This seems to be the week for celebrity women to advocate for body positivity—or at least, it’s the week I found all these links!

First off, from Becky on Twitter comes this story about Penelope Cruz, who says you don’t have to be thin to be pretty.

“I would close down all those teenage magazines that encourage young girls to diet. Who says that to be pretty you have to be thin? Some people look better thin and some don’t. There is almost a standard being created where only thin is acceptable. The influence of those magazines on girls as young as 13 is horrific.”

I could argue (at length) about the comment that “Some people look better thin and some don’t,” because I think that’s problematic. Also the word “almost” in that bolded sentence. But the fact that she’s pissed off about this and speaking out is pretty awesome.

Via CDAN comes this letter from Sophia Bush about those ridiculous “Eat Less” shirts from Urban Outfitters.

I am fortunate enough to star on a wonderful TV show called One Tree Hill. I play a fashion designer named Brooke Davis, who started a campaign on the show called “Zero Is Not A Size” and the outpouring of love and gratitude that came my way from girls and women ALL OVER THE WORLD who have body image issues brought me to tears.

To promote starvation? To promote anorexia, which leads to heart disease, bone density loss, and a slew of other health problems, not least of all psychological issues that NEVER go away? Shame on you. I will no longer be shopping at your stores. And I will encourage the tens of thousands of female supporters I have to do the same. I have fought to boycott BP. I never imagined I would also be boycotting affordable fashion.

You should issue a public apology, and make a hefty donation to a women’s organization that supports those stricken with eating disorders. I am sickened that anyone, on any board, in your gigantic company would have voted ‘yes’ on such a thing, let alone enough of you to manufacture an item with such a hurtful message.

I’m hoping (and assuming) “Zero Is Not A Size” is not against very slim women, but instead against the idea that the size for these women has that name. But I don’t watch One Tree Hill so one of you might have to fill me in. Anyway, it sounds like Sophia Bush is very engaged with the world, and trying to use her celebrity to effect some positive change. That’s awesome.

And finally, Hayley Hasselhoff talks about the awesomeness that is Huge, and how she embraces her curves.

I related to Amber [her character] a lot when I was younger growing up, but I think I’m finally at a point in life where I’m comfortable with who I am… I’m so glad there’s a show that teenagers can look up to young girls and realize it’s okay to be voluptuous.

Three celebrities speaking out and telling teens it’s okay to be who you are? Feels like a Feel Good Friday to me.

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, Fashion, Fat Positive, Fatism, Feel Good Friday, Feminism, Gossip, Hayley Hasselhoff, Huge, International, Kids, Magazines, TV | 1 Comment »

In case you’re not familiar with eShakti, they have an amazing concept. They will customize their garments to your exact specifications. You break out the measuring tape, you tell them exactly what to do so their clothes will fit your body, and they will do it. It’s like magic, especially if you are hard to fit!

They recently offered to partner with BFD and let me pick out a dress. I now wish I’d gotten this dress, which is super adorable, but in fact, I got this one. In order to test out their modifications, I asked for sleeves! I seem to not have gotten the belt. Hmm. That’s weird. But anyway, if you click through the picture, you can see all my notes on Flickr about the dress I got.

Our own Jenfu had this to say in an email, about eShakti’s fabric:

The heavy satin cotton worked really well for the very tailored dress I bought–it had a tailored bodice and waist and then was a floofy skirt, and the print on it (goldfish! which were gold!) was gorgeous and rich-looking, and i would have kept the dress and loved it always if I had measured myself correctly and it hadn’t been 2 sizes too large.

I think anything fitted, you have to make sure the fabric has stretch. Anything tailored, the cotton satin is good (but heavy, so it’s not good for a floaty dress). Is your dress just plain cotton? It seems like it might be a flimsy cotton. I would probably only buy structured things from them, especially after your experience with the Charlie Brown sack.

She meant “Charlie Brown sack” lovingly; I know this because she also told me I was cute. In all caps. “You are CUTE” she said. Also, I may have called it a Charlie Brown sack first. If you have any experiences with eShakti, good or bad—or any tips on how to measure yourself accurat—feel free toely add them in the comments!

And if you’d like to try eShakti for yourself, I’ve been given an affiliate code: piegirl123. This code will be good through the end of July (so a few more days now) and you’ll get 10% off. Just note Jenfu’s advice on fabric! And whatever advice the comments give you…

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Advertising, Fashion, Personal, Review | 11 Comments »

I had a fabulous time last weekend seeing Adam Lambert’s show at the Warfield in San Francisco. In fact, I was right up against the stage, so close that I could see the individual flecks of glitter on his skin. And other than a few songs that I don’t really care for, it was a terrific show.

