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Sunday, April 15, 2012

...The Former, not the latter...

Today, I was eating my way through my parents house in a PMS-induced binge. I don't understand why I must be a slave to my hormones in this way, but I've learned to live with it and try to find the most healthy binge option, even if it means drinking seventeen cups of black coffee or a bunch of petite twizzlers. I know, my body is a temple.

Whilst dreaming of croissants and an Indian Buffet, I came across a Yahoo article:

Former Plus-sized Model Crystal Renn a Shadow of Her Former Self

Apparently Crystal Renn is a former "plus size," model that "...was all the way up to a size 16," and touted the beauty of a fuller-figured woman. My first impression of articles like these usually boil down to two thoughts:

1. I have a hard time understanding why it is that we live in a culture that still cannot grant basic human rights to fat people. My friend "Vanessa," will often send articles about people that feel inspired to blame every major travesty on Earth on the existence of fat men and women. All of which piss me right the fuck off (My favorite was probably the one where clothing was more expensive because of fat people...even though 90% of clothing is made for less than 50% of the population, including all of those amazing designer fashions that are crafted by barefoot toddlers in the Amazon). There was a comment below this article that read something like, "I have no tolerance for fat people." Even if I wasn't fat, I'd have a hard time not being shocked that people are allowed to say things like this without being chastised by human rights activists. Then again, when was the last time you saw a sit-in for fat rights? Maybe if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie adopted a fat person, we might finally see some action on this cause. For the record, I would really like for that fat person to be me. I would be a totally rad older sister to Maddox, Aerie, Banana Fannah, Shereux, and Purell...or whatever the fuck their names are.

2. Do people (when I say people I mean doctors, writers, article commenters, clothing designers, maxi pad designers, restaurateurs...) really believe that every fat person has the same diet and lifestyle? Really, you can't all be this fucking stupid. A lot of the aforementioned groups love to make fun of the "Fat but Fit," movement and marginalize those that they do not relate to, but I just can't really even comprehend the insanity of this notion. Fat people don't exercise. Thin people don't have unhealthy diets. Fat people always take the elevator. Thin people never eat fast food. Fat no. Thin yes. This kind of binary system doesn't cut it anywhere else in the world...except when we talk about weight and this is fascinating, confusing, startling, and saddening. When we live in a world where we can point at every person and say yes or no, we've not progressed as a society.

Crystal Renn's choice to lose weight and embrace the world of "normal" modeling isn't betraying fat women. She's never had any concept of what it's like to be a fat woman in the first place. Being a fat woman isn't just about a number on a scale, it's about dealing with being treated like an inferior specimen. It's about shopping from racks shoved in a corner in Macys. It's about the judgements every time you put food in your mouth in a restaurant. It's about knowing that everything that you have in life you must fight for twice as hard as your thin, "more attractive," contemporaries and knowing that you will never surpass them in your work or your social life...no matter how much smarter, more talented or kinder you are. Don't believe me? Then you've probably never been fat.

This woman lived a life of custom-made clothes; not shopping the clearance rack at Dress Barn in hopes of a dress that won't amply all the wrong places. She wasn't my advocate then and she's not my advocate now.

Especially with those bright white eyebrows. Oy vey.

Crystal, your only job is to maintain your appearance. My only job is to stay afloat.Best Blogger Tips