Sofie Hagen: ‘Fat is a neutral word – I want us to reclaim it’
In her first book, the Danish comedian is calling for fat liberation – and happiness. She talks about anti-capitalism, abuse and how her view of her body changed overnight
Sofie Hagen no longer tells fat jokes. “I did at the beginning of my career,” she says, a bit regretfully. “Nothing negative, just laughing at myself. I had one joke, where I said something like: ‘I’m fat because I overeat. And I overeat because I have a lot of pain inside. Like, for example, right here’” – she points to her cheek – “‘is a chicken bone I haven’t quite swallowed yet.’”
I laugh appreciatively, but was I supposed to? “It’s really a lose-lose situation,” she says. “I do think there’s something powerful in a fat comedian being visible, owning the stage and calling out what the audience is already thinking. But I don’t make those jokes any more.”