Wacky fat people in movies

If you're reading this blog, you're probably a good friend of mine.  And if you're a good friend of mine, you probably already know about the Bechdel test.  But if not, now would be a great time to educate yourself!  So that's where this post is starting today.

To summarize, the Bechdel test gauges female presence in a movie.  In order to pass, two women with names must talk to each other about something other than a man.  For more information, you can visit bechdeltest.com.

You just can't deny this test.  It doesn't sound like that much to ask!

The Bechdel test isn't used to show whether a movie is feminist or not; it just has two female characters, with names, that talk about anything other than a man.  And I'm not boycotting movies that don't pass the Bechdel test - some of the greatest films I have ever seen do not fit the criteria.  But movies do not become great because of their lack of female presence, they become great in spite of it.

It's so important for movies to portray women depicted as people, with people issues, displaying depth of character and personal growth, rather than women people, with women problems, either static, nagging, or fully-formed and perfectly wise, inspiring the worship and growth of the rest of the cast.  Either way, movies lacking female characters run the risk of portraying women who lack depth, even humanity, and fall victim to crude stereotypes.

But stupid comedies aside, we do have a lot of serious movies that capture women as flawed, complex, interesting people who face tough decisions and experience emotions all across the spectrum.

(April, "Revolutionary Road")

(Ree, "Winter's Bone")

(Marge Gunderson, "Fargo")

(Thelma & Louise, I'mserious)

These are all leading characters.  They are (usually) White and (come on, this is Hollywood we're talking about) thin.

What happens when we get a fat women (and often a fat man) character in a movie?  I mean, when we actually see them.  Well, we see fat men more often than fat women.  But when they do make an appearance, they are played for laughs, not for depth.  Or if we're lucky, depth comes much later on.

Hollywood starts us out early, with Disney movies:

Here's Aladdin's (albeit strong) woman (of color):

(I can never find those Disney princesses just standing like normal people, GAH.)

Not that Aladdin is without his haughty, enchanting, exotic female admirers:

But, inevitably .  .  . it's all fun and games until the fat lady, well, sings.

Then there's this movie, which was considered a triumph for the portrayal of a fat woman in a comedy:

(Megan, "Bridesmaids")

Eventually, Megan turns out to be engaging, wonderful, and quite lovable.  But man does she have to prove herself.  In her first few scenes, she is overly talkative and exceedingly strange.  (Although for me, with my brother's wedding pending, unexpectedly relatable.)  There's that scene on the airplane where she makes a total scene - but turns out to be justified.  And of course, in the trailer, she's the only one shown to have gastrointestinal issues in that one horrifically gross scene, where everyone is. . . well, I don't want to give anything away.

Maybe the movie's crowning triumph is that it features TWO fat women:

Oh, yeah, not weird at all.

Don't get me wrong, I really loved Bridesmaids.  And I thought both fat characters were hysterical and well-acted.  Buttttt why is it ALWAYS the fat girl with the absurdly strange/downright toxic personality?

It's interesting, when I googled "comedies with fat characters", of which I know there are so many, for some reason I kept seeing Martin Lawrence as Big Momma and Martin Lawrence again in "Norbit".

"Norbit"

Yes, these are revoltingly dumb films, but there is an old precedent for shaming fat women in movies as comedic gold.  And these less blatant nods to our society's fat hate, those quick laugh, largely un-google-able moments, exist in cult movies, great movies, movies that I grew up watching and love.

I tried to find the kissing booth scene from Revenge of the Nerds, but all I could find was this quote:

Lewis: [in line at the Kissing Booth at the Homecoming Carnival] Hi, Betty. 
Betty Childs, Pi-Delta-Pi: A nerd? I'm not kissing a nerd. 
Lewis: You have to. I paid my money. 
Betty Childs, Pi-Delta-Pi: [Lewis tries to kiss Betty] It's time for my break. 
Stan Gable: [Stan brings a short, fat, ugly woman, instead] Kiss this, nerd. 

Ugh.  And once again, I loved that movie.  But yuck.  They bring the same actress into several scenes, the terrifying fatty who scares all the nice boys away.

Then there's stuff like this, that just confounds me:

I wasn't too into The Hangover because of stuff like this.  Is the line "it's funny because he's fat!" supposed to be funny because he's fat?  Or because it's offensive and the token Asian character is saying it?  Or the situation is not funny but his saying that makes it funny?  I don't get it.  Did people laugh at this?

I offer these crude examples as a small, obvious portions of a fat-shaming whole, where almost every comedy I have ever seen includes a fat person, even in the smallest of roles, who is quirky, off-beat, incompetent, lazy, mean-spirited, and a general laughingstock.

