Wait What? FAMU Announcer Body Shames The Honey Beez
FAMU Announcer Joseph Bullard Dragged After Body Shaming The Honey Beez
When Florida A&M’s announcer Joseph Bullard introduced the Alabama State University Honey Beez, the plus-size dance line beloved across HBCU culture, as the “poster children for Ozempic,” it wasn’t just a joke. It was one of the the sadest slights we have witnessed in a while. It was indicative of a society that is not only fatphobic but perpetually obsessed with diminishing the light of Black women who dare to take up space with confidence, and unapologetic joy. Bullard has since apologized for his distasteful comments.
“Friendly competition and playful jesting have long been a part of HBCU band culture, but I have come to understand that my words crossed a line,” he wrote on Facebook. “My intention was never to belittle or disrespect the incredible young people who represent our schools with such grace, talent and pride. They are the embodiment of our culture, and they deserve nothing less than our full respect.”
He continued, “My comments directed toward the ASU Honey Beez were meant as lighthearted banter, but I now recognize that they came across in a way that was hurtful and disrespectful. For that, I extend my deepest and most heartfelt apologies: first and foremost to the ASU Honey Beez, to Alabama State University, to the Alabama State University Marching Band, to Florida A&M University and to the fans and supporters of both institutions who were in attendance, or anyone else who heard my words. To anyone who was offended, I am truly sorry.”
But the damage has already been done. Cracking jokes, playing the dozens, and roasting your rivals is part of Black culture. Especially in HBCU band culture, where announcers are expected to bring wit, shade, and spice to the mic. But there is a thin line between roasting and ridiculing. Bullard did not just “crack a joke”—he weaponized fatphobia in a way that cut deep.
As an elder Black manhe should have thought twice about reducing Black women to a pharmaceutical punchline in front of thousands because body shaming fat Black women, has long been considered fair game.
As a plus-size Black woman who has loved herself loudly—before, during, and after weight loss—I know the sting of being treated like your body is a problem you are too delusional to recognize. People do not know what to do with fat women who are not ashamed. They expect you to apologize for your size, to shrink your joy, to wait until you have lost weight before you deserve to shine.
But when you show up in love with yourself, in peace with your body, in full command of your joy? That disrupts everything. Folks get uncomfortable. They get hateful. And often, they get loud. I have seen the eye rolls when a plus-size woman laughs too hard, dresses too bold, or dares to call herself beautiful. I have felt the side comments, the whispered judgments, the public “jokes” meant to remind me that my joy was too damn audacious.
That is why the Honey Beez matter. They don’t just dance; they affirm that you can be visible, confident, and worthy—without waiting for weight loss or anyone’s approval. Their existence says: You don’t have to hate yourself in the meantime. You can celebrate yourself right now. And that terrifies people who believe being fat should equal shame.
Yeah, Bullard apologized. But let’s keep it real: it did not feel sincere. It felt like a PR move, a mop-up once he realized his words carried a cost. Because if fat Black women were not vocal—if social media had not amplified the backlash—that so-called joke would have stood ten toes down.
But peep this, we are not silent anymore. We are not shrinking. We are not waiting for validation to take up space. The audacity of joy, when you are a fat girl, is choosing to love yourself in public. It is freedom on display. And it is exactly what the Honey Beez did when they hit that field and danced like they belonged—because they do.
Bullard’s words were a reminder of how far we still must go. How audacious fat girl joy must be. Oh and the Honey Beez joy? That was a reminder of how unstoppable we are when we refuse to apologize for being whoever we are!
Because joy, in this body, right now—not the one society says we should have—is liberation.
FAMU Announcer Joseph Bullard Dragged After Body Shaming The Honey Beez was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
