Sitting behind the safety of their screens, it seems internet trolls are always ready to strike. And if there's one type of person these keyboard warriors love to target, it's the celebrity. While A-listers may live enviable lifestyles travelling to exotic locations via super-yacht from their oh-so extra mansions, they come under a lot of scrutiny for the smallest of things.
One such thing is not maintaining ever-impossible beauty standards that dominate the mainstream idea of what a person "should" look like. And while society is making waves in championing greater diversity in body types, skin tones and traditional notions of what is "beautiful", it seems that most celebrities still get body-shamed if they seem just a smidge out of shape.
While this commonly happens to female celebrities, men aren't exempt from body-shaming. Just this week, Tom Brady has been bombarded with cruel messages about his body after topless photos of him emerged.
The 40-year-old New England Patriots quarterback was photographed by paparazzi while on holiday in Costa Rica, and people took issue with the fact that he wasn't sporting a magnificent six-pack that you could grate cheese with. Of course, it didn't help that he was holidaying along with his supermodel wife, Gisele Bündchen. They were spending some time together with their three kids Vivian, 5, Benjamin, 8, and Jack, 10.
But the fact that the family was enjoying some quality time together didn't deter photographers from sneaking around to take photos of the couple while at the beach. Nor did it deter people from writing some really nasty things about the sports star.
It comes months after the release of his nutrition book The TB12 Method in September, which is known to be a rather strict guide to the anti-inflammatory diet that Brady swears to follow.
“The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies," he wrote. "Some of these principles have been around for thousands of years. My nutritional regimen may seem restrictive to some people, but to me it feels unnatural to eat any other way."
To give an example of how "restrictive" it is, Brady's book suggests eating a strawberry as a "treat".
The body-shaming comments were harsh, and Brady didn't respond to them. Nor should he – such vitriol never merits a response.
However, fans of the Patriots QB were quick to jump to his defence. They pointed out that despite the fact that he's not as ripped as other NFL players, he's still one of the best players out there. Another noted that even if you follow a healthy diet, it isn't necessarily reflected in the presence of perfect abs.
It's clear that Brady is still is good enough shape to play in the NFL, and the comments just go to show how narrow society's ideals can be. Yes, he may have a dad bod. But it doesn't mean he's unhealthy or lazy, and I'm afraid it happens to most of us. Yes, even you.
