OH MY FUCKING GOOOOOOOOD

[loveotter]

"Congrats on the role of a lifetime, Gabourey Sidibe [star of upcoming Precious]. Self-esteem is a beautiful thing. But we should celebrate your performance, not your size. Obesity is a national epidemic."You should feel proud, Gabourey Sidibe, but not too proud, because you're FAT. Remember being FAT? Being FAT is TERRIBLE and it should MAKE YOU

Comments

[scientivity]

First of all, I'm not condemning anyone. You posted something, and I'm giving you my opinion.

And there are movements like that -- maybe not national ones (except, like, Obama's health care reform), but they're definitely around. My high school had a movement sophomore year to pull everything except diet soda from the lunch rooms/vending machines, to give us healthier food choices, to label said healthier food choices, and to put up signs about how we could balance better. Obviously it's there, and it's possible, but I also understand that there are a lot of people who just can't afford it/don't have the time for it/etc. A lot of people.

I'm not saying that they're bad people who should feel bad for having priorities. And if they're in that kind of situation, and can still feel good about themselves? That's awesome. But that doesn't change the fact that it's unhealthy. I'm not saying it as a judgment, I'm saying it as an observation.

The idea is to get people who have all the access and don't care to start caring about their health. Not their body image, their health.

[loveotter]

You say you think being overweight is unhealthy, and leave it at that. Fair enough. But Alicia Villarosa says she thinks being overweight is unhealthy, and shames Gabourey Sidibe for feeling good about her body image and speculates on her mental and physical health. Somebody else says they think being overweight is unhealthy, and that if people just cared more, and weren't so lazy and gluttonous and uneducated, they wouldn't have health problems--it's really for their benefit. Somebody else says that they think being overweight is unhealthy, and calls for removing all overweight people from the public eye, including TV shows, movies, fashion, etc, UNLESS their weight is portrayed in a negative light, lest kids think these are acceptable role models and become overweight themselves. Thus the argument that being overweight is unhealthy becomes as harmful and fatphobic as any blatant fat-hating. I'm not arguing that being overweight is healthy and I'm not arguing the opposite. I'm arguing that it's not our place to invade overweight people's lifestyles and decisions.

[scientivity]

And I'm arguing that you shouldn't put words in my mouth because of other people's misconceptions. I acknowledged in my first comment that Alica Villarosa's quote was rude and patronizing, and I'm in no way supporting it.

I said that being overweight is unhealthy, but I also acknowledged that there are layers to the situation, in the form of financial concerns and (below) other medical interpretations. I said that I'm glad we're getting role models who promote self-acceptance.

I'm confused as to how one aspect of what I'm saying trumps everything else, and makes it phobic.

[loveotter]

First, can I ask when I put words in your mouth? Second, I just said in the above post that while saying that being overweight is unhealthy is not necessarily phobic, it quickly becomes so through the shaming, accusation and judgment that goes with it. I don't think I said that that's what you're doing, but that's why I'm asking where I'm putting words in your mouth.

What I'm also saying is that the health argument has nothing to do with my original post, so I'm confused as to why that argument is entering the discussion.

[scientivity]

The way your comment came across to me was that the argument itself ("overweight is unhealthy") is polluted by the way other people have used it, and so my argument becomes offensive automatically by using it, regardless of anything else I might be saying. That's what I meant.

And I explained in the other thread why I felt the health issue was relevant, so.