# Nicole Arbour
**Nicole Arbour** (born 1985 in [Hamilton, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/hamilton-ontario)) is a Canadian YouTuber, comedian, choreographer, singer, and actress, best known for the viral 2015 video "Dear Fat People" and a series of similar monologue videos addressed to groups such as "Dear Black People," "Dear Feminists," "Dear Sluts," and "Dear Religious People."[1](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/nicole-arbour) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2313639/) Her work has drawn sustained criticism for fat-shaming and offensive content, which she has defended as satire and free speech.[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2313639/) |
| Known for | Viral "Dear Fat People" video, posted September 3, 2015[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/) |
| Reach of that video | Nearly 3 million YouTube views within days; over 20 million views and 177,000 likes on Facebook[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/) • [4](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/) |
| Platform action | Video and entire channel temporarily removed by YouTube; channel restored within days[4](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/) • [5](https://www.salon.com/2015/09/08/dear_fat_people_isnt_satire_despite_the_backlash_publicity_its_unlikely_to_make_nicole_arbour_a_star/) |
| Earlier career | Cheerleader for the NBA's Toronto Raptors; stand-up comedy and choreography[6](https://www.lastylemagazine.com/interviews/nicolearbour) |
| Recognition | Honorary Hollywood Walk of Fame star for social media (2016); online fan-vote winner and finalist for a Shorty Award in the "Best Comedian" category[6](https://www.lastylemagazine.com/interviews/nicolearbour) • [7](https://jamybechler.com/nicolearbour/) |
| Current work | YouTube commentary, music releases, and the podcast *The Arbour Affect*[8](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-arbour-affect/id1757984572) |
## Early life and career
Arbour grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, and worked as a dancer and choreographer before turning to comedy. She was a cheerleader for the NBA's Toronto Raptors and performed stand-up in Canada, appearing on MuchMusic's comedy programming.[6](https://www.lastylemagazine.com/interviews/nicolearbour) • [7](https://jamybechler.com/nicolearbour/) In 2008 a car accident left her with severe nerve damage, chronic pain, and a disability certificate; she has said she spent much of her twenties bedridden before recovering and returning to performance.[6](https://www.lastylemagazine.com/interviews/nicolearbour)
She uploaded her first YouTube video, footage of a stand-up set, on October 10, 2007.[1](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/nicole-arbour) Through the 2010s she built a following with short, heavily edited monologue videos addressed to various groups, including "Dear Instagram Models" and "Dear Sluts."[1](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/nicole-arbour) • [9](https://www.theodysseyonline.com/lesson-freedom-speech-for-nicole-arbour) She was an online fan-vote winner and finalist for a Shorty Award in the "Best Comedian" category, and received an Honorary Hollywood Walk of Fame star for special achievement in social media.[7](https://jamybechler.com/nicolearbour/)
## "Dear Fat People"
On September 3, 2015, Arbour posted "Dear Fat People," a roughly six-minute rant ridiculing overweight people, arguing that fat shaming "is not a thing" and that overweight people are responsible for their own weight.[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/) • [4](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/) The video spread rapidly: it drew nearly 3 million views on YouTube within days, and over 20 million views and 177,000 likes on Facebook alone.[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/) • [4](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/)
Over the following weekend YouTube removed the video and temporarily suspended her entire account, citing policies against bullying and hate speech; the channel was restored shortly afterward.[4](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/) • [5](https://www.salon.com/2015/09/08/dear_fat_people_isnt_satire_despite_the_backlash_publicity_its_unlikely_to_make_nicole_arbour_a_star/) Arbour accused the platform of censorship and reframed herself as a free-speech figure opposing "the PC police."[10](https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-hilarious-satire-of-nicole-arbours-dear-feminists/)
In a TIME interview she refused to apologize, calling the video satire and saying she hoped it would convince people to exercise and eat healthier: "I'm not apologizing for this video, but if someone got something from it, then that's great, fantastic. Comedy with a message, let's do it."[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/) At the time she had 159,000 YouTube subscribers.[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/)
## Backlash and consequences
The response from the YouTube community was swift and largely negative. [Grace Helbig](https://www.edgepedia.org/grace-helbig), Meghan Tonjes, and other prominent creators posted response videos criticizing the content; Helbig said Arbour appeared to be "using a controversial, personal subject to leverage subscribers and attention in a really negative way."[4](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/) • [11](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fat-shaming-video-nicole-arbour-responses) Columnists argued the video was not satire: the writer [Lindy West](https://www.edgepedia.org/lindy-west) called it "six minutes of tired cruelty filed under 'entertainment'," and Salon characterized it as hate speech rather than satire.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/08/dear-fat-people-vrial-video-canadian-comedian-nicole-arbour) • [5](https://www.salon.com/2015/09/08/dear_fat_people_isnt_satire_despite_the_backlash_publicity_its_unlikely_to_make_nicole_arbour_a_star/)
