One Size does not fit all

The Fat Suit Zeitgeist

December 18th, 2007

Maybe we can declare this fat suit week at Big Fat Deal! We talked about J. Love in a fat suit (in the wake of Tom Cruise and Posh Spice fat suit news, oh god, is this a trend or what) and now, there’s more!

First of all, there’s a Santa in Scotland who is refusing to wear a fat suit because he thinks Santa encourages children to be obese. Which… COME THE FUCK ON. We’ve had a fat Santa long before we’ve had an “obesity crisis.” Santa is a character. Santa is not a role model for children. What kid thinks, “I want to grow up and be fat so I can be Santa!” I’ll give you a hint: none. What a stupid overreaction, honestly.

In further fat suit developments, John Travolta recieved a Golden Globe nomination for playing Edna Turnblad in, what else, a fat suit. Down With Pants does not approve.

Travolta didn’t understand the character and at his insistence, he turned Edna into a woman that isn’t that far off looks-wise from some bigger women that all of us know. Other than the horrible job they did with the eyes of the fat suit, Travolta was never ugly nor frumpy nor that terribly big. And he played her as a wide-eyed, naive, practically retarded woman that looks on in amazement and wonder as she gets dragged along with Tracey.

It’s an interesting analysis, although I don’t agree fully. I do see Travolta’s Edna as frumpy at the beginning of the movie; I find Edna’s transformation touching, which is in part due to Travolta’s performance; and I also see what Travolta was going for in his attempt to make Edna “real” as opposed to what might be seen as a one-joke caricature.

The performance still bothers me a little (especially the odd accent) but I’ve made my peace with it because I do love the movie. Do I think Travolta should win, or have even been nominated? Well, no. He was a weak spot in a good movie. Plus, at this point, Tom Wilkinson should win for Michael Clayton (although I have not seen any of the other nominated performances). But I digress.

Anyway, in a response to our post yesterday about ol’ Squintyface, I have to say that Fatly Yours really put a finger on something that I have never been able to articulate.

It’s the same effect as the fat suit – it’s “funny” to see a skinny star (Courteney Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, “Weird Al” Yankovic) in a fat suit, because it makes them look unnatural and strange all of a sudden. The problem is that it also makes fatness look unnatural and strange and laughable.

I think this is so brilliant and right on. Anyway, I am also starting to think we need a Fat Suit category at BFD, given how much it has come up lately. Criminy.

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Celebrities, Fat Suits, Fatism, Hairspray, International, Kids, Movies, Renee Zelwegger

You might also like

  1. Fat Suit Up!–Tom Cruise
  2. Barbie's Fat Friend
  3. Can You Still Zig-A-Zig In A Fat Suit?

9 Responses to The Fat Suit Zeitgeist

  1. Teena in Toronto, on December 18th, 2007 at 5:26 pm Said:

    I can’t imagine a skinny Santa :(

  2. FatGirl, on December 18th, 2007 at 7:33 pm Said:

    Yeah, the people who don’t want santa to be fat drive me nuts. He’s a fat guy. That’s that.

  3. Caitlin, on December 18th, 2007 at 8:03 pm Said:

    I say this with love and respect: folks from Baltimore do have an “odd” accent, hon!

  4. Fatadelic, on December 19th, 2007 at 2:34 am Said:

    I also saw something about Renee Zelweger requesting a fat suit for Bridget Jones 3.

  5. whyme63, on December 19th, 2007 at 8:27 am Said:

    A skinny Santa? I picture Dick Van Dyke in his swinging sixties Santa getup from the old Dick Van Dyke Show. But that ain’t the Claus.

  6. Beth, on December 19th, 2007 at 9:13 am Said:

    I swear, I am starting a Save Santa campaign. I am on this annoying mailing list full of crazy mothers, about half of whom are “crunchy conservative” Christians and the other half of whom are pagan hippies, and they all hate Santa — the pagans because he is too Christian, and the Christians because he isn’t Christian enough.

    Fine, I say, I will take Santa! The only part of Christmas that everybody sane likes! So my atheist kid will get toys from Santa, and it will be a FAT Santa with a belly like a bowl full of jelly.

    (Although, in fairness, I have to say that we have some old ornaments from the German side of my family, and the Santas are all skinny. Tall and skinny. They look like little Gregory Pecks.)

  7. kate217, on December 19th, 2007 at 11:07 am Said:

    Beth, it’s already being done.

  8. Spins, on December 19th, 2007 at 11:18 am Said:

    Wait! The pagans hate Santa Claus? But isn’t St Nick, actually a Christian takeover of aging “king” of pagan beliefs. Yule is something of the king’s last hurrah before dying off to allow for the birth of the new god in the sun of the Solstice morn.

