P.K. Subban has been criticized for making an insensitive joke about Lizzo during the NHL playoffs broadcast. On Tuesday, May 2, as he, co-anchor John Buccigross, and fellow analysts discussed the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buccigross suggested the Maple Leafs needed to “pack a lunch” to gain momentum after losing to the Panthers, to which Subban, 33, replied, “Maybe they need to pack a Lizzo-sized lunch,” per Us Weekly.
As clips of the moment spread on social media, viewers criticized the former hockey player for his “fatphobic” and “gross” words and called for his removal from the show. Subban has not addressed the backlash directly but did elaborate on the significance of “pack a lunch” after the first broadcast. “Pack a lunch … lock in!” he tweeted on Tuesday alongside a screenshot of the definition of the slang, highlighting the term “large, sustained amount of effort.” “Be ready to compete! Bring work boots! Expect that they are going to try to outwork you in hard areas.”
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Lizzo, 35, hasn’t directly called out Subban, but this isn’t the first time she has been body shamed. Aries Spears commented about the “Good As Hell” performer’s physique in August 2022. “I can’t get past the fact that she looks like the s–t emoji,” Spears, 48, said during an appearance on The Art of Dialogue. “She’s got a very pretty face, but she keeps showing her body off, like, come on, man. Come on, yo.” While Lizzo did not directly address Spears’ controversial statement at the time, her speech at the 2022 VMAs seemed to shade the Mad TV alum and all of her other critics. “I want to say thank you so much for supporting me and loving me. And now, to the b—es that got something to say about me in the press,” the “Special” pop star told the audience. “You know what, I’m not going to say nothing. They’ll be like, ‘Lizzo, why don’t you clap back?’ Because b—, I’m winning, h—e! Big b— is winning, h—e!”
Throughout her career, her platform has been used to preach body positivity and inclusivity for people of all shapes and sizes. Lizzo’s musical success also led to the creation of Yitty, a brand that sells shapewear for all body types. In October 2022, Lizzo exclusively spoke with Vanity Fair about having confidence in the face of unsolicited comments about her on social media. “You know what really gets me?” she continues, “I saw a tweet, ‘Say what you want about Lizzo,’ and I was like, what are people saying? I saw a picture of me laughing, and someone said she seems to have a lot of fun with her fans. Yeah, I do have fun, because if I’m not having fun right now, when am I going to be able to enjoy having a hot, rockin’ bod, being young, beautiful, and rich?” she said.
“I can pay my bills, I can pay my family’s bills—what a blessing—when I literally could not afford a $5 Jimmy John sandwich, I couldn’t afford to buy a $2 frozen pizza. I’d have to get quarters from strangers for gas money. Hell yeah, I’m having fun. I’m celebrating every motherf— person’s birthday [who’s] around me. I’m going hard. I’m working hard, and I’m resting hard.”