I went hunting for videos of some of my favorite performances: “If I Had You,” “Sleepwalker,” and his slowed-down version of “Whole Lotta Love.” And I found this video! And it is great! And I will post it, because I love Adam Lambert! In case you hadn’t noticed! And then I will get to the point.

I decided to post the link to this video on my Facebook page, and once I did so, I saw the second part of the description of the video, which Facebook puts in automatically:

Taken by my sister at the San Francisco Glam Nation show at the Warfield.

Woman with the fat hands in front of the camera’s view, I want to smack you hard. Move them to the ground!

What a tiny little thing, the word “fat” in that sentence, the violent little message. But it stopped me short for a moment. After all, I was at that concert, right up front, probably waving my “fat hands” in the air from time to time, dancing and jumping around and enjoying the show. So I took it personally. At least for a moment.

I feel like there’s lots of little moments like this. Little things that are in and of themselves practically meaningless, certainly not worth getting upset over, and yet they accumulate. And over time, they add up to that sense of unworthiness and self-consciousness that we’re all dealing with and fighting against, simply because we aren’t skinny. Because we have “fat hands” or whatever and people—for some reason—hate us for it.

However, we also have the ability to think critically about stuff like this. We have this community and others like it. And I think that’s worth more than I often consciously acknowledge in terms of looking at a little comment and thinking, “well, that’s not right” instead of automatically internalizing it.

So tell me: have you seen any fat hate like this—any little throwaway moments—in the world around you lately? How did you handle them?

And can anyone get me Adam Lambert’s email address?

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Adam Lambert, Celebrities, Fatism, Personal, Question, Video | 13 Comments »

1. Plus-size model Velvet D’Amour emailed me about her new photography site, Velvetography, which features both “regular” and plus-sized models like the one pictured here. Some of the photos are nudes, so consider this your NSFW warning!

2. I think I’m in love with Amanda Piasecki, who coined the term “Fatshionista,” after reading this interview on Big Bum Jumble.

At my best and most resilient, I enjoy exaggerating everything about my size and rocking hot, gruesome, femme monstrosity. At my most weary and over-it, I work a surly, fat Russian Riviera look. For a long time, I attempted to dye my hair the same color red as every woman in communist Poland had, but no one made the connection except my immigrant family, and my skin looked terrible. Now it’s a less belligerent Californian henna color. I am one of the least invisible people I know, even when I’m trying to be – I receive a lot of street hassle, from come-ons to fat bashing, and everything in between. I do the best with it that I can, and sometimes my outfits are a way of fighting back or making a visual inside joke with other outsiders.

And wait, she lives in Oakland? Amanda, come hang out with me! East Bay represent!

3. Sherri Shepherd is going to play Lula in the adaptation of Janet Evanovich’s book One for the Money. I envisioned Lula as being heavier based on the book descriptions, but then again, I envisioned Stephanie Plum as being not Katherine Heigl, so… Read more…

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Art, Celebrities, Fat Positive, Fatism, Feminism, Humor, NSFW, Velvet d'Amour | 9 Comments »

The picture of an old-timey Lane Bryant ad came from Roger Ebert on Twitter, who described it tongue-in-cheekily as a picture of a “tragically fat young woman.”

And speaking of Lane Bryant, my dear friend Pippit sent in a link to an article about Full Figured Fashion Week that ran in her local paper, the Austin-American Statesman.

I was shocked to hear the president of Lane Bryant say that their plus-sized customers are more interested in elastic-waist pants and caftans than on actual fashion. Well, I’m paraphrasing. Here’s the real quote:

Lane Bryant, the retailer offering sizes 14-28, believes its customers are most concerned with comfort, then fit and finally style. “She’s not there on the cutting edge of fashion,” President Brian Woolf said. “She might be a year behind.”

Don’t let the fatshionistas hear you say that, buddy.

I was pretty surprised, considering that our own Marie Denee, the Curvy Fashionista, just attended a Lane Bryant bloggers conference. She wrote about her experience here, and Fat Chic (another blogger who attended the conference) had this to say:

I was absolutely fascinated by the creative process used to come up with the different styles each month. The designers and merchants know their competition, are inspired by it and are also determined to keep on as leaders of plus size (specialty size) fashion. They really do try to have something for everyone, as their envisioned customer is quite eclectic.

