What was supposed to be just a funny photo has turned into a headache for Rosie Waterland.
The Sydney author has taken to Instagram to deliver a statement after posting a picture of herself enjoying a night in.
Rosie shared a snap of herself on the couch, happily watching Netflix with bottle of vodka on her lap and using her breast to lift a fallen cookie back up to her mouth.
‘Almost at the end of 2017 like…,’ she captioned the image.
But some commenters didn’t find the humour in Rosie’s photo, instead writing that they were ‘concerned’ about her belly – which is exposed in the picture.
Australian author Rosie Waterland received judgement from fans after posting this image of herself enjoying vodka and using her boob to pick up a cookie that had missed her mouth
Rosie posted a lengthy statement to address the comments, asking why a ‘random, funny photo of my belly caused such a strong reaction’
The Anti Cool Girl author was not pleased, writing: ‘Can a fat girl post a joke photo that includes her body without the entire narrative becoming about her body?’
Rosie then posted a lengthy statement to address the comments, asking why a ‘random, funny photo of my belly caused such a strong reaction’.
‘I replied to one “concerned” commenter (deleted the rest) and my reply basically applies to everyone who has not been able to get their “concern” over my dumb photo off their minds,’ she wrote.
‘Everyone who has had a problem with this photo has assumed my body is the joke.’
Rosie noted that many of her fans ‘with all kinds of bodies’ related to the picture, which had nothing to do with their shapes at all
‘If you automatically assume that a fat body is where the humour comes from then…well that kind of makes me sad,’ Rosie wrote in her statement
‘And if you assume my body is the joke and not the set-up of the picture itself, then those are your hang-ups, not mine.’
‘If you automatically assume that a fat body is where the humour comes from then…well that kind of makes me sad.’
Rosie noted that many of her fans ‘with all kinds of bodies’ related to the picture.
‘It’s about being tired and fed-up and having had a tough year and just wanting to get a bit pissed and watch Netflix and not waste the cookie you just dropped on your boob,’ she wrote.
‘I could have a six-pack and the joke would be the same. I have found today that the people who have focused on my belly have kind of missed the point (and it also reveals a lot about what they put the most value on).’
Rosie said the photo was actually about being ‘tired and fed up and having had a tough year’, and was not supposed to be a statement on her body
Both the original photo and the following statement received thousands of likes, and a number of supportive comments.
‘Love everything about you Rosie. One of the most real people on social media right now. Never change,’ wrote user jessica_bigg.
‘Over the faux concern. You can’t tell health by how a body looks on the outside! People have issues. Go, Rosie!’ added web_etch.
‘Perfectly said as always, but then you don’t ever need to justify yourself,’ said kimberlytakespics.
‘Those that know you and love you laughed, and laughed hard. Fuck wasting a cookie!’
The original photo and the following statement received thousands of likes, and a number of supportive comments