Arbour appeared on ABC's *The View* on September 17, 2015, to defend the video. Asked by co-host [Michelle Collins](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-collins) where the satire was, she was unable to give a coherent answer; Salon's account noted that satire requires an object to be satirized and that her comedy, in this case, lacked one.[13](https://www.salon.com/2015/09/17/dear_fat_people_vlogger_nicole_arbour_fails_spectacularly_to_defend_herself_and_her_video_on_the_view/)
The controversy also cost her work. Director [Pat Mills](https://www.edgepedia.org/pat-mills) said Arbour had been in discussions to choreograph his dance film *Don't Talk to Irene*, but after seeing the video he decided not to work with her; she had never signed a contract and was never formally attached. Mills said public shaming of fat people should carry professional consequences, while Arbour accused him of using the controversy for press.[14](https://time.com/4031202/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour-film-project/)
## The satire debate
The episode became a widely cited case study in debates over what counts as satire in online comedy. Critics contrasted Arbour's direct-address rants with comedians such as [Sacha Baron Cohen](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacha-baron-cohen), whose offensive characters are designed to expose the prejudices of the people he speaks to rather than his own views; the Vice writer argued Arbour "employs none of these tactics" and uses the guise of satire to post misogynistic rants for rage-clicks.[10](https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-hilarious-satire-of-nicole-arbours-dear-feminists/) Others noted that comedians who joke about a group from the outside, without self-deprecation, differ from comics like [Tina Fey](https://www.edgepedia.org/tina-fey) or [Amy Poehler](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-poehler), who tend to make fun of themselves; Arbour cited Fey, Ricky Gervais, Mindy Kaling, and Sarah Silverman as inspirations.[3](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/)
Arbour continued the format after the controversy, releasing videos including "Dear Black People" and "Dear Feminists." After a 2019 video drew criticism, she posted a public apology for comments she had made about Black women and slavery, which she later deleted.[15](https://www.nexusnewspaper.com/newsite/2019/03/06/nicole-arbour-needs-to-learn-the-difference-between-satire-and-stupidity/)
## Later work
Arbour has since expanded into music, releasing singles including "Bang Bang" and "Fun Revolution," and describes herself as a multi-disciplinary entertainer in the mold of older song-and-dance performers.[16](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nicole-arbour-14143.php) • [17](https://galoremag.com/10-qs-with-nicole-arbour/) Her channels claim billions of cumulative video views and millions of followers, and she has spoken publicly about her politics, telling [Dave Rubin](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-rubin) in 2019 that she had left the Left and become a supporter of Donald Trump after becoming disillusioned with Hollywood liberalism.[18](https://nicolearbour.ca/) • [19](https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-rubin-report/comedian-nicole-arbour) Since 2024 she has hosted *The Arbour Affect*, a comedy podcast featuring her monologues, interviews, and sketches.[8](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-arbour-affect/id1757984572)
## References
1. [Nicole Arbour, Know Your Meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/people/nicole-arbour)
2. [Nicole Arbour, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2313639/)
3. ['Dear Fat People' Comedian Nicole Arbour: 'I'm Not Apologizing for This Video', TIME](https://time.com/4028119/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour/)
4. [Canadian YouTube comedian Nicole Arbour under fire for fat-shaming video, Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/2208865/canadian-youtube-comedian-nicole-arbour-under-fire-for-fat-shaming-video/)
5. ["Dear Fat People" isn't satire, Salon](https://www.salon.com/2015/09/08/dear_fat_people_isnt_satire_despite_the_backlash_publicity_its_unlikely_to_make_nicole_arbour_a_star/)
6. [Nicole Arbour: From Resilience to Revolutionizing Digital Influence, L.A. STYLE Magazine](https://www.lastylemagazine.com/interviews/nicolearbour)
7. [Episode 088: Nicole Arbour, Comedian & Entertainer, Jamy Bechler](https://jamybechler.com/nicolearbour/)
8. [The Arbour Affect, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-arbour-affect/id1757984572)
9. [A Lesson In "Freedom of Speech" For Nicole Arbour, Odyssey](https://www.theodysseyonline.com/lesson-freedom-speech-for-nicole-arbour)
10. [The 'Hilarious' 'Satire' of Nicole Arbour's 'Dear Feminists!', Vice](https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-hilarious-satire-of-nicole-arbours-dear-feminists/)
11. [Fat Shaming Video Responses, Teen Vogue](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fat-shaming-video-nicole-arbour-responses)
12. [The 'Dear Fat People' video is tired, cruel and lazy, The Guardian (Lindy West)](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/08/dear-fat-people-vrial-video-canadian-comedian-nicole-arbour)
13. ["Dear Fat People" vlogger Nicole Arbour fails to defend herself on "The View", Salon](https://www.salon.com/2015/09/17/dear_fat_people_vlogger_nicole_arbour_fails_spectacularly_to_defend_herself_and_her_video_on_the_view/)
14. ['Dear Fat People' Comedian Loses Film Project in Wake of Controversy, TIME](https://time.com/4031202/dear-fat-people-nicole-arbour-film-project/)
15. [Nicole Arbour needs to learn the difference between satire and stupidity, Nexus Newspaper](https://www.nexusnewspaper.com/newsite/2019/03/06/nicole-arbour-needs-to-learn-the-difference-between-satire-and-stupidity/)
16. [Nicole Arbour Bio, The Famous People](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nicole-arbour-14143.php)
17. [10 Q's With Nicole Arbour, Galore](https://galoremag.com/10-qs-with-nicole-arbour/)
18. [Nicole Arbour Official Site](https://nicolearbour.ca/)
19. [How this liberal comedian became a Trump supporter, Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-rubin-report/comedian-nicole-arbour)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license