Thursday, October 28, 2010

Fat Hate, of course

I get so annoyed and sad when people make offhand fat-hating comments. It's bad in a different but equally bad - maybe worse - way than when people who are clearly fat-hating spew their filth. In the case of the former (i.e. MeMe Roth, doctors, talking heads), at least I never trusted or liked the person in the first place, don't take it personally, and don't have any desire to have a relationship with that person. I expected nothing more from them.

On the other hand, when a trusted friend or supposed liberal, intelligent source makes a fat-hating remark, it hits me in the solar plexus. It's a sucker punch. I thought this person/entity was safe, that they 'got it,' that in liking and respecting me and/or in being a basically progressive, right-thinking entity, they were on my side. And then - wham!It hurts on two levels. It underlines how acceptable fat hate is - it's so much a part of the culture it's invisible to the otherwise sensitive, educated people who spew it without even thinking.And it makes me feel like this person I thought accepted me doesn't really love me - since they've obviously internalized so much fat hate.


Recent examples:
FB--
Person A (status update): something cool
Friend of A (comment): jealous
Person A (comment): It's ok, I still love you like a fat kid loves McDonald's. [emphasis mine]

Radio-- NPR Report on how people who use cash buy less junk food than people who use debit or credit. The theory is that this is another example of how using cash is more painful/concrete than using plastic, so we tend to resist impulse purchases. Interesting, weight-neutral tidbit. Until, of course, the newscaster wraps up with the tagline, "So if you want to lose weight, leave the plastic behind!"

Because, 'of course' we fatties are McDonald's-gorging, junk-food-addicted, lazy slobs who would be thin like everyone else if we'd just comply. And of course if that turns out to be false, if we're good little fatties and we try and try but still can't lose weight... they'll be happy to cut out some internal organs to help us conform. But that's another post.

2 comments:

  1. I prefer the phrase, "I love you like a puppy" because love from a puppy is so AWESOME.

    I wonder about that NPR study. I bet you could use that same data to show more older people pay with cash than young people, but I could be wrong.

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  2. But I haven't GOT a plsstic behind!

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