Perfect Strangers Intro - Season 1 has been added as a related post - related requested by ant on that post.

Perfect Strangers Opening Credits (1:10) has been added as a related post - related requested by ant.

*related=http://videosift.com/video/Perfect-Strangers-Opening-Credits

I am appalled at some of the responses to this here on the Sift: "she should just take it and shut up", "yeah what's wrong telling someone they're fat" and @scannex's craptacular line of argumentation. This discussion took such a bizarro turn that even bobknight33 has more sense in his comment than a good half of the commenters!

There are several important issues at stake here:

1) Unethical behaviour should be called out, as done here, not silenced/ignored, no matter how "petty" it may seem. Silence (often enforced by shaming and/or interiorised guilt) is one of the main contributors to a culture of abuse of privilege, of bullying, humiliating, harassing, etc etc. I just wish stuff like this (the video) happened more often on TV and in the media in general. The more this kind of behaviour (be it sexist, ableist, bigoted, etc.) is called out as socially unacceptable, the less it will spread over the next generations.

2) Privilege: this guy thinks it is his place to tell a perfect stranger that she's too fat for TV, as if his small-minded opinion was worth anything. Even if it hadn't been so disgustingly condescending, he should know (lets hope that's now the case) that it's not his place to make those remarks. Even if he's a doctor, nutritionist, you name it. He's not her doctor, nor friend, and you have to be pretty fucking stupid to think you're illuminating someone on their hitherto unnoticed BMI, and even more fucking stupid to defend that as "doing her a favour".

3) Obesity is not like smoking. Yes, they are both health problems, but unlike smoking, being obese is not a behaviour. It can be caused/aggravated by certain behaviour, among many other factors. But while a behaviour can be inhibited while in front of others (e.g. not smoking in front of kids/a camera), you cannot "stop being obese". This brings out another distinction, namely that, while seeing people smoke can entice impressionable minds to do the same, seeing someone who is fat will not make one want to be fat as well. Seeing an overweight person on TV having a job or living a normal life might, on the other hand, give hope to people who are mocked and discriminated against for their weight issues, something which does not undermine in the slightest the struggle against obesity.

I could go on, but I've ranted enough as is. Suffice it to say that I fully *support what this woman and her colleagues have taken the courage to do, and hope it is a situation we will see more of in future. We can't (and shouldn't) outlaw douchebaggery, but we sure as hell can make it socially stigmatising, and we damn well should. (and unlike obesity for some, douchebaggery and hateful/hurtful ignorance is something anyone can be cured of)

/rant

Shit oh howdy.

Where the bloody hell did I use the word "homophobe" in the video description?

And he didn't try to kiss him on the mouth, he went for his cheek, which is the culture in France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and many other countries. Will said he went for his mouth, but he didn't. At least, I didn't see it. He kissed him on the cheek.

What is interesting to me is that the first description I wrote did use the word "homophobe" but then I removed it. Because it was too strong. Will Smith does promote gay marriage. He clearly isn't a homophobe.

And -- man, did he react strongly to being kissed by a man. Instinctively. As an American man, not as a French man, or a Saudi. I don't believe a French man or a Saudi would have slapped a man who kissed him. I don't think that Will Smith would slap a woman who kissed him on the cheek. But he is an American man and there are strong boundary issues between American men.

You can be angry at me for pointing that out. It doesn't make it any less true.

What I find remarkable -- as I noted in the video description -- is how difficult it must be to be a celebrity and people want to touch you. Hug you. And yes, kiss you. That takes courage to allow all these strangers into your personal space like that. Will Smith is a courageous man who respects his fans and allows them into his personal space.

And he reacted instinctively as an American man when kissed by a man.

Man, it is sooooo tiring to be accused of things I don't do. Tiring.

>> ^longde:

Reading the trolling video description, I really wish I would have downvoted.
Not wanting to be kissed on the mouth by a perfect stranger makes one a homophobe? Not being gay = homophobia? Just like with your "saying 'girl' makes you a sexist" shtick, you are drawing the lines too tightly.

Reading the trolling video description, I really wish I would have downvoted.

Not wanting to be kissed on the mouth by a perfect stranger makes one a homophobe? Not being gay = homophobia? Just like with your "saying 'girl' makes you a sexist" shtick, you are drawing the lines too tightly.

What is so contrived about a fist bump. Everyone does that. Hell, I just fist bumped a perfect stranger today.

Also, notice, he goes off character at 2:54

Cheers!
In reply to this comment by kulpims:
*promote

The only Perfect Strangers video worth seeing ....
Is here

This video has been seconded as a duplicate; transferring votes to the original video and killing this dupe - dupeof seconded with isdupe by Ornthoron.

This video has been nominated as a duplicate of this video by eric3579. If this nomination is seconded with *isdupe, the video will be killed and its votes transferred to the original.

*dupeof=http://videosift.com/video/Magnetic-Man-ft-Katy-B-Perfect-Stranger-live-Maida-Vale

An example of identical Youtube videos/embeds:

http://videosift.com/video/Magnetic-Man-Feat-Katy-B-Perfect-Stanger-Live

http://videosift.com/video/Magnetic-Man-ft-Katy-B-Perfect-Stranger-live-Maida-Vale

Beat you to it: http://videosift.com/video/Magnetic-Man-ft-Katy-B-Perfect-Stranger-live-Maida-Vale