Carissa Codel uses a newscaster voice to read negative comments sent by viewers
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Sometimes the best way to silence online trolls is with humour.
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That’s what Carissa Codel, a news anchor from Ozark, Montana, does when responding to commenters who have opinions about her body and weight.
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Codel, who anchors the morning show “Ozark’s First” on FOX49, has gone viral for sharing videos on social media in which she uses a newscaster voice to read negative comments left by viewers.
“Dayumm Gurl, I want you to put a hurting on me like you do those midnight snacks,” she reads in one video using a voice reminiscent of Family Guy character Tricia Takanawa, before replying, “I don’t think I will.”
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“I ain’t never work as hard as them ankles,” she quotes another troll, followed by her retort: “Ladies, if your man doesn’t work harder than your ankles, get another one.”
“Why have fake news when you can have cake news?” she reads with a chuckle. “Yeah, if I could have a cake what would I be. Leave a comment. Or maybe, don’t.”
How she became viral
In an interview with the New York Post, the 5-foot-3, 180-pound Codel said she started making the videos in August after finding humour in some of the more negative comments.
The videos took off from there and have earned her quite the fanbase on social media, with 239,000 followers on Instagram and 125,000 on TikTok.
Codel told the Post that the harsh comments don’t affect her at all.
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“I think that they’re hilarious … I don’t put up the extremely mean ones, but I like the insults that are very creative.
“My family is very thick-skinned — I’ve never been bothered by a lot of that.”
The news anchor said the negative comments have decreased after she lost 55 pounds over the last three years.
“I find it so funny, like, ‘Oh, you think I’m big now, you should have seen me back then,’” said Codel. “I know who I am, and I know what I look like.”
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Not all comments are negative
While Codel pokes fun at all the body-shaming comments, some viewers also appear to love — or lust over — her curvy features.
“Fe fi foe yum,” one wrote, to which Codel responded: “Everyone knows I’m 6-(foot)-5 without the shoes. With the shoes, I’m 6-7. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“This is who Sir Mix-a-Lot was rapping about,” another chimed in, with the anchor retorting, “If you don’t get that reference, it’s time to do your homework and go to bed.”
Codel told the Post that she was initially worried that her viral videos would ruin her credibility as a journalist. However, she said they actually helped her have a deeper connection with viewers.
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