Yes it's been a very long time and right when I get back here I get up on my soap box.
*gets out soap box and stands on it*
So recently a friend of mine at ( http://fatheffalump.wordpress.com/ ) stepped forward against a post by one Mia Freedman who is the Chair on the National Body Image Taskforce in Australia. Now the reason she stepped forward is that Ms. Freedman in a post on her own blog ( http://www.mamamia.com.au/weblog/2010/05/meet-the-people-who-want-to-be-as-fat-as-possible.html ) seemed to instead be attacking all fat people by putting forward the Gainers, people who want to get as big as possible, as being freaks, and not as if they have a disorder much like Bulimia or Anorexia. (Also note that the blog entry has been edited several times since the debate started to make the post seem more acceptable)
As a result of this several media outlets in Australia have begun articles on the debate. ( http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/body-blogger-mia-freedman-gets-heavied/story-e6frf7jo-1225865736734 ) Unfortunately after reading this article I realized how many people are willing to fat bash.
Many of the comments on the article above, are all about how fat people are lazy, how they're ugly, how they make society spend more money on them, how they just need to get out and do some exercise, or how they like to point fingers because their ego's are so fragile. These people want to make me scream and cry at the same time. But the time and energy that would take is time and energy I can use more appropriately by writing a blog or by going out with a girlfriend, or getting ready for my weekend in Utah.
I also would like to give a round of applause for the women interviewed and the other side of the comment stream who stood up for us "fatties" and said that the things said in the blog were inflammatory and Ms. Freedman should consider how she words things as she is in a position to influence many people's opinions.
Let me say something about the bashers though before I get off my soapbox. They are insecure in their own way. They need to bash someone who they think is worse off than they are to feel good about themselves.
*gets off the soap box*
So that's fat bashing and I'm gonna go do something with this energy.
Just... thank you. It's been an intense and difficult few days, and you don't know how much you help by just standing up beside me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. Came here via Fatheffalump - I was 'in the trenches' with her over this and yes, it is immeasurably helpful to have other voices also saying that that kind of commentary about fat people is hurtful, immature and abusive.
ReplyDelete