The major thing I learned: high fashion really does filter down to the commercial, and while I question why that’s necessary, for a company that produces new styles on a monthly turnover schedule, I can understand the need NOT to reinvent a wheel over and over.

So are they fashion backward or fashion forward? Do they believe in Fatshionistas, or do they believe we’re not interested in following the latest trend? Are their clothes overpriced or worth the money? Do you still own a pair of Right Fit jeans? Does it all, in the end, come down to your personal taste? Someone, anyone, TELL ME WHAT TO BELIEVE!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Fashion, Old Timey, Video | 49 Comments »

First off, on the topic of Alastair’s sexuality and queer themes in general, this Advocate interview is a great read; thanks for the link, Jack Daniels! (If you missed that conversation, it’s in last week’s comments.)

And now, on with the show! I’m very excited about the title, can I just say that? There will be singing! It’ll be just like Glee! Right? Read more…

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Celebrities, Glee, Huge, Magazines, More To Love, Nikki Blonsky, TV | 3 Comments »

Or, why “just take in fewer calories than you burn” is not quite that simple.

Katsyuri sent in this Newsweek article, discussing how intestinal bacteria may affect the number of calories the body is able to absorb. More efficient bacteria = more calories absorbed = more “calories in” than average.

The calories that count are those extracted by your digestive enzymes and—as more and more research is showing—the trillions of bacteria in your intestine. People whose gut bacteria are better at digesting fats and carbs than their neighbor’s will absorb all 1,500 calories in a Friendly’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt, while the neighbor will absorb fewer. So even in people with identical metabolisms, the effects of eating identical foods can be different.

The bacteria-made-me-fat idea has been gathering steam since 2006. In that year, Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University and colleagues reported in a paper in Nature that obese mice and slim mice have different populations of gut bacteria. Crucially, they showed that the bacteria caused obesity, rather than obesity producing a specific mix of bacteria.

There’s also a slideshow that touches on the connection between underprivileged communities and the prevalence of fast and processed foods (along with pictures of sad fat people… but they do have heads). Here’s Katsyuri’s disclaimer:

It’s still mainly the same old tripe about exercise and calories and that “Obesity Epidemic”, but at least it doesn’t COMPLETELY blame bigger people for everything.

The article does have some more interesting tidbits:

A study published in April… found that Japanese people harbor gut bacteria that digest nori—the seaweed in sushi—but westerners do not, probably because of the Japanese diet (lots of fish and thus marine bacteria, which digest nori). That suggests that “what you eat is proving to be one of the major determinants of…the community of bacteria living in your intestine.”

I wouldn’t be surprised to see people with nefarious motives say to people trying to lose weight, ‘you must have the wrong bacteria; I have something that will help you.’

The idea here is that gut bacteria interact with intestinal cells in a way that causes them to secrete cytokines, molecules that can cause low-grade inflammation. This inflammation can, in turn, trigger insulin resistance (the mark of type 2 diabetes) and increased appetite, which is an effective way to put on weight.

As scientists work out the details by which out gut bacteria make us fat, health mandarins need to look beyond the simplistic calories in/calories out mantra for explanations of the obesity epidemic.

So what do you think: is this kind of science—shifting the blame away from fat people—a step in the right direction? Or is the focus still in the wrong place?

[Note: The title of this post is a play on an Eric Cartman quote.]

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Cold Hard Cash, Kids, Science, TV | 16 Comments »

We recently talked about some fat art spotted in the wild, and I was reminded of that post when I was in Antwerp visiting the Rubenshuis.

The Rubenshuis (Rubens House) is a fabulous little museum, a home and studio designed by Rubens in the 17th century in which he lived and worked. The building itself is spectacular, and it’s also chock full of amazing art by Rubens and others. A definite “don’t miss” if you’re ever in Antwerp. And on the back facade is this statue of Venus looking—well—Rubenesque.

When I got home from the trip, I had an email waiting for me from Mary about this sculpture, a tactile, interactive piece meant to feel like rolls of fat. And it’s also called Venus. The artist, Nick Turvey, says:

“This [is a] recently completed sculpture, currently on exhibition outside the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. It’s carved from a block of upholstery foam, and coated in a rubber skin, so when you grab hold of those rolls of fat you find they are actually soft. Some people are disgusted, others love it, but it’s certainly provoking reactions. It’s one of a series I’m making about the materiality of the human body.”

