Yesterday I had the opportunity see the beginnings of the backlash in regards to the FATTIES GET A ROOM article over on Marie Claire. As much as I wanted to drop everything and respond, school owns my soul and I had to continue working. The Twitter breaks were already pushing it!
It was an absolute delight to return home yesterday to see my Google reader spring to life with the outrage of the community – fighting back with their own words. Like Lesley, Beth, Margitte, Ms. Loaf, etc. Piece by piece, this article has been dissected and analyzed (much better than I could) so I avoid that in lieu of speaking of my feelings more generally.
As much as it disappoints me to see this on the website of a major publication, I am not surprised. And a perverse part of me is actually glad that it did.
We deal with this kind of mentality every day. Fat hate or prejudice isn’t a fancy, fucking magical, prancing pony that the fatties make up for sympathy. Writing this article is proof, both validating and highlighting the problems with this issue. Thank you Maura Kelly, for your insensitive and hateful article. It is an irrevocable act of ignorance that has received a great deal of criticism in the last two days and (unfortunately) even some support. With 1000 comments and counting, you’ve definitely started something.
MARIE CLAIRE – THIS IS NOT OKAY.
Ironically, writing about how disgusting it is to see a fat person cross a room validates the fact that these kinds of thoughts and behavior really do exist. It isn’t magical, it is real and not my over-active imagination. Sadly, Maura Kelly isn’t the only person who feels like this. For me, this helps outline the true hypocrisies that lay within the societal notions of fatness.
I am both expected to be less fat and to be aesthetically pleasing the eye. The mere presence of me, my FAT, is enough to make you quiver with distaste. There goes the aesthetics! Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time I’ve encountered this thought, which is absolutely ridiculous. The notion of, “Hey fatty! Lose weight and ________ … but not here!” is prevalent everywhere. I still haven’t figured out how that is possible.
My fat is apparently 1) aesthetically displeasing, 2) contagious (my favorite) and 3) setting a bad example. Walking in the park is unacceptable. “THINK OF THE CHILDREN!” Going to the gym? “You don’t belong there!” And forget things like, love(PDA!), living your life, grocery shopping – fat people don’t have/need/deserve those. Why by these rules the only place I can be and not offend anyone is at home.
The only thing I can really say is: Fuck that! I will continue to live my life as I please.
