This article from the L.A. Times runs down some recent examples of fatism, such as the save-the-whales PETA ad, the mandatory “fat class” graduation requirement, and the proposed bill outlawing restaurant dining by obese people in Mississippi. The pattern, the Times posits, is that slim people are “fed up” with the obese. Some choice quotes, [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Art, Eating Disorders, Fatism, Health, Kids, Movies, Personal | 48 Comments »

I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything since last Friday (it’s been a crazy week), but here’s a follow up that I was happy to read this morning: So Carolyn, about an hour after your chat last week I called up my nasty bridezilla friend (the one who dropped another bridesmaid for being too fat) and [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Feel Good Friday, Tidbit | 19 Comments »

I knew about Madison magazine from Project Runway Australia, as it is the Elle/Marie Claire of that show (“The winner of Project Runway will receive a spread in Madison magazine…”). Now Beautiful You has a post about the plus-sized celebrities who posed nude for their October issue. More pictures at the link; mildly NSFW. The [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Biggest Loser, Celebrities, International, Magazines, NSFW, Project Runway, TV | 8 Comments »

Continuing the “we here at major women’s fashion magazines care about fat people and their happiness!” trend, Marie Claire, major women’s fashion magazine, has started a once-a-month column by Ashley Falcon, Plus-Size Stylist. Hooray! Quick, do not notice that her columns appear next to their regular “From Fat to Fit” series. Or maybe that’s just [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Fashion, Fat Positive, Fatism, Magazines, Media, Question | 12 Comments »

We’ve talked about the separate-but-equal thing in fashion, but have we talked about it in the wider world, in social situations? Because here we have an article on Plus-Size Nightclubs–night clubs that are, as perhaps indicated by the term “plus-size nightclub,” set up and run specifically for plus-size patrons. “When you’re not what they consider [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Cold Hard Cash, Fat Positive, Personal, Politics, Question | 43 Comments »

Pepsi Max – Save the calories for baconOriginally uploaded by jsmjr Women drink Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi; men drink Coke Zero and Pepsi Max, aka the diet sodas without the word “diet” in the name. Since diets are for girls! Feminist blogs such as The Gender Bender Blog and I Blame the Patriarchy both [...]

Filed under: Advertising, Advocacy, Diet Talk Warning, Feminism, Media, Personal | 46 Comments »

Are you feeling down, low, sad, lonely, lacking in happiness and needing a tiny little boost to get you through that last patch of Friday and boost you into the weekend? Are you feeling cynical, hateful, sure that the world is bigoted and there are no positive, body-friendly messages left on earth and that everyone [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Art, Celebrities, Fashion, Fat Positive, Feel Good Friday, Feminism, International, Magazines, Media, NSFW, Video | 37 Comments »

Back in August, the big news was the Woman on Page 194 of Glamour magazine–Lizzie Miller and her beautiful belly and her regular thighs, looking gorgeous. It sparked a lot of talk all over the internet–Glamour loves you just the way you are, and Glamour is starting a revolution, and Glamour is just paying lipservice [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, Crystal Renn, Fashion, Fat Positive, Magazines, Media | 29 Comments »

Catching up on my blog reading, I ran across the discussion on binge eating over at The F Word. First, Rachel quotes this article, where Matthew Tiemeyer says: Here’s something I hadn’t thought about before. The definition of binge-eating disorder (BED) says that binges involve eating more food than most people would expect you to [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Eating Disorders, Food, Race & Ethnicity | 18 Comments »

Oh my GOD, Ralph Lauren! Keep your Photoshop brushes in your pants! What is wrong with you people? Earlier this month, an insane Ralph Lauren ad appeared, in which their long-time model Filippa Hamilton was photoshopped into a creepy, unrecognizable insectile creature from outer space. Hamilton was reportedly horrified by the image, and said “I [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, Fatism, Gossip, Magazines, Media, Photoshop, Politics | 11 Comments »

Speaking of feeling confident in our bodies, have you guys heard about National Fat Talk Free Week? We’re actually two days into it, now–it started on October 19, and appears to end on October 23rd, after which, presumably, we can all go back to shit-talking our asses and blaming all our flaws and unhappinesses on [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Eating Disorders, Fat Positive, Fatism, Health, International, Magazines, Media, Politics | 5 Comments »

In case you missed it, Rachel had a fabulous overview of the recent coverage of fat discrimination at Newsweek, including an article called America’s War on the Overweight: The bubbling rage against fat people in America has put researchers like Levine in a difficult position. On the one hand, she says, she wants to ensure [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Exercise, Fat Positive, Fatism, Health, Magazines, Media | 4 Comments »