I love that both of these pieces, created centuries apart, have the same name—the name of the goddess of love and beauty. And I also love that they both deal with voluptuousness as a theme. And I also love the challenging and provocative nature of Nick’s piece. Yay art!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Art, Fat Positive, Feel Good Friday | 9 Comments »

I’m about to sit down and watch my first episode of Huge! While I was away, I seem to have forgotten to DVR it, so I’m starting with the third episode. But I’ve been hearing good things from you guys and Alan Sepinwall, and I love Nikki Blonsky anyway, so this sounds like a must-see. Hopefully it will all make sense!

The previouslies tell me that Nikki Blonsky’s character is named Will, and there’s also a scene where Will proudly takes off her clothes and struts around in a bathing suit, refusing to be ashamed of her “before” body. She’s got legit fat-girl thighs, too. That’s awesome.

I love the Shiz T-shirt on that guy! I love me some musical theater geeks (since I am one). Oh! And it makes sense since Winnie Holzman is one of the creators of Huge and she wrote the book for the musical Wicked! And Shiz University is from Wicked! Okay. Moving on.

The opening credits are surprisingly deep, yearbook photos with labels like “the perfect body” and “invisible” and “fat is my armor.” Also “willpower,” but you can’t win ‘em all.

Read more…

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Celebrities, Huge, Nikki Blonsky, TV | 22 Comments »

In the annals of Stupid Diets, I don’t think we’ve talked about the Cookie Diet yet. But now the silence must be broken! Because Snooki is involved. Threat level orange, if you will. Threat level fake-tan, oompa-loompa orange.

On the diet, she eats only one meal a day (usually chicken) — and six cookies, each of which suppresses hunger. The six cookies — which contain beef and milk protein — each contain about 11 grams of carbohydrates and 90 calories.

The biggest challenge so far? No binge drinking!

“If I go out I am going to have a drink, but I am not going to have 10 drinks like I usually would,” she says.

There’s a lot of diet talk at the link, so be forewarned before you follow it, but it does point out a couple of crucial things. Firstly, that these “diet” “cookies” ARE MADE OF BEEF. That does not sound like a cookie. In fact, it sounds like a crime against cookies. And secondly, that if you’re going to starve yourself and eat only one meal a day, you’d get the same effect by eating deli turkey slices and a few Oreos. Same nutrition, same constant state of gnawing hunger, same probability that you’ll regain the weight and then some.

Hooray for her quitting binge drinking, though, right? Sigh.

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Celebrities, Diet Talk, Diet Talk Warning | 20 Comments »

The Body Project is a collection of writing about the body, some of which are sexually explicit so might not be work-safe. Here’s their mission statement:

Our body project is a collection of personal narratives written about bodies. They range from broad declarations of body and experience to small intricate pieces focusing on body parts or functions. Most importantly, they are written and shared here in an effort to create a community for positive body image and sexual experience. They are written and shared here to remind us that we are not alone with the pain of a distorted or negative self perception, but also to remind us, perhaps more importantly, perhaps not, that we are not alone when we feel good, really good, in a world where people are often unaccustomed to sharing expressions of joy about their bodies.

And from “Hip to the Hips”:

“Hey. Hey you. Nice hips.”

I was just trying to shift from one class to another, dragging my feet so that they didn’t ever lift off the ground, past the lockers on the second floor. What? What did that boy just say to me? I’m just trying to get to my next class. Just trying to get through the day. Just trying to get through high school. Why I am being noticed? Why did that mean? How could one even have nice hips? Does that mean I’m fat? I just wanted to hide–or better yet melt away–be invisible. But I just had to keep on walking down the hallway, embarrassed and confused.

Lots of great reading there, and they accept contributions! Or you can, as ever, share your own body thoughts or creative expressions in the comments.

Thanks to Jenfu for the link!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Advocacy, Art, NSFW | 2 Comments »

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably noticed this, but I’ve been out of the country for a few weeks. Thanks to Jenfu (yay for links roundups!) and Weetabix for contributing while I was gone! I’ve just caught up on 100+ blog comments (especially on the Fat Hygiene and Huge posts especially) and am about to tackle the emails. Thanks for your patience as I work my way through them all!

And finally, thanks for your thoughtful notes and comments on the term “OCD” used in the Fat Hygiene post. I’ll address that in the comments there and apologize for any unintentional offense given.