    Sheesh!

    But I digress. I was going to say that the fat suit effect looks funny to me in the same way that seeing someone who has gone from being large to super skinny is strange to me. It’s what makes those pics of Star Jones and Sarah Rue kinda creepy.

  9. Spins, on December 19th, 2007 at 11:27 am Said:

    Okay, I was only partially right. Wikipedia gives a good description of St Nick & his origins…it also explains why many European descriptions of him are skinny. It also talks about how in some Germanic countries the mythology was mixed with the mythology of Odin (the Norse god…kinda equivalent to Zeus but very few traits in common).

Subscribe to the comments for this post (RSS)

« But maybe 2.5% is a good raise?
Et Tu, Latifah? »

RSS button Entries RSS

RSS button Comments RSS

Email us

Look around
  • What's the Big Fat Deal?
  • Introduce yourself
  • How do I love myself? And the follow up.
  • Our Facebook group
  • BFD greatest hits
  • 10 Ways to be a Body Positivity Advocate
  • Our pet fish
  • Press and media
We are...
Image of Mo Pie Image of Weetabix Image of Jenfu
Find it
Meta
+ Click to display
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  •  
  • Google Reader or Homepage
  • del.icio.us 43 Folders
  • Add to My Yahoo!
  • Subscribe with Bloglines
  • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
  • Furl 43 Folders
  • Add to Technorati Favorites!
  • Add to netvibes
  • Health Blogs - Blog Top Sites
  • Pop Culture Blogs -  Blog Catalog Blog Directory
  • Blogging Fusion Blog Directory
  • I fight fat-hate!
  • B-List Blogger
  • Bloggapedia, Blog Directory - Find It!
  • As Seen on Delightfulblogs.com
  • Blogarama - The Blog Directory
  • Top HealthCare Sites
  • + Click to hide
Your comments
  • Babs: So sorry to hear that you are moving to Facebook. I’m one of those “dinosaurs” who refused to...
  • Trish: I’m a heavier girl, and throughout my pregnancy so far I’ve not thought too much about looking...
  • Rhonwyyn: Hi Mali, So sorry you’re feeling this way. I was never very skinny, but I learned to hate my body as...
  • Jody: I just got this cute Disney Nerds bag at Disneyland this January. It was only $20 and the strap is super long....
  • Courtney: I found one at H&M. Can’t wear a damn thing from that store except their bags, and it was under...
Recent entries
  • New BFD Page on Facebook
  • Recommend A Crossbody Bag
  • It Happened To Me: I Read xoJane.com
  • Actor Gains 50 Pounds, Becomes "Much Funnier"?
  • Nordstrom Rack Fall Outfit Extravaganza
  • Say Yes To The Dress: Big Bliss
Notes from the Fatosphere
Most Popular Categories
  • Advertising Advocacy America Ferrera American Idol Art Ask BFD Beth Ditto BFD Classic BFDudes Biggest Loser BlogHer08 Books Britney Spears Carnie Wilson Celebrities Cold Hard Cash Comics Courtney Love Dance Your Ass Off Diet Talk Diet Talk Warning Drop Dead Diva Eating Disorders Exercise Fashion Fatism Fat Positive Fat Suits Feel Good Friday Feminism Food Gabby Sidibe Glee Gossip Guest Post Gwyneth Paltrow Hairspray Health Huge Humor International Jenfu Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Love Hewitt Jessica Simpson Kate Winslet Keira Knightley Kelly Clarkson Kids Kirstie Alley Links Magazines Media Meta Mike & Molly Mo'Nique Mommyblog More To Love Movies Music Nikki Blonsky NSFW Old Navy Old Timey Oprah Personal Photoshop Politics Project Runway Queen Latifah Question Race & Ethnicity Renee Zelwegger Review Ricki Lake Ricky Gervais Science Sex & Romance Star Jones Theater The Office Tidbit TV Tyra Banks Uncategorized Video Weetabix Weight Loss WLS Work

Twitter
[aktt_tweets count="5"]
Most Comments
  • Nordstrom Rack Fall Outfit Extravaganza (232)
  • How Do Strangers Treat You? (134)
  • "The Beautiful People Are The Skinny People" (103)
  • "You Do Not See Fat People In Concentration Camps" (100)
  • Are You Insecure About Your Height? (97)
  • Big Fat Ad (91)
Archives
Powered by WordPress & WPDesigner :: Design by Pattycake Designs & modified by Make My Blog Pretty :: Logo by Evan Carothers