No, no, no, not me! But I received an email from my friend Jennifer, who is 36 weeks pregnant, and she graciously said I could reprint her words here. I found her thoughts about pregnancy as a plus-sized woman really fascinating, and I hope you will, too! She covers topics including maternity wear, the ups [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Fat Positive, Fatism, Guest Post, Health, Kids | 44 Comments »

Forestroad posted this question in the comments, and it’s something that, strangely, I was thinking about today too… which I took as a sign that I should post this question and see what you guys think! Bolding is mine. Do you have something like an “Ask Mo Pie” feature? I just got into FA and [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Question | 25 Comments »

peta-save-the-whalesOriginally uploaded by marketingnacozinha I was catching up on my e-mail and noticed a number of people sent in the link to this PETA ad: Susan, Veronica, Lynette, Amy, and Kim, thank you! The only reason I didn’t post about it was that I didn’t feel like I had anything new to say; it’s been [...]

Filed under: Advertising, Advocacy, Fatism, Kids, Media | 24 Comments »

Not to beat a dead horse, but Jelly’s response is up, and it’s really great (and exhaustive, and worth reading). When dealing with a painful, volatile subject you can be guaranteed that I won’t be the last one to leave a comment that gets your hackles up. Part of the ‘beauty’ of patriarchy and objectification [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Feminism, Meta, Tidbit | 4 Comments »

So, bloggers I respect like Kate Harding and Roni were participating in a Dove-sponsored blog [ETA: I have since been corrected in the comments; the blog is not being sponsored by Dove.] called We Are The Real Deal (with a masthead that I quite frankly love). Anyway, one of the bloggers posted a kind of [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Fat Positive, Gossip, Meta | 63 Comments »

There’s a conversation going on in the fatosphere about rape and sexual violence that I’ve found thought-provoking and incredibly important. Start here and here and here. Please be warned that the conversation may be triggering. (I’ll put the long quote from Fugitivus behind a cut, but highly suggest you read the whole entry, if you [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Feminism | 16 Comments »

Jill at Imagine Today is kicking off Self-Esteem Awareness Month today, with a list of great suggestions of things to do every day this month to increase our self-esteem. First comes Change Your Mindset; then Change Your Actions; then Change Your World. Here’s today’s: August 1st – Lets start this all of with a simple [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Personal, Self Esteem Awareness Month | 15 Comments »

From BFDiva Jez comes this article, an expose of the Weight Watchers menu at Applebee’s. According to an independent lab, the nutritional info apparently does not always fall within or even come close to the advertised numbers on the menu, and lawsuits have ensued: [L]ast year Scripps News hired a food lab to test the [...]

Filed under: Advertising, Advocacy, Fatism, Food, Weight Loss | 20 Comments »

Here, from Sarah in the previous post, is a comment worth commenting on. (She’s talking about a scene in Drop Dead Diva that depicts our fat leading character binging on donuts and cream cheese): I’m not bothered by the overeating though. I am 100% on the FA bandwagon, and I know fat can be caused [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Drop Dead Diva, Eating Disorders, Fatism, Personal, Question, TV | 62 Comments »

Sundry: Blogher’s Discovery Health ads chirpily plug a show called “Obese and Pregnant”, wherein birth is described as “physically and emotionally treacherous”. This seems like … an odd way to promote the show. fonticulus (who has a blog here): Wow. I am obese and having a textbook pregnancy. It hasn’t been treacherous at all. Though [...]

Filed under: Advocacy, Fatism, TV, Tidbit | 18 Comments »

While I was off hiatusing, Kirstie Alley was on the cover of People magazine talking about how she had

Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, Cold Hard Cash, Food, Gossip, Humor, Kirstie Alley, Magazines, Media, TV, Weight Loss | 19 Comments »

The Gruen Transfer is an Australian show about advertising which dissects and analyzes the affects of advertising on the average human brain. As part of their show, they frequently issue challenges to agencies–create This Kind of advertisement. Sell this seemingly impossible-to-sell idea. This time around, it was make an ad about fat discrimination. One entrant [...]

Filed under: Advertising, Advocacy, Fatism, International, Media, NSFW, Politics, Question, Race & Ethnicity, TV, Video, Weight Loss | 26 Comments »

Just a reminder on this very lovely Friday that you are beautiful, kids. Click on through this gallery of awesome art installations, take the message to heart (because it is a true fact), and have the best kind of weekend.

Filed under: Advertising, Advocacy, Art, Feel Good Friday, Media, Tidbit | 5 Comments »