Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St James North, Felicia Dujon, has strongly denied her campaign was responsible for circulating a meme comparing opponent Chad Blackman to the animated character Shrek, describing the body-shaming accusations as a political distraction manufactured by the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).
Her comments follow a response from Blackman earlier this week, in which he thanked supporters for rallying behind him and said he had committed to making healthier lifestyle changes while using the criticism as fuel to promote wellness and community health initiatives.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Dujon denied that the DLP was behind any such attacks, describing the accusations as a distraction from the real issues facing voters in the constituency.
“What do you mean condone?” she said, when asked if she supported the use of body-related insults.
“We do not participate in any kind of violation of human rights. And I believe, as a person who speaks on human rights, that’s not something we should even continue to perpetuate in this society.”
Dujon pointed to her own experience with public commentary on physical appearance: “I have a big nose and a big forehead, but I don’t go around on stage and tell people, ‘Look at my big nose and big forehead.’ I came here to work. We don’t bully.”
The DLP candidate suggested that the narrative around Blackman’s body image was created and amplified by the BLP itself.
“The conversation about body shaming – that came from the Barbados Labour Party,” she claimed.
“They wanted the entire constituency to recognise how big the candidate is. So now that the constituency has seen how big he is, and concerns are being raised, suddenly the conversation shifts.”
Dujon said she was focused on policy, not personality.
“This isn’t about Chad Blackman or how big he is. This is about a constituency that has been neglected, and we’re working to fix that. The BLP needs to be reminded that the election is not about a candidate’s size – it’s about the people they’ve failed,” she said.
Asked directly about the Shrek imagery and where it derived from, Dujon distanced her team from it entirely.
“Ask the Barbados Labour Party. They would know,” she said. (SM)
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