Thus did man become the architect of his own pants.
Or is Animatrix off-limits? It's canon, after all. . .
Mentioned writing something about this to Dru in IM the other day: ABCNEWS.com : A Day in the Life of an Obese Teen
Ali Schmidt, an outgoing, attractive 15-year-old from the Bronx, N.Y., usually looks forward to going to school. But when she showed up at Connecticut's Stratford High School for two days in September, it was a different story."Basically, walking down the halls was like walking into hell. I felt pain that was excruciating," she said after the miserable day.
Schmidt found herself the object of ridicule: some kids laughed at her behind her back, others made mean comments.
The reason? She was fat. At least she looked fat. In fact, she was participating in an experiment for ABCNEWS designed to capture a glimpse of the emotional and psychological impact obesity has on adolescents.
Schmidt is a slim, 5-foot-7-inch athletic girl. But for the ABCNEWS special Fat Like Me, airing tonight at 8 p.m. ET, she agreed to wear a "fat suit" that would make her look obese.
Using the same makeup and special effects that were used to make Gwyneth Paltrow look obese in the film Shallow Hal, Ali was packed with padding and layered with latex, so that she looked as though she weighed close to 200 pounds.
[. . .] "… People don't go, 'Ha ha, you're white,' or 'Ha ha you're black,' but they see a fat person and they think that they have the right to laugh at them."
But I decided to retain my sanity instead. Because I honestly have no idea where to start with the wrongness.
I didn't watch the show. Perhaps they'll add it to the Shallow Hal Special Edition DVD, giving me an excuse not to rent the version that's out now -- haven't seen it yet, for some reason -- because then I'd miss those extras.
I'm just reading things into that excerpt, right? They don't actually say that the girl ceased to be attractive and outgoing in the. . . no, clinging to sanity, not writing.
Update: Coherent thoughts at Fatshadow, and the links in that entry.
I'm gonna just think up more Matrix pants quotes.
Comments
Ummm, yes, that *is* what I took from that passage. "She was attractive and outgoing while she was thin!" ABC needs to be more careful about their inferences!
Oh, that's right, I can't weigh 250 lbs. and be happy and outgoing and (gasp!) even have an incredible, loving partner to share my life with! *LOL*
No one can wear a fat suit for a few days and know what it's like to be obese. The years of emotional damage and practically no self-esteem are hell to get over, and I can show you my scars. Wanna see, ABC?
High school was the worst three and a half years of my life. During the last half-year, I got grudging admiration and respect for being the vocal coach for the whole cast of our senior play. But I was still considered joke material, because of my size. As John Mayer says, "I just can't wait 'til my 10-year reunion..."
(BTW, your blog has become addictive to me. Keep up the insight and good work!)
Posted by: sammie | October 29, 2003 10:08 AM
The thing -- and there are SO many to choose from -- about fat suit pieces that really truly galls me is the same thing that bothers the fuck out of me about the "Black Like Me" pieces:
Where the ripe FUCK do people get off with the insinuation that the objects of body-based oppressions, be they black, fat, a crip, or whatever, are not to be trusted or believed in describing their own oppression? Why is it that the oppression is only believable if you put someone who conforms to the Great White (Thin, Able-Bodied, etc.) Way in a costume and THEY can relay "what it's like to be" the Other?
Because, you know, I'm just so sure that none of us who deal with body-based oppression all the time are just stupid shiftless lazy fat/black people or poor helpless crips/gimps and none of us have ANY FUCKING CLUE what we're talking about.
Right, Aaron? I'm sure none of that ever bothers you, either.
Nah. Didn't think so.
Posted by: hanne | October 29, 2003 5:53 PM
I agree with you hanne,
it shouldn't be that way. But this experiment WAS a very effective way of proving a point. She was the same girl, just a different size, proving that she only got treated differently because of her weight. It may seem offensive, but people are thick, stupid and dumb. It takes something like this to sensationlise the problem of discrimination for people to actually take interest in the circumstances.
Posted by: Tyger | November 4, 2003 7:58 PM
Tyger, the problem I got with that is, why should it take something like this for "[other, non-affected] people to actually take interest in the circumstances."
Hanne, nothing bothers me. I'm five by five.
sammie, thanks for the kind words. And yes, ABC is right there on the list of folks in desperate need of a clue. I ain't expecting Enlightenment, or an an Epiphany. Just one little fucking clue would suffice.
Posted by: Aaron | November 7, 2003 9:50 AM