Comments on: Can We Show An Actual Fat Teen On A Book Cover?

By: teen book overweight girl romance | My book blog

teen book overweight girl romance | My book blog — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:38:46 +0000

[...] Big Fat Deal ?» Can We Show An Actual Fat Teen On A Book Cover? Jan 4, 2010 … I understand that many teen girls who think they're ???fat??? and relate to the world like they're ???fat??? … [...]

By: Body Impolitic - Blog Archive - » Bodies on Book Covers: A Secret, Complex, and Evolving Language - Laurie Toby Edison: Photographer

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:54:25 +0000

[...] January 10, 2010 post on Big Fat Blog considers considers whether it is possible or advisable to show a fat teen on the [...]

By: Katsuryi

Katsuryi — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:05:44 +0000

Sorry to say this, but as with Liar, authors have little power over their book covers. It’s usually the publishing company that chooses covers they think will sell, not covers that are true to the story.

By: M

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:14:14 +0000

I was sort of surprised to see “Fat Chance” on that list (please note though that it’s the only one of those books that I’ve read!). I read it quite awhile ago, but as far as I can remember the main character wasn’t actually fat (more of a chubby/bigger than the skinny ideal, but not necessarily even medically overweight.) I don’t think there was anything particularly wrong with that cover; yeah, the skeleton is creepy, but I think that adds to the point of the book.

I often don’t like seeing pictures of “fat” people on book covers – I’m semi-recovered from an eating disorder, and I think there is too much of a tendency to compare oneself with the book cover. It’s similar to when a character’s weight or size is explicitly mentioned. On the one side there’s the debate over whether the character *really* qualifies as fat. On the other side there are people who are still struggling with size acceptance who look at the character and panic “if she’s fat, what does that make me” and then commence the self-deprecation.
With no picture, no clothing size, no weight value, that’s less likely to happen.

P.S., I like the antelope idea!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:00:13 +0000

I’ll second that – I don’t like covers that depict and entire person because I prefer to build the person’s face in my head. I think cool graphics focused on a particular part are more fun and interesting. When I think back to the Christopher Pike’s I used to read, I remember always finding the cover art annoying and off base (and it normally depicted a whole person).

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:37:16 +0000

While I recognize the importance of FA and bringing attention to societal discussions of beauty & body shape…I think this is one time it’s a little over the top. Honestly, I think the article alluded to the real issue at hand in her comments on the book Fat Chance. That was the art of the time. This is the art of the time. I flip through the older YA lit I have on my classroom shelf and gaw! The cheesy artwork is awful – and oftentimes full body/character shots end up looking silly and so…nineties (remember The Babysitter’s Club covers?). The more modern covers look a lot like the modern covers of contemporary pop lit – a few very bright or saturated colors with a narrow focus or scope. Honestly, I prefer this. I would rather my students have to use their imaginations than be locked in by the character depicted on the front. Also, I think teens can more easily put themselves into the narrator’s position if they aren’t predisposed to some image from the cover.

By: Marilyn Wann

Marilyn Wann — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:15:22 +0000

Great criticism of book covers! I had to fight with my publisher and actually threaten to walk away from having them publish it at all, in order to make them put a whole fat body (albeit a cartoon) on the cover.

By: Godless Heathen

Godless Heathen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:22:54 +0000

I’ve noticed that, most erotica covers I’ve seen have had men as headless torsos. (Especially if it’s an M/M or M/M/F story, apparently any hint of gayness means you don’t warrant a head.)

By: mo pie

mo pie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:26:47 +0000

That’s really interesting, Jezebella… I first learned about the male gaze in the context of classical art, and I didn’t really think about it translating into body parts instead of whole women. But of course that makes perfect sense.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:06:33 +0000

I have always been a big fan of those monthly Harlequin/Silhouette novella’s that come out. Yes, their mindless, and yes they have about as many plot twists as an episode of Blues Clues, but that’s probably why I like them. Now those novels do tend to have an entire female on the cover. Or at least a female waist up in the arms of a delicious man. And while there are occasions where the female in the story is described as “curvaceous” as opposed to stick-thin, never does the cover reflect this (unless of course she’s pregnant). Granted, these types of novels are published so often and all of the covers tend to blend together. If Harlequin could get away with not having a cover image I’m sure they would.

I also read erotica from time to time, and most of those covers do not have women at all. Instead there’s usually a gorgeous hunk a man shown from the lower half of his face to his upper thighs. Objectifying men just a bit? I’d say so. Do I feel guilty for buying such books? Not really.

But back to YA fiction. It’s been years since I used to stroll the YA section, but the last series I read that I can remember with actual “bodies” on the cover was probably Gossip Girl and maybe The Clique. And it’s not such a stretch to guess what kind of girls (or rather, what size of girls) would be gracing these covers?