Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Single Fat Girls Don't Get Laid
Not to take anything away from men, but single women who gain weight lose sex. It's that simple. People can pretend that their attitudes about obesity conform to the politically-correct standards expressed in such phrases as: "It's what's inside that counts" and "Beauty is skin deep" and, the seemingly-benign-but-most-offensive: "You have such a pretty face."
Now, anyone who reads this might blush and begin performing a checklist, scrutinizing every conversation that he/she has ever had with any fat person. Many might wonder: "What's so offensive about those phrases?" Well, let me tell you. To most people, my outside counts, nobody cares about my skin and, though my face is pretty, the rest of me is (according to the latter phrase) hideous. You are lying and you all know who you are.
Otherwise, I would not feel guilty about letting my gym-attendance lapse or try to pretend that any high-calorie or sugary food at the checkout counter was for someone else.
If I were worthy of such attention, I could expect to be whistled at sometimes while walking down the street. I could wear clothes that revealed my body without feeling self-conscious. Let's face it: we -- the Fat -- are un-sexualized and we know that you know that we know. In newspapers, magazines, on television and on posters, we are told something about ourselves: we are not feminine and we are not worthy of male attention.
At the same time, we seem to be worthy of unkind attention. One example springs immediately to mind. The "do-you-really-think-you-need-that" look as I bite into a doughnut is not as helpful as some might think. Even well intentioned but ever-so-ignorant friends will, incredibly, ask if I have stopped going to the gym.
Undoubtedly, my body concerns others more than it concerns me at this point in my life. Evidence: the international obsession with obesity and fighting fat. If this were untrue, I wouldn't have to sit through diet-industry commercials telling me to eat/avoid certain foods, try a certain exercise machine or swallow some magic pill that will make me smaller. Of course, these commercials are followed by news reports about the Problem of Obesity and health reports about why I am the way I am.
The international obsession, the insidious attitudes now compel me to hang on to my weight. I don't want to be perceived as "caving in" to such pressure and losing weight to validate my femininity or someone else's idea thereof.
I hereby invite all Fat people to reclaim the word and start living. I don't want to be ashamed of myself. I don't get whistled at anymore; if I were still single, I would be dateless. What does this matter?
Not to take anything away from men, but single women who gain weight lose sex. It's that simple. People can pretend that their attitudes about obesity conform to the politically-correct standards expressed in such phrases as: "It's what's inside that counts" and "Beauty is skin deep" and, the seemingly-benign-but-most-offensive: "You have such a pretty face."
Now, anyone who reads this might blush and begin performing a checklist, scrutinizing every conversation that he/she has ever had with any fat person. Many might wonder: "What's so offensive about those phrases?" Well, let me tell you. To most people, my outside counts, nobody cares about my skin and, though my face is pretty, the rest of me is (according to the latter phrase) hideous. You are lying and you all know who you are.
Otherwise, I would not feel guilty about letting my gym-attendance lapse or try to pretend that any high-calorie or sugary food at the checkout counter was for someone else.
If I were worthy of such attention, I could expect to be whistled at sometimes while walking down the street. I could wear clothes that revealed my body without feeling self-conscious. Let's face it: we -- the Fat -- are un-sexualized and we know that you know that we know. In newspapers, magazines, on television and on posters, we are told something about ourselves: we are not feminine and we are not worthy of male attention.
At the same time, we seem to be worthy of unkind attention. One example springs immediately to mind. The "do-you-really-think-you-need-that" look as I bite into a doughnut is not as helpful as some might think. Even well intentioned but ever-so-ignorant friends will, incredibly, ask if I have stopped going to the gym.
Undoubtedly, my body concerns others more than it concerns me at this point in my life. Evidence: the international obsession with obesity and fighting fat. If this were untrue, I wouldn't have to sit through diet-industry commercials telling me to eat/avoid certain foods, try a certain exercise machine or swallow some magic pill that will make me smaller. Of course, these commercials are followed by news reports about the Problem of Obesity and health reports about why I am the way I am.
The international obsession, the insidious attitudes now compel me to hang on to my weight. I don't want to be perceived as "caving in" to such pressure and losing weight to validate my femininity or someone else's idea thereof.
I hereby invite all Fat people to reclaim the word and start living. I don't want to be ashamed of myself. I don't get whistled at anymore; if I were still single, I would be dateless. What does this matter?