P.S. I think all my approved comments should show up shortly on the RSS comments feed, so that might be a good way to find them!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Meta | No Comments »

What are people searching for that brings them to Big Fat Deal? And how can we help them? Let’s dig into the Sitemeter and find out!

what is the most ridiculous diet of all time

My nominees are the Tapeworm Diet, the ever-popular Baby Food Diet, and the Intravenous Diet. But I’m sure someone will invent an even stupider one any second now.

justin beiber is a big fat deal

Okay, to my knowledge we’ve never talked about Justin Beiber on this blog. (Until now.) I have to admit the way he has been a Twitter trending topic off and on for pretty much my entire adult life has been impressive, though.

chub rub causing hole in jeans

Well, it happens to the best of us! Some great ideas for repairing jeans are here, or find a pair of jeans you like and stock up!

how did john goodman lose so much weight

I had no idea he had! But apparently he has. I don’t know how, though!

blog communities for fat girls

HELL YEAH. Step right up!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Celebrities, Fashion, Humor, Jennifer Aniston, Meta | 14 Comments »

It all began with a detailed post by SageAutumn on Livejournal about her showering routine, a “how-to on showering as a big girl.”

Drying off water with a towel when you have baby oil on is SUPER easy, all you have to do is pat dry really. But after that, DRY OFF… lay in front of a fan for about five-ten minutes, and let the air get to all your parts. Eagle-spread, bottom in the air, on each side stretched so the fan hits any creases there and your armpits, on your back with your boobs pulled up… kinda like a rotisserre chicken, only moving slower and pausing.

Commenters discuss what works and what doesn’t work for them, then one commenter adds:

And yes, this IS the first time I have entered into a discussion with anyone about big-girl-grooming. Maybe its something one should cover more often, but I don’t know that many other women.

When I read that, I realized that every woman has her own hygiene routine, and it’s true—we don’t really talk about them. The only other woman’s routine I know is my sister’s. She is thin (FWIW), and her routine involves a lot of shaving, a lot of lotion, and some OCD elements. I personally am a big believer in post-shower baby powder (the kind with cornstarch) and my new favorite discovery, scrubby bath gloves. I also use a lot of towels, since I find damp towels creepy. So there you go: I have my own OCD elements.

Anyway, then The Rotund talked about her routine and some of the larger implications:

In any event, I don’t think fat hygiene is all that different from the hygiene practiced by thin people. What I DO think is that many, many, several fat people are so disconnected from their bodies that taking care of them in that kind of way is not a priority – or they activelly don’t believe they are worth the time and effort or they are so disgusted with their own bodies they actively avoid being naked with themselves…

However, it’s an important topic – one of the coded things that people mean when they say fat is “smelly.” And when people have folds of skin, it can increase the chances of your body smelling different from someone else’s body… This sort of thing is super individual. If you sweat more than I do, you might feel a lot more attached to your deodorant, for example. That’s cool. There is not one right way to do any of this. Also: the value of a person is not dependent on their aroma. Even if you do wind up stinky, you are still a valuable and worthwhile person, okay?

It makes for an interesting and worthwhile discussion, with plenty of frank talk about specific issues fat people tend to have in taking care of their bodies. It can make you feel targeted merely to admit that, yeah, you have more flesh than someone else might have, and therefore need a different care routine. But if living with other women has taught me anything, it’s that we’re all pretty individual and “weird” about our own personal routines. (Suddenly I’m flashing back to Charlotte from Sex and the City, examining her pores for an hour per night in a magnifying mirror.) So what are your thoughts on hygiene? And what’s your routine?

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Personal, Question, TV | 53 Comments »

1. Some reviews of Huge! Or as The Frisky put it, “Fat People Were On TV And, Whaddya Know, The World Didn’t End.”

• Entertainment Weekly
• L.A. Times
• ABC News
• MTV
• STLToday
• New York Times
• The Frisky

2. An awesome 18-year-old spent a month following Seventeen magazine dictates and blogging about it, calling it the Seventeen Magazine Project. Her intent was to draw more attention to the media’s ridiculous perception of women and teens and what they want, and are supposed to want. And now she’s decided to get even louder, putting together a community project called “Hey mainstream media.”

To participate in this project, all that you have to do is take a picture of yourself holding a sign with words finishing the statement, “Hey mainstream media! I am….”

Anyone can participate in this project. That is, anyone that at some point has felt misrepresented by or excluded from mainstream media. This project is NOT just for teens. Are you a black woman? Maybe you’re more than just a sassy best friend character. A straight man? Maybe you’re interested in more than just pictures of naked women. Unlike media, this project does not exclude or alienate any demographic.

You can add photos directly to the Flickr pool to participate. http://www.flickr.com/groups/heymainstreammedia/

3. The headline in this NYT article says it all: Plus-Size Revelation: Bigger Women Have Cash Too.

Corseted into a size 18 white denim dress, wearing heels that made her about 6-foot-2, Gwen DeVoe, a former model and fashion-show producer, stepped onto a runway in Manhattan this week and made a pitch to retailers for the plus-size woman.

