Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
Marie Claire published perhaps the vilest, most weight biased article I've ever read. It's called, "Should Fatties Get a Room".
I couldn't possibly do the ugliness justice so head over there now, have a peek, and then come back here to read the comment that Jezebel so wisely pulled from the crop.
Brilliantly written.
Beth, whoever you are, you're awesome! Maura Kelly (the author of the Marie Claire piece and the lady in the photo up above), best I can do for you is you're honest. Oh, and you're also ignorant and slightly loathsome.
"Dear Maura Kelly,[Hat tip to Holly]
I sincerely apologize for my disgusting body and all the various rolls of fat on my person.
When I married my fat husband back in June I didn't realize it would offend anyone when we got to that "you may kiss the bride" moment, or we would have skipped it. If I'd realized how unacceptable it is for me to have love or happiness, I would have called the wedding off entirely, of course. I have told my husband that there will be no more kissing or cuddling or FATTY SEX until we both lose some weight. I hope he understands...
I really am so sorry for being so fat and happy all this time! In your very honest and sensitively written article "should fatties get a room?" you write that fat people should walk more, yet you also write that fat people walking across a room is something you find disgusting. I take long walks around my neighbourhood most days, is this too much? I want to find the correct balance between getting thin and not upsetting anyone with my jiggling body parts.
I also swim twice a week and go to the gym once a week, are these activities also disgusting to you? Perhaps I should start doing these activities at night so nobody has to be offended by them. Do you think that would be best? I don't own a television so I haven't seen Mike and Molly. But I do hope they take garbage like off the television soon. As you say, it's implicitly promoting obesity. Surely anyone who watches it will see the yucky fat people making out and suddenly think to themselves "I should gain some weight, that looks like fun." And then where would we be?
By the way, I haven't ever had any health problems before but if anything does come up I'll be sure to stay away from the doctor so as not to be a drain on anyone's health costs.
Thank you for writing this meticulously well researched, world-changing article. I really think you are going to cure obesity with this! Yay! Your plump friends are very lucky to have a friend like you who is in no way a hateful bully or an ignorant sizeist jerk.
Best wishes,
Beth
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I am speechless. As someone who works in the field of weight loss/weight management (and who battles myself) this breaks my heart. Thanks for exposing this.
ReplyDeleteI cringed reading that article - her update/apology also sounds insincere and misses the point. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow. :( Just wow. Not that I've read this magazine 'cause fatties don't/won't fit in any of the clothes in there but it won't be on my nightstand anytime soon now that I can buy from some of their advertisers.
ReplyDeleteImagine if you substituted the word "black" or "muslim" for the word fat? This would be creating a lot more publicity. Just goes to show that the obese is still ok to target.
Makes you wonder why they haven't deleted the post, NO ONE should have had to read that.
ReplyDeleteOMG... :( I did a shout out to your blog today on my blog :) Keep up the good work and keeping us informed! :)
ReplyDeleteive said it before and ill say it again.
ReplyDeleteobesity is the last form of acceptable prejudice. id like to throw her in a "fat suit" (hate that term btw) for 1 month and force her to go out in public. malls grocery stores restaurants and see the type of looks and snickers and pointing and outright rude comments she has to contend with. then lets see if shes so quick to talk her @&^%
wow is right,...and just why hasn't it been deleted? the apology is almost as offensive as the post itself. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused at my reaction to this. The more rediculous things I read from Maura Kelly's article, the wider my smile grew, to the point where I was almost giggling while I read. Then, the icing on the cake: The apology. She started digging a deeper hole! It made me want to slap my forhead in sympathetic shame. I suppose I should be angry or shocked, but I couldn't stop giggling at the stupidity. I suppose it's easier on me to giggle than to get angry.
ReplyDeleteAs for Beth's response, I absolutely love it, but unfortunately the message will fall on deaf ears. Maura Kelly's apology indicates as much.
The article itself was hurtful and cruel, but I think the person who approved it and allowed it to be printed is a moron.
ReplyDeleteSeriously! Who writes something like that. Who consciously decides that today I am going to attack the only group in the world that politically correctness doesn't offer any protection to. All us "fatties" did this to ourselves, on purpose and we deserve the distane and judgement of all the "normies" out there who managed to not succum to weight gain, genetics, illness, personal loss, or just a diet loaded with fat and sugar.
Someone actually looked at this offensive drivel and thought "With rising rate of obesity (I think the word "Epidemic" has been tossed around once or twice) this is an opinion that should be shared with the masses and will no doubt be embraced and all the "big,fat,lazy,deep fried food loving,too wide to fit in the seats at the new Harry Potter Themepark, taking the easy way out with their insulin injections and bariatric surgery" losers out there. I almosted ran to grab a piece of organic celery and hit the treadmill. Almost.
I thought that I had developed a thick skin and am immune to the bullying that is weight bias. Apparently, not. This article hurt me and my insecurities about being in a crowd, about being judge by strangers and my annoyance at the uneducated masses who think this nonsense is still okay- all of that was brought to the surface by this article. If the intention was to maim without having to weild an actual weapon, well done.
I am so promoting this any way I can. Bias like this is so cruel and hurtful that it must be fought.
ReplyDeleteBETH is officially my Heroine of the Week!
ReplyDeleteMaura is officially my Piece of Shite of the Week. Her next article will probably be about how chronic anorexics should just "eat more and stop exercising and make less bone-clacking noise when walking across a room"? Cause she cares.
I say fire her ass.
I'm pretty speechless...thanks for exposing this. It's so sad to me that articles like that could actually be reaching people and influencing them. :-/
ReplyDeleteWow.......... it makes me think I can always loose weight to fit into her category of normal, but she will always be an ignorant, small minded bully. I hope her family members or friends who are overweight treat her better than she treats them. Shame shame on you.
ReplyDeleteMaura, I am so sorry my fat ass offends you. I will however gladly bend over so you can kiss it.
ReplyDeleteOh common..it's freedom of speech defense yes? ...
ReplyDeletepfff...so under the freedom of speech, I will add:
This writer has simply stated what so many ignorantasses simply think of us...
So I will add: Yes I'm fat so what?!
Really, it's no biggie, not like I plan to kiss her thin lips anytime soon...Let the rolls lully other rolls
in love, prosperity and self-pride.
We really don't need the hatred or self-loathing ...her hatred of fat is her fear of it.
I know plenty of men and women who want this body and they are the ones I surround myself with....
Oh common..it's freedom of speech defense yes? ...
ReplyDeletepfff...so under the freedom of speech, I will add:
This writer has simply stated what so many ignorantasses simply think of us...
So I will add: Yes I'm fat so what?!
Really, it's no biggie, not like I plan to kiss her thin lips anytime soon...Let the rolls lully other rolls
in love, prosperity and self-pride.
We really don't need the hatred or self-loathing ...her hatred of fat is her fear of it.
I know plenty of men and women who want this body and they are the ones I surround myself with....