are no less valuable because you told us we weren’t. We have just as much potential as a size 14 as we do as a size 2. How dare you make anyone feel any differently? I may not be your ideal, but I don’t give a shit. I want to be the ideal of the wonderful people who support me, and for myself, not some childish small minded slime. Like one of MY idols, Lucille Ball says, “Not everyone is going to like me, but not everyone matters”, and guess what, you DON’T matter.’
Here’s hoping more women have the support and love of someone like Ruby to feel confident in themselves.
For most women, being hard on yourself can be a full-time job before someone else decides to add to your concerns.
As Ruby says:
“Spread love, be kind, save a life by NOT bullying someone…”
H/T Buzzfeed via Ruby Roxx Blog
