Seriously, it’s one thing to encourage your overweight friend or relative to lose a little weight for general health reasons. But to imply that a woman needs to lose weight for just one freaking day?

Our tipster Heather let us know that the comments had some pretty good responses, though—at least before it all totally goes to hell—and also a lot of back and forth with concern trolls and regular troll trolls, so be forewarned if you decide to visit. But here’s a selection:

Don’t even “encourage your overweight friend or relative to lose a little weight for general health reasons” unless you know for a FACT that that’s a concept that’s totally new to her (or him). Most fat people have heard it many times, and many have been publicly insulted by total strangers.

I’m interested in who this ad is targeting… Brides only seems a bit wrong to me. It’s not that I don’t see the humor; I just think there are better ways to convey the joke without isolating brides as the people who need to lose weight…

The guys don’t realize that (no matter whether you’re large, normal, or tiny) the minute, say, facebook realizes you’re engaged you start getting “bridal weight loss” ads targeted to you. It’s annoying as f*ck!

Responding to someone calling her “a big fat fatty” because she criticized the ad:

Not that it’s any of your business, but I have never had weight issues and have been “skinny as a beanpole” (?!) according to my Grandma for my entire life. I think that’s part of why I hate this ad: I hate seeing so many products targeting women who are overweight and making them feel bad about themselves. I especially hate when they target brides because it’s 100% gimmicky. Plus, many women who aren’t overweight feel fat because of advertising. It’s sad.

But anyway, you sound like a helluva guy. A real ace. Keep it up!

Obviously, it isn’t just the ad, but the product itself that’s an issue here. Back in my dieting days I too tried SlimFast, and then felt like a loser because—for some strange reason—one can of chocolate-flavored chemicals actually did not satisfy my hunger. Possibly because I am a human person with a stomach.

Miraculously, I managed to get married anyway! Who would have thought!?

I may be fat, but I don’t want to look frumpy too. If you or any of your contributors know of good places (aside from Lane Bryant) to find nice plus-size professional clothes, I’d appreciate any and all suggestions.

(And if you’re coming from there, you may want to try our fashion category, or Jenfu’s most recent shopping roundup. Welcome!)

2. Living 400 Lbs is a blog that I’ve really been enjoying lately, written by a frequent commenter of this blog, whose comments I also enjoy. Hi! I liked this piece about not buying clothes (kind of the antithesis of the above). A really good read.

New clothes often come with the promise that they’ll make the wearer different in some way, or look better than before. If the new item fits better or has a better color, this makes sense…but often this promise is unfulfilled. Often I’ve bought clothes that looked great but were for someone else’s life. Over time, I found that not worrying about new clothes meant I had a better acceptance and appreciation of myself as I am, instead of searching for the “slimming” new piece that would emphasize the approved parts of my body and downplay the rest.

3. You may have already heard about the “put your pants on” Gap ad that’s creating a stir, but in case you haven’t, Feministing has a good post on it. Thanks to Nonk for the heads up!

Gap is explicitly using shame about having a body that does not conform to mainstream beauty standards to sell products. I’m disturbed the company would choose to do this, but I’m also bothered that it’s an idea for an ad that would work at all.

4. The New York Times Sunday section had an article called The Plus-Size Wars (which quotes Marianne Kirby and Kate Harding, among others) and Manolo for the Big Girl has a writeup.

“The market for plus-size clothes is effectively a Catch-22: women purchase less than they might because what they see on the racks doesn’t appeal to them; manufacturers and retailers cite poor sales figures as evidence of low demand and retrench, failing to provide the supply that might meet changing tastes.”

Kind of reminds you of our Lane Bryant discussion, huh?

5. Finally, for those of you still interested in trying out eShakti, the promo code piegirl123 will continue to give you 10% off through the end of August.

Happy Friday!

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 accurately—feel free to 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…

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.

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!

It’s just mean, scary and damaging to all the poor innocent girls who ALREADY feel like Shamu incarnate because their legs don’t look like whats-her-nuts on Gossip Girl. Can you imagine? You’re walking through the mall, pulling your ill-advised American Eagle shorties out of your wedge and wishing you hadn’t cut your bangs, all while sizing up the nearby cookie cafe for sweet refuge from inadequacy. All of a sudden, Waif McKnobbleknees strolls out of Urban Outfitters wearing THIS hanging off her collarbone, glaring at you with her sunken eyes. She might as well wear a sandwich board that says, “HEY, FATTIES! Y’ALL LOOK LIKE HELL! LOLZ!”

A couple of points: one, of course, it’s beautiful and normal and lovely to be waif-like or to have knobby knees, and it does not automatically mean you have an eating disorder, but you should still not wear this T-shirt. Two, this shirt is being criticized as “pro-ana.” Is it?

The disingenuous description on the Urban Outfitters website is:

Eat less or more or however much you’d like in this seriously soft knit tee cut long and topped with a v-neck.

And in case you’re curious, they come in extra-small, small, medium, or large. So, what do you think the message of the shirt is? Are you offended by it?

“Betty White is going to host SNL. Will she wear a [Product Name] girdle? Been known to wear girdles daily, viewers are predicting she will host Saturday night’s show in one of today’s most scandalous fashions.”

Nice dangling modifier there, PR person. (That being said, girdle or no girdle, I’m going to be watching the hell out of SNL this weekend. And Betty White can do or say or wear whatever she wants! She’s a Golden Girl!)

