I was watching a "What Perez Sez About the VMA's" and there was the chick from The Gossip on it. For those who don't know, The Gossip is an underground indie grrrl band. They're good - I actually saw them perform with Sleater-Kinney back in... I'm going to say... 2002? Anyway, this chick from The Gossip totally owns her fat. She's fat and proud. Booyah, chickah! She said, "I'm not afraid to eat on camera!" as she poured a copious amount of ranch dressing on her otherwise healthy salad.
Two emotions immediately hit me: envy and perplexity. Envy that she is able to be happy and comfortable at an obviously overweight size (I'm guessing 40-50 pounds overweight) and perplexity at the fact that she IS, indeed, okay with it. I think she rocks and find it amazing when people really can own their fat.
See, when I was "fat" (I use this term loosely because I, too, was about 20 pounds overweight and I don't normally call mild to moderately overweight people "fat"), I was miserable. I had two styles: just rolled out of bed and just escaped from the homeless shelter. I bought a couple clothing items out of necessity, because buying any more than that would mean surrendering to the fatness. I was unhealthy at that size, though, and this chick from The Gossip might not be. I also think it's great that she's fat-positive because anything is better than Hollywood's sickening obsession with rail thin people.
So, did you ever own your fat? Do you still? Just curious
Last edited by NightengaleShane; 10-03-2007 at 04:29 PM.
Well, there was this thing called the Fat Acceptance Movement some years back. I think it was probably before your time, Shane. The idea was, fat and proud, love me love my fat, and so on. This was not a bad idea, because there has been so much fat-phobia and fat-hatred in the culture. I think we all know that!
I tried to get on board with that for some time, as I was gaining weight. After all, it was a good reason not to lose! A great excuse to stay heavy! I'm not going to lose weight just to fit some sort of #$&)#@^% patriarchal ideal!
But, I had to admit, finally, at 200 pounds and 5'3", that *I* was not happy with my size... that I didn't feel good... that activity was very hard... that summer was terrible at my size... and that I had a family history of diabetes, and all the fat acceptance in the world wasn't going to change that danger...
So I decided to lose weight, and not rely on the ideology.
As for that woman--I think it's great that she is happy with her size. But let's check back with her in ten years...
Jay
Last edited by rockinrobin; 10-03-2007 at 04:45 PM.
I think that it's great that she loves herself the way she is, but I always wonder how much someone TRULY loves themselves if they continue to allow themself to be unhealthy...
I mean, I can understand being slightly overweight and healthy, but, besides medical conditions I don't really understand how someone who is healthy can be obese, morbidly obese, etc. One would assume that it's only a matter of time before the weight started to catch up with their health.
I also really love the Gossip and Beth Ditto. I think she is well over 30 pounds over a healthy BMI. I'm horrible at guessing weights, but I think she is in the 50-70 pounds range.
Anyway, I have owned my fat, when I wanted to. I looked damned good prom night. I looked hot when I met my future husband out for drinks, and I was wearing field stained jeans and a tank top. I have a picture, I'm fat but I'm hot.
I'll be in high 160's for my wedding, and I will rock every ounce of me that night. Halter top? You bet. High dancing shoes? Check. Not wearing white? Oh yeah. I plan on dancing until I can't anymore. Then having a beer and dancing some more.
I could never wear some of the outfits Beth Ditto does, though. I can rock my fat, but not my belly tires. I'm way to shy for that!
EDIT: And for clarification, I feel that now I am much more attractive. If someone told me at 220 pounds that this is how 172 feels, I would have made a mad dash for it immediately. Can't wait to see how the 140's feel!
When WAS this Fat Acceptance Movement? The 80's? The 70's?
I really do believe celebrities need to start a body revolution. It would be BEAUTIFUL if they embraced the idea of the HEALTHY body and realized that nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and meth are not food groups. It's just not right to accuse anyone over a size 3 of being fat!
I also really love the Gossip and Beth Ditto. I think she is well over 30 pounds over a healthy BMI. I'm horrible at guessing weights, but I think she is in the 50-70 pounds range.
You know, I think you are right about the 50-70 pounds thing. 50 anyway. I just got reminded of what she looks like without a shirt.
Yeah, I saw their show in Chicago sometime last year and she took off her shirt then. I remember feeling kind of ashamed because my first thought was "Wow, now everyone knows what I look like without my shirt on!"
Hehehe yeah she took her shirt off in 2002, but back then I just thought, "Daaaang, that bish has some ROLLS, but she's proud! YEAH, GIRL! You love your body, ROCK ON!" I was also thin back then -my views on "fat positivity" shifted a little bit once I became overweight.
Then, I saw her on TV, shirt on, and thought "ok, she probably wasn't as big as I thought she was at the time. Shirt off makes any bigger person look even larger!"
I doubt people watched her take her shirt off and then looked directly at you, archy.
I never loved my fat. I accepted what the doc said was the inevitable because of the meds but I never loved it or felt comfortable with it.
I remember seeing a Richard Simmons show and a woman called " Honey "? was being taken to a hospital for treatment. She told everyone how great sex was and talked how she was the greatest thing in the world. While I thought that was wonderful. I wondered why she let it get to the point that a winch had to get her out of her own bed and out of her own house.
GOXXIP kicks @$$! "Standing in the way" could have been written about the struggles with food a person sometimes has.
I think she's definitely in the "obese" category too, most likely even "morbidly obese" if we're using the dreaded "BMI" (I HATE those designations!).
I used to dress really cute, original, sexy, wear interesting makeup and jewlery, I was a hair model and had a penchant for the avant-garde, even up to 80 pounds above my highest weight. Not so much anymore! Oh, I have some great pictures and memories! It just seems too much of an effort anymore!
I like what she does in terms of showing people what a non-traditional body looks like. We only see one type of body in media - perky breasts and no stretch marks. We're led to believe we should be deeply shameful if we don't look like that, that we're somehow "other" and that we are not AS beautiful as the one standard we see on TV and in media.
I recently went to a life-drawing session, and the model was an older woman who had stretch marks and a stomach. I was so pleased to see a non-perfect body, it affirms that my non-perfect body is OK and that I and nobody else should be ashamed of what they have. How can one feel sexy and ashamed of their shape at the same time?
Gosh... I don't know what to say, but I don't find her attractive at all. Plus never mind she looks high as a kite.
Oh well... To each her own!
The Fat Acceptance Movement is usually thought of as having begun in the '60s, but continued through the '80s and '90s. I didn't have much to do with it until the '90s, because before that I didn't see myself as overweight.
SoulBliss? Really? "Morbidly" obese? She just doesn't look it to me, but it could be that she is really, really CUTE!
You should show me pictures.
The BMI scale, in my opinion, is not for everyone. It's only a set of guidelines. I've met people who are technically "overweight" but look healthy and fit, and others who are technically "underweight" naturally and look healthy, as well. It depends on the person; people just like guidelines to follow, and the BMI scale gives them something to grasp.
Did you ever OWN your FAT?
The idea was, fat and proud, love me love my fat, and so on. This was not a bad idea, because there has been so much fat-phobia and fat-hatred in the culture. I think we all know that! 
-my views on "fat positivity" shifted a little bit once I became overweight. 
