Seriously, fandom?
Jun. 18th, 2009 03:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nilchanceChub!Jensen controversy and now a big-bang set in an obesity research center?
Trigger. Biiiiig trigger.
I am sore tired of catching this merry fat-hating bullshit every time I turn on the TV ("now on Dr. G, Medical Examiner: OBESITY CRISIS OBESITY FATTY FATTY FAT FAT DEAAAAATH!"), but fandom too, for serious?
Argh.
ETA: Also, okay. I understand that the underlying message is that Jensen has to come to love himself. HOWEVER. It comes with the understanding that Jensen is expressing his love for himself by losing the weight "for Jared", to go find Jared and love and enlightenment and that.
Here's the thing. Very rarely do fat people actually get that way by cramming fast food and abusing their bodies. They get there through genetics, or thyroid issues, or antidepressants (hi there!), or a history of yo-yo dieting that resets their resting point of ideal weight. A history of eating disorders. So forcing one's body into a thinner shape by exercising to exhaustion (thus making exercise an unpleasant chore that one HAS to do to BEAT OBESITY), or limiting calories to deprivation, is a shock to one's system. It's not necessarily self-love, though it may be motivated by the desire to be lovable or to live longer (because of fear of obesity killing them) or because they can't be happy until they're thin.
Self-love is unrelated to a number on a scale. It's recognizing one's worth, unconnected to one's weight. The beauty of your body as it is, flaws and all, not as it could be. Pursuing health is an awesome thing, and a great way to love yourself, but pursuing thinness is not the same thing.
Trigger. Biiiiig trigger.
I am sore tired of catching this merry fat-hating bullshit every time I turn on the TV ("now on Dr. G, Medical Examiner: OBESITY CRISIS OBESITY FATTY FATTY FAT FAT DEAAAAATH!"), but fandom too, for serious?
Argh.
ETA: Also, okay. I understand that the underlying message is that Jensen has to come to love himself. HOWEVER. It comes with the understanding that Jensen is expressing his love for himself by losing the weight "for Jared", to go find Jared and love and enlightenment and that.
Here's the thing. Very rarely do fat people actually get that way by cramming fast food and abusing their bodies. They get there through genetics, or thyroid issues, or antidepressants (hi there!), or a history of yo-yo dieting that resets their resting point of ideal weight. A history of eating disorders. So forcing one's body into a thinner shape by exercising to exhaustion (thus making exercise an unpleasant chore that one HAS to do to BEAT OBESITY), or limiting calories to deprivation, is a shock to one's system. It's not necessarily self-love, though it may be motivated by the desire to be lovable or to live longer (because of fear of obesity killing them) or because they can't be happy until they're thin.
Self-love is unrelated to a number on a scale. It's recognizing one's worth, unconnected to one's weight. The beauty of your body as it is, flaws and all, not as it could be. Pursuing health is an awesome thing, and a great way to love yourself, but pursuing thinness is not the same thing.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:24 pm (UTC)WORD. I lost 25 lbs a few years ago, and yet all my Thin Fantasies (I'll be smarter and I won't hurt and people will LOVE me!) didn't come true. I still hurt. I actually hurt WORSE then than I do now. Thanks, Weight Watchers!
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Date: 2009-06-23 06:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 06:58 pm (UTC)This is an excellent point. I'm pretty sure I'd vomit and pass out face down. So sexy! So romantic!
No, it was very well written. I just didn't enjoy the story. But apparently that is a bad thing to say.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 07:00 pm (UTC)Yes. Yes, to all that, and you said that better than I could myself.
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Date: 2009-06-23 07:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 08:18 pm (UTC)There's a part of me tempted to spam the author with links to that Junkfood Science blog and Health At Every Size stuff.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-23 11:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 12:09 am (UTC)I've started working up an outline, actually. I just publish my books through lulu for my friends to buy, so I'll keep you updated on this one. *s*
no subject
Date: 2009-06-24 01:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 02:05 pm (UTC)Self-love is unrelated to a number on a scale. It's recognizing one's worth, unconnected to one's weight. The beauty of your body as it is, flaws and all, not as it could be. Pursuing health is an awesome thing, and a great way to love yourself, but pursuing thinness is not the same thing.
Yes! Seriously, just yes.