Those stores that don’t carry bigger sizes? “Shame on you, baby, shame on you,” Ms. DeVoe said. “Every curvy girl that has a dollar is willing to spend that dollar.”

So retailers are realizing.

Just now? Just now they’re realizing? It feels like they’ve been realizing and poised to take on the plus-size market for about as long as I have been alive. Hey, maybe one day it’ll be a nice, ordinary fact, and not “news.”

4. A little late, but I just ran into this: Full-Figured Fashion Week happened, and it sounds like it was awesome. Sponsorship was up (7 sponsors last year, 35 this year!). My favorite part: how New York Magazine wistfully notes that everyone had a very swell time.

It’s a shame Full Figured Fashion Week has to be so separate from New York’s main Fashion Week. It’s also too bad the main Fashion Week doesn’t have model competitions or fun award ceremonies and a vibe that’s not life-or-death.

Posted by jenfu

Filed under: Cold Hard Cash, Fashion, Fat Positive, Gabby Sidibe, Huge, Magazines, Media, TV | 5 Comments »

One of our most commented posts ever is the “how do strangers treat you?” post linked in the sidebar. It’s been two years, and we keep getting responses that are so thoughtful and represent such a range of experience. I wanted to post some of the recent ones.

First, Becky is mocked in front of her children by a group of men. I think this has happened to all fat women at one time or another:

I just had the most horrible experience. I am 39 and very overweight. I took my children 15 and 11 out for a lovely night out on the town. As i was walking with them 4 gentleman (not) starting laughing and made crude comments out loud so my children and i could hear with regard to my weight. I am so humiliated not just for me but for my children. WHY do these ugly people think its ok to make fun of overweight people like we have no feelings. I know i am fat. My kids know i am fat. Why is it so funny and what do they get out of humilating me and my children?

Anita shares from the unique perspective of a swinger:
Read more…

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Fatism, Feminism, Meta, Question, Sex & Romance | 16 Comments »

When we talked about Huge, a lot of people said they might watch it, so I figured I’d open up a discussion thread for the show! If you’re watching it (or if you watched it already), let us know what you thought!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Celebrities, Huge, Nikki Blonsky, TV, Tidbit | 23 Comments »

Thanks to Ian (who I’ve been begging to take me to the Harry Potter theme park) and @GinandPopcorn for alerting me to this story: some guests are being turned away from the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride for being unable to fit in the seats.

Universal seems to have anticipated this issue, stationing staff “wizards” and test-seats along the line and at the entrance to Forbidden Journey. Riders test their ability to fit in the seats, as well as the restraint (which must click three times to be deemed safe and for the potential rider to be allowed into the attraction).

Harry Potter fan Jeff Guillaume, who was turned away from the ride, has a good collection of follow-up posts and commentary here.

A lot of the debate I’ve seen is focused on safety, and rightly so. Many rides at many parks around the world use a single-bar restraint system (“lap bars”) for a row of people. One larger passenger will cause the bar to lock much higher than the waists/legs/laps of the smaller guests, presenting a safety and comfort issue.

But that is not the case on single passenger restraint systems, which most modern rides, including Forbidden Journey, employ. These are the over-the-shoulder harnesses or lap bars that lock in place differently for each passenger.

It’s strange to me, because I’ve never had any issues with any of the rides at Disneyland, and they have a whole range of restraint systems, all of which I can fit in with no problem. And I’ve been to Disneyland dozens of times, as well as Disney World in Florida and Eurodisney. I can’t think of a single time my weight was an issue in terms of me enjoying the rides.

I am a huge (HA HA GET IT) Harry Potter fan, and I have been dying to go to the new theme park. But there are only three rides in the theme park, and only one of them is the “signature” ride of the whole park. If the main attraction won’t accommodate fat people, and I might be turned away while I’m waiting in line… why would I want to spend all that money on a vacation that would end in embarrassment and shame and disappointment? I can stay home and be disappointed just the same. And I am.

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Fatism, Harry Potter, Kids | 27 Comments »

An email from the awesome Jezebella (with the subject line above):

I just had to share this Kermit Ruffins video with y’all. When was the last time you saw a pure-D big girl dancing in the background of a music video? I love her joyous dancing – it’s not pornified or anything, just happy fun dancing. I always tell plus-size women up north who are looking for a fat-friendly dating world, they should move down South because Southern men are not all about stick figures.

