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Thank you, weight bigot!

7/11/2014

10 Comments

 
Dear Weight Bigot:

Thanks for writing such a classic piece of hate-mongering this week! I appreciate that you took time away from your important work (telling readers of the Daily Mail whether older women should have long hair) to chide young fat women for enjoying their vacation. Which — gasp! — included wearing clothes suitable for summer weather.

Picture
Photo by Orion Cooper.
You did a thorough job of parroting all the oldies:
  • Fat = unattractive. Translation: "I'm incapable of looking away!"
  • Death threats. Translation: "You're fat and you're gonna die. I mean, I wish you would die."
  • But don't get an eating disorder. Translation: "Don't take my fat-hating harangues personally, thin girls. Why not? Because I said so. There, no harm done."
  • Mother-blaming. Translation: "We can't possibly trust people to feed themselves. My weight bigotry is your mother's fault. She didn't force enough lightly steamed vegetables." This from the "Femail" columnist?
  • McDonald's is evil and fat people are lazy gluttons. Translation: "Look at me! I had salad for lunch and I'm thin!"
  • I'm proud of my weight bigotry! Translation: "Hate is love. Orwell said so."

Why are today's young people so unashamed about being fat? Because, Weight Bigot, rad fatty community is fighting you…and you're helping us win.

Without ugly rants like yours, Weight Bigot, fat activism and weight diversity resources would still be desperately needed…just not quite as obviously so. If you weren't such a turn-off for readers of all sizes, they might not find Ragen Chastain's excellent "Unapologetically Fat" or Melissa McEwan's on-point analysis, or my little thank you note instead. Just think, a human resources manager or a campus events coordinator or an eating disorders conference planner might this very moment be reading your screed and feel inspired to Google for a weight diversity speaker. The next time you stop by the Weight Bigots Clubhouse, would you please let the other members know how very much I appreciate it when you remove the smiley-face masks and show your hate faces? It makes my work go faster. Thanks!

Love - Marilyn Wann, fat girl
10 Comments
Timnah Steinman
7/11/2014 04:36:13 am

So SPOT ON, Marilyn. Love this. Spectacular and thank you. As I feel so often, super duper grateful for your voice and your activism.

Reply
Marilyn Wann
7/11/2014 07:11:35 am

Thanks tons, Timnah! Means tons, coming from you.

Reply
chrystal link
7/11/2014 05:24:00 am

So much more eloquent then my rantings yesterday
She really Piss ed me off with her ugly comments. You are correct. Her hatemongering will unite us and make our cause easier to find . Honestly we I first read her piece I though it had to be satire. The cliches and tired tropes just sounded so outlandish I figured it was from the onion or the oatmeal.

Reply
Marilyn Wann
7/11/2014 07:14:23 am

I'm so glad you speak out, Chrystal! Yes, I also kept waiting for John Oliver to pop out.

Reply
Marilyn Wann
7/11/2014 06:09:56 am

Here's another awesome young fat woman who doesn't care what Weight Bigot thinks! Woohoo for Amy McCarthy.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/31226-writer-linda-kelsey-is-mad-that-fat-people-dont-hate-themselves

Reply
Marilyn Wann
7/11/2014 06:22:08 am

So many young fat women are speaking out against Weight Bigot. It's as if she inspires people to be even more fat-positive! Here's Emily Marie Dominguez's "unashamedly, unapologetically FAT" — and perfect — response...

http://fattyrantsandraves.com/2014/07/10/unashamedly-unapologetically-fat-a-response-to-linda-kelsey/

Reply
Marilyn Wann
7/11/2014 06:24:30 am

Also perfectly brilliant, the #shitLindaKelseysays hashtag that @FatBodyPolitics started on Twitter...

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23shitLindaKelseysays&src=typd

Reply
Fig Taylor link
7/11/2014 10:10:30 am

Thank you for writing this so I didn't have to. (I was seriously thinking about it but lost the will to live in the face of such a non-stop carnival of stupid. I can't believe people are still spouting this tired, repetitive, cliché-by-numbers bullshit.

Reply
Marilyn Wann
7/11/2014 12:33:24 pm

I know how you feel, Fig! Honored to take a turn on this one.

Reply
Fig Taylor link
7/25/2014 03:49:46 am

As time wore on it bugged me more and more. In the end I cracked.

http://buttercupsfrocks.tumblr.com/post/92371518345/im-afraid-its-a-ranty-one-today-tumblr-and


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