TGIF, BFDers! Before you start your weekend, take a look at these bits and pieces I’ve collected for you over the past week.
First up, have you heard about these Facebook pages that allow college students to “confess” things? Here’s a really stellar entry from someone at Western Michigan University:
#2150 I hate “chubby” girls that try to compensate by having a lot of make up, good hair, fashionable clothes. It’s like they know there’s a problem, they just assume other people are ignorant enough to not see it through their curtain of morning prep. If you put a fat girl in the nicest clothes with the best makeup next to a fit girl in a potato bag, the fit girl would look better. Fat dudes who refuse to date girls who aren’t thin aren’t any better, either. I just find that sort of laziness, gluttony, and entitlement repulsive.
So, this guy is clearly a huge jerk whose mama is probably very ashamed of the “man” he’s become (or she should be). But on a positive note, a lot of the comments on this confession are in support of “chubby” girls who – gasp! – like to look nice.
Next, did you hear that our good friends at Abercrombie & Fitch are going to start making plus-size clothing for women? Sort of? Maybe? They haven’t quite decided what they’re going to do, but let’s take a look at this part of the article:
Still, could the move to offer plus sizes backfire? Russell Winer, a marketing professor at New York University, expressed concerns that offering larger sizes may alienate some current customers. He said some “may stop shopping at Abercrombie and go to some other competitors. It all comes down to what is the value of Abercrombie and what is the meaning of the brand. The brand equity in Abercrombie has always been around style and young, edgy people.”
So, just to clarify, if you’re plus-size, you can’t also have style, or be young or edgy. Thanks for letting me know, Russell Winer… who, by the way, totally is young, edgy, and full of style himself:
Obviously someone who knows a lot about Abercrombie & Fitch.
Also, if I needed another reason to never, ever shop at A&F (hint: I don’t), the idea that some skinny people might be so grossed out by the idea that fatties could also shop there sure does the trick.
Let’s switch gears for a minute and talk about fitness. This article talks about a study that shows how fitness level is a better predictor of mortality than weight. Now that’s something I can get behind! Check it out:
Unfit people, regardless of their weight, had twice the risk of dying during the study than fit people, and overweight and obese people who were fit had similar mortality risks as fit, normal weight participants. Another way of putting it: thin, unfit people had twice the mortality risk as obese fit people.
Now, can we talk for just a second about the comic Blondie? How come Dagwood isn’t 900 pounds? Or, how come he hasn’t dropped dead from heart disease? Oh, right, I forget: When a thin person gorges on food, it’s funny. When a fatty does it, they are destroying the fabric of society. Got it. Cue the laughter!
And finally, let’s end the week with, once again, some words of wisdom from Ragen Chastain:
Here’s the thing: The only person whose life you fully understand is your own. Judging someone for how they look A) makes you shallow and mean and B) won’t do anything to change that person’s appearance. Also, one thing we seem to tend to forget? No one owes us beauty. Other people don’t exist just so that you have something pretty/handsome/sexy/attractive to look at. Fat people aren’t fat just to offend or horrify you. How they got that way, why they are that way? Those things aren’t your business, and do not mean you get to abuse, bully, or shame them. As Ragen says, there are no other valid opinions on this.
Well, there you have it. Share your thoughts – and your own week end words – in the comments. And have a great weekend, friends!
