In 2016, most public figures have the sense to keep the douchiest parts of their personalities under wraps.
Sadly, it seems Playboy model and inexplicably mega-popular social media star Dani Mathers can afford neither a PR team nor a sense of basic human decency.
Yesterday Mathers posted a photo of a naked woman in the locker room of her gym, along with a caption reading:
“If I can’t unsee this, neither can you.”
Yes, obviously what Mathers did was more than just plain wrong, it was incredibly tone deaf.
Countless celebrities have spoken out about the serious problem of online body-shaming in recent months, and it’s unimaginable that a young woman with a major web following would think that’s even remotely okay.
That said, Mathers did post a lengthy, and seemingly genuinely contrite apology on Twitter shortly after the image went viral:
“I want to acknowledge my post from snapchat earlier. There is no excuse…I understand fully the magnitude of this post and that I have hurt
“This mistake has truly made me realize that something that can seem silly in a private conversation isn’t unnecessary. All I’ve done here is
“Spread negativity and hate when that isn’t who I am. I chose to model because I appreciate women and their bodies, so me of all people,
“[I] should never make light of another woman’s naked body.”
Before deleting her account entirely, Mathers added:
“I’m sorry for what I did… I need to take some time to myself now to reflect on why I did this horrible thing. Goodnight.”
It goes without saying that what Mathers did was deplorable beyond description.
That said, her apology seems genuine, and then online smear campaign against her has turned truly ugly.
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, think of Cersei Lannister in Season 5.
She did some awful, awful things, but seeing her forced to walk naked through King’s Landing while being pelted with fruit was still incredibly tough to watch.
Think of that next time you’re tempted to eviscerate a stranger online, and if you’re not familiar with the show, just remember this oft-quoted chestnut:
“Let he who has never accidentally posted a nude throw the first shade. – St. Anthony Weiner
