Ironically, I Think I Look Fat In This Picture
Totally by accident, we stumbled across the Nimoy exhibit today.
It was actually all thanks to Ian. We were walking through this little town (Northampton) where our hosts had suggested we go, and it was raining and we were huddled under an umbrella, heading for “Steals and Deals,” some kind of crazy discount food store of the type that Ian enjoys. And suddenly he stopped and said, “Wait, what was the name of that museum again? The one with the exhibit you wanted to see? Wasn’t that here?” I guess seeing a small gallery on the road had triggered his memory, and it turned out to be the very gallery itself. Serendipity!
The exhibit is housed in a small vault, and has one wall dedicated to the Maximum Beauty exhibit. (Here is a link to some of the photos, which are probably not safe for work.) We learned that the models used in the series are members of a troupe called the Fat-Bottomed Revue, and that the original founder of the group, Heather MacAllister, has died. Here is a wonderful article about her, from Clean Sheets:
In a culture that sells doubt by the pound, loving an imperfect body is a radical act. Loving that body in a sexual way is downright subversive. Allowing that sexual love to show? I can’t think of a word for it, but I sure would like to see more of it.
Anyway the reason I ran back to my laptop to tell you all about it is that while we were walking around the rest of the gallery (checking out, in particular, the exhibit of the art of Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel) a family walked into the vault. A father and two young teenagers: a girl of about 12 and a boy of about 14. Immediately I heard laughter and shrieks coming from inside. “Yuck!” “That’s gross!”
If I were really subversive, maybe I would have ripped off my clothes and run into the vault. But I didn’t. I just thought, well it does prove that being fat and naked is a radical act. And maybe Nimoy has brought us one step closer to something. And maybe those kids (and others like them) are the reason this blog exists in the first place.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Fat Positive, Fatism
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This is my first visit to your site. If I had had this when I was in high school, I would have come out so less damaged, LOL. Leonard Nimoy fucking rocks. You rock. The models in that photography rock. THANK YOU!
Fat bashing has never made me feel better for having done it. It’s hard enough managing my own weight let alone poke my nose into someone elses. Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves.
i know i am a little late, but, i find it funny that this melanie person was once in the position of possibley being considered fat, lost the weight and now feels that she has the right to say the things she does…and yeah, you rock