Amy shared a hurtful direct message she recently received on social media.
The message told her to watch the HBO documentary Thin, which follows women dealing with anorexia and bulimia at a treatment facility in Florida. Amy initially assumed the recommendation might be positive before looking up the documentary’s description. After reading the synopsis, Amy believed the sender was making a rude comment about her body and appearance. She also reminded said listener that she has struggled with bulimia since high school and has experienced periods of recovery and relapse over the years, she is currently in recovery and has not dealt with it in a long time. Eddie wondered whether the person may have connected the documentary to Amy’s openness about personal struggles and healing, but Amy went through the sender’s message history, and she felt confident the comment was intended as an insult rather than encouragement.
Wanting Amy to feel less alone, Bobby looked through several of his own direct messages and quickly found multiple negative comments directed at him. One message told Bobby that he had “somehow became famous without ever actually being good at anything” and questioned why millions of people listen to him. Another accused him of trying too hard to be funny while the people around him only laughed because he signs their paychecks. Bobby also read a message claiming his personality felt “AI generated,” criticizing his glasses, cardigans, and what the sender described as his “Aw, shucks, I’m just a guy from Arkansas” image. Another message suggested that Bobby’s visibility and success were more connected to his agent’s work than people genuinely liking him.
Bobby questioned why people choose to send comments like that directly to others online. He usually only checks his comments and direct messages on Tuesdays, joking that listeners had pointed out he must dread that day each week. Despite reading the negative messages on-air, Bobby does not enjoy giving attention to hateful comments and would rather focus on the kind listeners who support the show. Amy was thankful Bobby for sharing his own experiences so she wasn't alone.