“[Product Name] will established itself as one of the most sought after web sites that provides live feeds and information for people and the media to discover what the country really thinks about current issues. With the heartbreaking end to Kate Gosselin’s professional dance career on DWTS, many are wondering what will happen to the future of post-Kate Dancing With the Stars!”

It was heartbreaking, you guys. Didn’t your heart just break when Kate and her crappy dancing got voted off? Haven’t you been WONDERING ABOUT THE FUTURE ever since?? (The best part is that the website determined 67% of people thought the show would be fine. Okay then! PHEW! Guess we dodged that bullet, America!)

Parents and celebrities alike are turning to the [Product Name] to comfort their infant. Just look at the pages of this week’s People Magazine where you will find Sandra Bullock watching her new baby, Louis, sleep peacefully in a [Product]!

What does this have to do with my blog, anyway? Oh, apparently Marissa Janet Winkotur also uses [Product]. Okay then. Makes total sense!

[Product Name]‘s “Pick an Idol” promotion may offer a glimpse into who might take the American Idol prize this season! Each week, the Idol with the most votes receives a complimentary bouquet of [Product] in a color selected by the fans. Since the promotion began, Crystal Bowersox has been near or at the top every week with Casey James, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia and Katy Stevens also winning.

Yeah, how’s that working out for you, Andrew and “Katy”?

Weirdly, as rando as these press releases are, they all have one thing in common. I guess it’s true what they say: celebrities sell! Or at least, they try to.

(Because she’s sexy she gets to be “pleasantly plump” instead of just “fat.” Got it, New York Post.)

Lane Bryant thinks the net’s executives are a bunch of prejudiced boobs. “The cleavage of the plus-size models, they said, was excessive, and we don’t think that’s the case,” said the source. “It certainly appears to be discrimination against full-sized women.”

Fox also initially refused to air the ad, but then when Lane Bryant argued it was effectively the same as the Victoria’s Secret ad they’d already approved, Fox changed their minds. The ad is reportedly going to air during American Idol this week.

My first thought is that it’s a rarity that a full-figured person is shown as being too sexy for television. But what do you think: is it discrimination? Take a look at both ads and decide for yourself, after the jump.

The Victoria’s Secret ad:

The Lane Bryant ad:

So what do you think?

A child’s “Happy Meal” may soon be a little less happy in Santa Clara County, where a local official wants to prevent fast-food restaurants from giving away inexpensive toys with kids’ orders. County supervisor Ken Yeager plans to ask his colleagues today to order up a law regulating when fast-food outlets can serve toy cars, action figures and other freebies as part of their children’s’ menus. Yeager says the toys entice young customers to load up on high-calorie fare and may contribute to childhood obesity.

The poll here is interesting, too. I mean so far there are only a whopping 7 votes, but one of the choices is “Sometimes I go out of the way to eat fast food because of a toy they are offering.” and it got me reminiscing. When I was a kid I definitely went out of my way to go to McDonald’s to collect their little plastic Chicken McNugget people (anyone else remember those?) and in college I got really addicted to collecting Monopoly game pieces whenever they had a contest. Of course these days I try to be very moderate about fast food, and I almost always get Happy Meals with apple dippers instead of fries, rather than “grownup” meals. (Which means I get toys! Woo!)

So what do you think–if you have kids, do you allow them to eat at McDonald’s? Do the toys factor in to your decision? Have you ever collected any of the Happy Meal toys? And should McDonald’s be free to sell whatever they want along with their Happy Meals, or is it more like Joe Camel, damaging advertising aimed at children that should be curtailed? I’m very curious to hear your opinions!

We first wrote about Sara Rue all the way back in aught six, when she lost a bunch of weight and it was speculated (by gossipy people) that she’d had weight loss surgery and had to have it reversed. Here’s what I said at the time:

[I]f she wants to go all Reese Witherspoon for the sake of her career, I guess more power to her. I can’t imagine that looking like yet another generic Hollywood blonde would be helpful, but let’s face it, I’m probably wrong. Thirdly, I am depressed to have lost one of our hot, young, sexy, curvy-chick role models. And finally, I think she was way cuter before. But then again, we all know that girls-who-look-like-me are totally my type.

Well, I guess losing a lot of weight didn’t magically kickstart her career; but she gained some of the weight back and is now working for Jenny Craig.

“My weight has fluctuated my whole life, and because I’ve been on television since I was 11 years old, everyone has seen it,” she explains. “I think like so many women in this country I have a problem controlling what I eat sometimes based on my emotional health”… Rue’s initial weight loss goal is 30 pounds. Then, she says, “we’ll see how my body looks, how I feel, and go from there.” Her first post-weight loss goal? “Rock climbing or wind surfing!” Rue says. “The things that I’m just too intimidated the size I am now to do.” But the big question remains: Does she want to follow in Bertinelli’s footsteps and sport a bikini? “If I look half as good as Valerie does at the end of this, maybe, possibly,” Rue says, smiling. “I don’t know if I’m more scared of sharks or being in a bathing suit. Maybe sharks, depending on the day.”

Someone out there tell me you’re a fat rock climber or wind surfer! This makes me want to go wind surfing right now, when I’m way bigger than Sara Rue. Sigh. I know it’s none of my business, but she’s so cute again! I’m on the Sara Rue weight emotional roller coaster. Why does this always happen to me when some celebrity signs up to sell a diet?