I'm writing this on Friday evening to make sure it actually gets done, and I've been off work all day with a bad headache- booooo! The weird thing about doing this, at least this week, is that tomorrow is the 24 hour readathon and I'm still on the fence about doing it because of said Harry Potter Land visit (i.e. definitely no staying up all night reading) so I feel like I should pass comment on it only I can't because it hasn't happened yet and I might not do it and GAH. Basically I should probably not have written this paragraph and SHOULD comment on it on Sunday. Or today. What am I even saying?!
Me, right now.
Anyway. I can't really comment on this weekend, because I technically haven't done it yet, and by technically I mean, I actually haven't. SO let's talk about a different thing that I just read about on the internet last night and am PRETTY ANGRY ABOUT.
So there's this recent Thought Catalog* list called 6 Things I Don't Understand About The Fat Acceptance Movement. I'm always kind of ashamed at how much I tend to like Thought Catalog lists, just for the one or two things on them that make me go 'THIS IS ME THE WORLD UNDERSTANDS ME AT LAST!' but that's the way it is and I kind of like it. However. This list is fucked up in all kinds of ways, the comments annoy me just as much and I just GAH. Why are people allowed to exist?
So. I heard about this list from a post that was already talking about all the things that were wrong with it, so I was kind of in a place to hate it from the start, but basically its writer doesn't just not understand 6 things that are wrong with fat acceptance, she doesn't understand anything about it. Like, anything. What it intends to do, what the point of it is, who needs it, why it's needed... Nothing. Saying something like 'America encourages fatness! We should be cracking down on it!' is basically like saying that they've never read a magazine, or been in a shop that sells clothes, or have any clue what it's actually like to be a fat person in the world.
Anyway. The point is this. Fat acceptance is not about going 'look at me! I weigh 400lbs and need help to dress myself! I'm awesome! Everyone come and worship me!' It's about, you know, acceptance. Of your physical shape, of the way you look right now. It's acceptance of your body and the things it's able to do, even if it doesn't look the way it's 'supposed' to. It's not about sitting back and going 'oh, it's fine, I can eat whatever I want in huge quantities because there's a movement that supports me now', but it's about feeling confident about doing whatever the hell you want because you should and you can and nobody has the right to shame you about what your body looks like because IT'S YOUR FUCKING BODY.
I'm not really a part of the fat acceptance movement. I don't know all that much about it. But I know enough to know that it's something that's based on acceptance of ALL body shapes (not just one) and on loving yourself no matter what you look like, and just generally living life without giving two shits about what other people think of the way you look. It's about being kind to yourself, being kind to everyone else, and not just blithely accepting what the media says is supposed to be attractive. Jesus Christ, if we took all the time spent obsessing over how our bodies aren't perfect and put it towards making the world less shit, just imagine what we could do! We'd be unstoppable. And we should be.
So, fat acceptance. Or, if you like, body acceptance. Look into it. Think about it. Never write anything as misinformed and ignorant as the Thought Catalog lady. Ok, we're done now.
P.S. This is a really really awesome response to the original post and READ IT READ IT. Ok, now I'm actually done.
*Or Catalogue. That really annoys me.
LAURA! This ranting post made me smile because even though I've never met you I felt like I was hearing you and all of your British intonations and inflections which are generally so much more posh than our American intonations and inflections.
ReplyDeleteI don't know this Thought Catalog(ue) of which you speak, but that sounds like a pretty asinine list to me.
Go do your HP thing and report back IMMEDIATELY. Can't wait to see your photos and hear all about it.
Hahahaha, I am sooooo not posh. Like, I basically never say the 't's in words. Because I'm from Lahndon, innit (I'm not from London. But I do talk like a commoner lol!)
DeleteSUCH AN ASININE LIST. And and and I did the Harry Potter thing! And now just (still...) have to write the post. Dammit.
Wow that list. That...I like the "people are allowed to not be attracted to certain body types" because I feel like that's the place where she makes the least amount of sense. Which is a talent, considering the other points. But are you fucking kidding me? I like the HuffPo response, and I agree with the point that the Though Catalog piece comes from a place of ignorance not malice.
ReplyDeleteShe does have a talent for not making sense! I just hate so much that she's looked at this group of people doing this thing, and instead of going 'oh, that seems cool. We could probably all stand to love our bodies a little bit more' she's almost gone 'OMG if people start finding fat women attractive, what does that mean for ME?!' I just... No. I do think it comes from a place of ignorance rather than malice, but just... Educate yourself before you write something stupid on the internet, please?
DeleteEducate self BEFORE writing something stupid on the internet? I don't...I do not understand.
DeleteAnd that is the problem with the world because nor does anyone the end.
Delete