Anyhoo, I don’t know who this dancer is, but watching her shimmyshake just makes me happy:

I realize it’s approximately, oh, six months too early for this. But it’s half-Christmas! Today! Right now! And the gulf states could use a little love.

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Feel Good Friday, Music, Video | 8 Comments »

1. Stella Ellis, of BettyConfidential.com, put together a story all about how to stay hot when you’re hot (via Shine). It’s a beauty and fashion round-up that’s got a ton of gorgeous dresses I covet, and some very cheering words about being comfortable in your skin and whatever you put on it.

The important thing is that we accept ourselves. When we accept ourselves, the rest of the world will too. Or they won’t – but that will be their problem. Throughout my entire life, I have been a full figured woman. I will never be a size 0, 4, or even a 10, but that does not stop me from looking my best, like Amber Riley from Glee. As the weather heats up, I grab the opportunity to wear sexy clothing, break out my great summer accessories, and flaunt my full hourglass-and-a-half figure in yet another season.

 2. Gabi of Young, Fat, and Fabulous is a finalist in MTV’s Twitter Jockey contest!

As much as I love fashion, I also love social media and popular culture; this is an amazing opportunity, and I truly need all of your support! How great would it be if there was a fashionable, body-positive plus size girl working in mainstream media (and MTV at that)? Plus, if I win, I can guarantee A LOT more outfit posts…can you imagine my wardrobe if I actually had steady income? Man.

The main thing I need you guys to do is FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY (my username is @gabifresh). There will be a series of challenges and you will have to follow me there in order to help! The more followers and interaction I have with you guys, the better. Secondly, PLEASE help spread the word and tell your friends to follow me. Post on your blogs, facebook, twitter pages, youtube channels, or anything else you can think of.

I’m not entirely sure what a “Twitter jockey” is (back in my day, MTV ran videos! And we liked it!), but I know I love the idea of Gabi winning. Go, Gabi, go! Jockey the hell out of that Twitter!

3. Via Salon’s Broadsheet: This is beautiful, very cool, and nerdy, but it also appeals to my sense of comedy: a pin-up calendar featuring ladies so skinny, they’re all bones. Literally. IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT, AMERICA?

Japanese manufacturer Eizo has put together pictorials of 12 skeletons showing off their fibulas, tailbones and rib cages in classic car model poses — and, damn, these skele-girls got femurs for daaays.

4. Fashionista covers a British retailer with a major gimmick for their new swimwear campaign: All of their models are totally unPhotoshopped.  Which sounds awesome–except it’s not like they’re dragging regular women out of bed and throwing them head-first and uncombed into bikinis:

It’s a bit of a stretch to suggest that showcasing clothes on already perfect bodies will make the rest of us any more comfortable with the idea of buying THAT bikini. As in all of the highly hyped makeup-free magazine features we’ve seen (and Britney and Demi’s ‘before’ ad shots), the model is still meticulously made up, lit, styled, toned, etc.
Still, we have to applaud any move that challenges industry-wide assumptions and spurs on conversation.

I think I feel pretty much the same—I still struggle with the idea that these are perfect bodies to which we ought to aspire (obviously a flawed and troubling assumption), but I love that these are real women, not  creepily “perfected” lies forced upon us by a fashion hivemind! Viva la revolucion! In my heart, it’s hope that it’s a start.

Posted by jenfu

Filed under: Advertising, Advocacy, Celebrities, Fashion, Fat Positive, Humor, International, Media, Photoshop | 2 Comments »

It seems we can’t go a month without talking about Meme Roth, but she’s a bit of a media fruit fly and never seems to stop buzzing around the blogosphere. This time, BFD Reader Leslie alerts us that she popped up on the Penn and Teller show “Bullshit!” during a segment investigating fast food. Leslie writes

I was watching it last night and was having a ball! Meme Roth talks a lot of shit in it and the one who speaks, Penn? I forget. Was going off on her! It was pretty good even if at the end (it) kind of stereotypes.

Ms Roth’s argument is that fast food is bad because fat people eat it and it gives them flaccid genitalia. Or maybe the free clip (available after the jump) is edited in an unflattering way to make her sound a little unhinged.

Penn and Teller have a history of tilting at society’s windmills and this is not the first time they’ve been skeptical of the so-called Obesity Epidemic. In their first season, an episode was dedicated to explaining why most diets are major scams (bit of trivia: that episode features longtime diet and WLS blogger Robyn Anderson aka Bitchypoo).