In a later post, I hope to return to movies that deal with fatness in a more balanced way.  I wish I could go more in depth, but I'm not really a movie buff.  In the meantime, help me out, comment and leave a comedy that played a fat person for big laughs.

Two BAFLs speaking out against fat hate

Happy anti-bullying month!  October is here.  And my non-fatosphere blog roll and facebook news feed was all abuzz about two awesome women using a public platform to speak out against fat hatred.  Do yourself a favor and check it out!

First, Jennifer Livingston, an anchor on a CBS morning station, speaks out against a man who sent her a letter critical about her body, saying that she is setting a bad example to her community.  Kudos to her for, instead of shrugging it off, calling out this e-mail for what it really is: bullying.  She says: 

If you are at home and talking about the fat news lady, guess what? Your children are probably going to go to school and call someone fat.

Of course, I dream of a world where "fat" is neutral description rather than a taunting insult, but that is not where we're at.  I absolutely agree with Livingston.  Parents set an example for their children, and we cannot accomplish anything in a world where kids are taught to be cruel.

Next is my permanent crush, Krista Burton, who blogs at the highly popular Effing Dykes.  Even if you identify as straight, I highly encourage you to read it - her long-winded posts are so entertaining and in equal measure compassionate and hilarious.  This entry's topic is about a straight woman who asks Krista to blog about how all lesbians are fat.  She pours her heart out about generalizing, the word "fat", and queer bodies.

The post is here.

the woman's role

I was just talking to my friend Sonia Oram, the highly talented and compassionate brain behind qwear.  (Qwear is an inclusive queer style blog, loaded not only with tips about dressing to express your gender identity but also empowering messages about being yourself, resources for self-harm, and other things.  Check it out!)

Anyway, it was one of those conversations that made me go

We were talking about obscure comments some Missouri GOP Senate hopeful made, something along the lines of "legitimate rape" and "doctors" and women's bodies producing scientific chemicals that block rape sperm if the rape was truly forcible enough to satisfy the far-right's hopelessly narrow definition of rape.

We speculated, what if men were the ones who got pregnant and had to make the choice about getting abortions?

But, of course, that world is impossible to conceive because it turns this world on its head.  We realized that, at the crux of every anti-woman inequality, is the notion that assumes that a woman's primary role is to maximize her sexual and reproductive fitness.

Or, as we put it, almost EVERY inequality stemming from patriarchy is a direct function of women being able to have babies.

I know that this is a very fundamental idea, and probably the first thing some of you learned in Women's Studies 101.  I've heard this concept expressed in other ways, always yoked to other ideas.  But it really lies at the heart of every major feminist debate.

Size acceptance: (Duh.) Pitting women in competition against each other under the pretense of "winning in order to be the healthiest/most desirable".  Like any good free market competition, to produce the highest number of women that fit the narrow beauty ideal.

The wage gap: because, more than a gap between women and men, it is a gap between mothers and non-mothers.  Fun fact, did you know that over 178 countries, which does not include the US, have guaranteed paid maternity leave for new mothers, 50 offering paid leave for new fathers?

Abortion: the most contentious of these debates.  Todd Akin, along with others (although they do not constitute the GOP majority) hold the convenient belief that we don't even need to talk about abortion in cases of rape because it's not even a possibility.   (BLARGH DO THEY SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT!?!?!  whew, ok, we have already beaten this to death.  That was cathartic.  Moving on.)

I will put aside statistics of the clear impact that unwanted births have on national crime rate and high rates of maternal morbidity, and the fact that low-income pregnant women are disproportionately affected by anti-abortion legislation, since wealthier women can (and do!) pay more money, take more time off, and travel further distances to meet that need elsewhere.  I believe the most baffling aspect of the debate are the politicians that trust women to make this big choice for themselves in this one, highly emotional instance, but do not trust them to make that big choice for themselves in other instances besides rape, when they are of sounder mind and judgement.

There is no room for them to accept a woman violating the terms of her pregnancy.

You can read my friend AJC's blog post about it here.

UPDATE: AJC has a fantastic take on Akin's comments.  Do yourself a favor and read her post!  You can find it here.

Putting "ghetto" to bed

Dear Readers,

I see it pop up on my news feed nearly every day.  I hear it peppering conversations.  It's about as inventive/descriptive as "random" or "lame", but friends, we should know better than to abuse

credit zazzle.com

When did "ghetto" evolve from a noun into a slang adjective?

THIS is a ghetto.

credit ushmm.org

This too.

thank you cjs.ucsc.edu

We all know what a ghetto is; a poverty-stricken urban area.  How would you put it, Wikipedia?

A ghetto is a part of a city predominantly occupied by a particular ethnic group that may be looked down upon for various reasons, especially because of social or economic issues, or because they have been forced to live there.

These are the things I have heard referred to as "ghetto": lesser versions of other things ("this is the 'ghetto' version"), and styles associated with Black people.  The adjective "ghetto" has become an ambiguous, catch-all adjective of our generation that we have loaded with negative connotations; especially problematic because it has become synonymous with Black culture.  

It's especially creepy that the historical context for the word describes a group that has been forced to live there.  Guys, this is messed up.  We can be more precise with our language and less racist in the process.  

But I'm not done yet.  You're probably wondering what this all has to do with a size acceptance blog.

First of all, size acceptance, as I have said before, is a feminist issue, which is a movement concerned with all things progressive, committed to addressing inequalities beyond gender and sexism: classism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, immigrant issues ... the list goes on.  And of course, feminism has a personal stake in these movements because patriarchy plays a huge role in creating these inequalities in the first place.  As feminists, we can and should leverage both our privilege and empathy towards minority groups to effect change.

And secondly, fat is both more commonplace and tolerated in the Black community.  And there is no group more patronized/exploited for comedic reasons than fat women of color.  The stereotype of the ghetto, fat black woman is always pure comedic gold.

I have heard the word "ghetto" used to describe fat Black men and women, since "fat" is seen as a bad word, and most people would go to any lengths to avoid using it as a description, but they still find it important to convey that they are indeed talking about a fat person.  So, following this line of reasoning, "ghetto" is for some reason a kinder word to use than "fat".  

This is irresponsible and judgmental.  I think it's high time we put the adjective "ghetto" to rest, don't you?

Why I Quit Dieting: True Stories from Real Women

I love Substantia Jones.  SERIOUSLY!  I was just a wee university feminist when I saw her beautiful photoblog linked to feministing.  She was my instant portal into the world of size acceptance.   I've already linked her website, adipositivity, several times on this blog, and it's bursting with imaginative, colorful photography and warm and humorous commentary.  PLUS, I messaged her/friended her on facebook and SHE FRIENDED ME BACK.  What a woman.

So naturally, her link to this interview, put together by the excellent Ragen Chastain, appeared on my newsfeed, where she and a number of other women share their experiences with dieting.  It's brilliant, by the way, do yourself a favor and read the whole thing.

Text:
Substantia quit because:

"I was among the first people in the US to do Fen-Phen in the '90s.  That was the last of many diets for me.  I learned the diet industry is a massive and unscrupulous money-making machine, of which the media (and a many medical professionals) are complicit, often even participatory.

I actually phoned my doctor once, worried I might die from never putting food in my mouth.  I decided to quit dieting and be healthy instead.  I listen to my body, respect nature and human variation, and I focus on overall health, which includes happiness.

The shame associated with food and body have fallen away, making room for the pleasure and function provided by both.  The results of altering nature for the sake of misguided vanity are temporary, but the damages can last a lifetime.  I've developed a more critical eye when reading media coverage of medical studies, and find my methods supported there.  I also get regular medical check-ups and am reassured by my stats.  I think the best thing that you can do for your body is give it pleasure and attention."


I want to thank Substantia and these other wonderful women for sharing their experiences.  Even though I already mentioned in one of my pages that I'm on the fence about dieting itself (or "lifestyle changes" or whatever you want to call it), since we are living in a society where it has the power to make women feel like they can take control of their lives or feel better about themselves, I am overwhelmingly against the multi-billion dollar diet industry, which exists to sell itself at the expense of the physical and mental health of millions of women (and men).

And can you believe what a radical statement this eloquent, concise interview is?!  Conceding that overall health includes mental health, and that feeling happy is more important than being thin??  We're always told that thinness=happiness.  Happiness is magically granted upon arriving at that destination!  But it's people like Substantia Jones that can personally attest that that is not true.  She is letting herself be herself, fat and happy, which Melissa McEwan of shakesville.com has called "a radical act".

courtesy of flab-to-fab.com

Keep fighting that good fight, Substantia Jones!

courtesy of the adipositivity project

Even though you're swimming against a ridiculously powerful tide of fat-hating culture.

<image pending>

"They just don't understand that bigger people can be elite athletes"

Readers, it looks like we have yet another BAFL (Bad Ass Fat Lady), here to offer us some fantastic words of acceptance and wisdom.  Her name is Cheryl Haworth.  OLYMPIC MEDALIST Cheryl Haworth!! Heard of her?  Seen her?

thank you, pbs.org

Damn, she is so inspiring.  I highly encourage you to read the entire article.  She discusses having to face people who are confused by a woman who is both very fat and in excellent physical shape.  She also shares about weightlifting and other experiences.
They also discuss the fantastic documentary about her experiences, STRONG, linked below.  I haven’t actually had a chance to watch the entire thing yet, but it’s not too long, under an hour, and it won’t be streaming for much longer!  Be sure to check it out.

Interview

Documentary

"I don't identify with my body"

There is a common narrative associated with trans people; that as they mature, they are confused by the body they see in the mirror.  It doesn’t match their idea of what their body should look like. 

Since I am not a) a trans person and therefore b) not every single trans person, I don’t know whether this is everyone’s experience.  However, I had a conversation with a friend today who identifies as genderqueer.  She said two things about body image that I found very striking:

1. She would love to be skinnier, because it would make her look more androgynous.

2. She does not identify with her boobs.

First of all, I want to thank her for opening up about a personal issue that I never hear discussed.  It’s hard to share your personal experience with an unknown audience that might not be receptive.  I’d like to make two separate points.

First, my feminist worldview provides me with both an eye to look out for issues that disproportionately affect women, and therefore, a vocabulary that limits me to talking about the world in terms of men vs. women, ignoring the experiences of people outside the binary. 

I have never claimed that men are not affected by society’s fat hatred.  A common trope is that men want to bulk up in order to fit the masculine beauty ideal, but there are plenty of men out there who are losing or trying to lose weight.  But I do think that women are disproportionately affected by the fat stigma.  Women’s bodies tend to be curvier, softer, tend to store fat more easily.  Women are also more bombarded with beauty-related information and are under more pressure to conform to a beauty standard. 

I can trace society’s association between androgyny and thinness – men’s bodies, though not necessarily thin, have neither big boobs nor hips.  Have you spotted this androgynous young hipster?

(Credit to iloveyounonetheless.wordpress.com)

(Courtesy of qwear.com)

Maybe this one?

You just do you, Patti Smith.  No matter what I love you forever.

But just as there are men of all shapes and sizes, there are androgynous people of all shapes and sizes, too, who are constantly forced to navigate through a world of people who don’t understand their gender identity and will never be able to “read” them the way they feel.

And my friend’s point shows this blogger that all people, not just people who identify as women, experience a pressure to look thin.  For all kinds of reasons.

The second point – the feeling of not identifying with her boobs – felt more personal to me.  I believe she was referring to her confusion at seeing her boobs in the mirror, and her aversion to being reminded of their existence.  (And it ties in with wanting to be skinnier – a skinnier body means less boobs.)

The experiences of the gender-variant are tough to fathom.  The gender binary is even more deeply ingrained into society than fat hatred.  Every single piece of clothing, every job, toy, and emotion in this world is gendered. 

(Thank you, socimages)

But I will be so presumptuous to say that I can relate with the feeling of being confused by the body I see in the mirror.  Both gender-variant people looking for people of their gender, and women trying to escape the stigmatization of fat, don’t see bodies that look like theirs in magazines, movies, and other media.  Of course, gender-variant people have gender issues to think about in addition to their body issues. But when I look in the mirror, I am confused that my body is not thinner.

These forms of media reinforce the idea that women’s bodies that aren’t thin don’t exist, unless they belong to a wacky aunt.  Mainstream main characters don’t have paunchy little bellies or uneven breasts or big calves.  Women in advertisements have perfectly glowing skin, delicately curving backs, narrow shoulders. 

Then the ads target me.  Everything about me that is different is an imperfection.  Newspaper articles come out with tips on getting a flat stomach.  Eating certain superfoods will make my legs more shapely. 

And then, we talk, talk, talk about it, silently comparing our bodies to each others’ and trying to one-up each other with our own body-related complaints.  

A quick reminder that fat people are actually human beings with feelings and stuff

Wouldn't you know it, that like a lot of feminist discourse, this is a case of Just Don't be An Asshole 101.

Re-posted from Stacy Bias, a fat activist and inspiring writer.  Be sure to check her out.

15 minutes ago. I’m walking down the street. I’m in a fairly good mood. A woman is on the sidewalk in front of me and next to her is a parked ambulance with the driver’s side window rolled down. As she walks past, she says “Hey, so am I eating too much?” She presses one hand to the curve of her back, the other to her belly and turns sideways; the typical “before” pose. She’s laughing, enjoying the joke of asking for free advice from a professional. I brace myself, because I’m about to pass them, and I know it’s coming. The ambulance driver says “No, no. You’re fine.” and then he spots me. I can tell because he goes silent for just a beat or two. I get a few steps ahead, enough to give him confidence that I can’t hear. He says “There, there. Look at her. See? You’re fine. I’ll be seeing her soon, though.” They laugh knowingly. Even expecting it, I’m shocked to hear it. It’s grim. Some part of me, the old part I haven’t healed yet, believes him. The other part wants to swing around and force my humanity on him. Make him see me. Spit in his face. But I keep walking. I don’t even miss a step. I never do.

This powerfully-written personal anecdote gives the humanity to a situation that I have definitely witnessed enough times that I am numb to it by now.  Thanks for sharing your story, Stacy.