Has anyone seen this episode yet? I’d be curious to hear the rest of Penn’s takedown and also get into the stereotyping that Leslie mentioned. I’m a little afraid of watching this, quite honestly, because like Mopie feels for Ricky Gervais, I have a HUGE weird crush on Penn Jillette and want to believe that someday he will fall madly in love with me. I don’t know if I can handle another Alton Brown-esque denouement.*

Read more…

Posted by Weetabix

Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, TV, Video | 13 Comments »

Jenfu sends along a link to bad weight loss advice for women. Such as laugh off the pounds, or chew gum for an hour, or this:

“Try an almond stacked on top of a dried apricot — it tastes like a cookie. Really.”

Um… no. I’m not exactly a foodologist, but I’m pretty sure that this snack would taste like a nut on top of a dried piece of fruit.

Sometimes we get so inundated with this kind of ridiculous advice that we need a reality check. Yes, it’s ridiculous to drink hot lemon water instead of eating. I mean, come on! What are we, Cheerios?

“Sometimes I add a teaspoon of sand.”

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Food, Glee, Humor, TV, Tidbit, Video, Weight Loss | 15 Comments »

So, let’s talk about “real women.” We hear this phrase a lot, often in the sense that “real women have curves” and that, by extension, skinny women are somehow not “real.” And this article from the Sydney Morning Herald articulates the problem:

Women have been caught in a pointless feedback loop as we debate what does and doesn’t constitute ”real women”. That the bulk of it is a marketing strategy – Dove’s Campaign For Real Beauty, which sold a lot of fake-tanner, is a case in point – appears to have flown over most people’s heads….

In the majority of cases, ”real” is code for ”average” or ”normal”, but perhaps more insidiously, ”anything but skinny”. As Dye’s response has demonstrated, women who – whether by luck or long hours in the gym – more closely resemble media ideals of beauty are not considered ”real”. Slim women such as [model Jennifer] Hawkins are not allowed to be positive body image role models because their bodies don’t look like most women’s.

Thin women are often in a position of privilege, particularly thin white women, and we can’t ignore that. However, the whole “eat a sandwich, I’m a real woman!” dialogue is damaging in its own way. It keeps women running after and policing each other in a little circle of body obsession, while men get to go off and run the world. And that’s why it has to stop.

Thanks to Jenfu for the link!

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Advertising, Celebrities, Fashion, Feminism, International, Race & Ethnicity | 30 Comments »

Here’s an email that I got from BFDiva Mary! She found a very cool statue out in the wild:

So, a long while back – I am hoping it was one year, but fear it may be two! – you had a bit of a series on BFD about fat women in art – Venus of Willendorf and others. And since then, I’ve wanted to send you this statue, in the FDR Post Office in Manhattan, at 53rd and 3rd. She’s placed next to the escalator, so it’s hard to get a good picture of her – and this one is from my cell. She’s called “The Big Woman”, and is made of rough pieces patted together into the shape you see.

I love her. She is the big woman, and she’s one of the only female bodies I’ve ever seen that I feel some connection with – the shape reminds me of my own, in terms of certain contours. I don’t know what the artist thought or felt about calling her the “Big Woman”, but it makes me feel she is proud and fierce, and every time I go to the Post Office, she makes me happy. So, I, er, just wanted t o share.

Thanks for the investigative journalism, Mary! Has anyone else seen any good fat art lately?

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Art, Feel Good Friday, Guest Post, Question | 7 Comments »

image via TIME newsfeed

Sometimes, the internet is a rough place–read the comments on almost any high-trafficked news article or blog post or photo, and you run into a vile world of small-minded prejudice and casual hate and discrimination and nasty, slimy minds that seem like they would be best locked away in the dark. So sometimes, I like to remind myself that the world is not all terrible, and the internet is not only for fat-bashing and bad grammar.

For instance: a little while back, a group of Metafilter posters banded together and to literally rescue two very young Russian women from what was probably a white slavery ring.

This past week,  Post Secret showed a postcard from a suicidal illegal alien, musing over her upcoming suicide. The Post Secret readership came together almost immediately:

Within 24 hours, nearly 20,000 people had signed up for a Facebook group titled “please don’t jump,” which was later linked beneath the secret on the Post Secret blog, linking in thousands of supportive comments. On the group’s page, sympathetic users posted comments ranging from simply “I want you here” to “If I knew when you’d be at the bridge, I’d drive all the way from Ohio to meet you there, and hold you until you changed your mind.”

I hope the postcard writer saw this. It’s almost enough to make you believe in people.

Posted by jenfu

Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »