Fat-shaming columnist gets booted from Fergus Falls newspaper

[Independent voter]

This guy wrote a humor column for 30 years that appeared in a dozen or small newspapers across Minneasota, a Northern state in the US, almost Canada. He writes about having to sit next to a fat guy on a plane ride and the problems with it. He's been fired from at least one of his papers due to public outcry.

"Not only did this offend many of our readers, it offended us," the editorial said. "Bullying others is not OK. Body shaming is not OK. … The list goes on, but you get the picture. Let's debate the issues, not make personal attacks on people."

It's a humor column okay? Comedians have always been given wide leeway.




http://www.startribune.com/fat-shami...per/414260203/

Alan Linda's column about his experience sitting next to an overweight airplane passenger will be the last one he writes for the Fergus Falls Daily Journal.

The newspaper last week expressed regret for printing the column and said it had parted ways with Linda, an unpaid community columnist who has written the paper's "Prairie Spy" column for 30 years.

"I've gotten an overwhelmingly positive response over the decision," Tim Engstrom, the Daily Journal's editor and publisher, said Monday. "People say it's the right thing to do."

In an editorial last week, the newspaper's editorial board explained the decision to cut ties with Linda, an Otter Tail County resident whose humorous columns have run in several other Minnesota newspapers over the years.

"Last Friday, his column was about sitting next to a larger person on an airplane," the board wrote. "In the column, he called the person 'fat' and went on to describe a lack of sympathy for the man's weight issue.

"Not only did this offend many of our readers, it offended us," the editorial said. "Bullying others is not OK. Body shaming is not OK. … The list goes on, but you get the picture. Let's debate the issues, not make personal attacks on people."

The staff made a bad decision in publishing Linda's column, the editorial said.

Asked to comment on his release, Linda e-mailed that he didn't understand what the dispute was about.

Engstrom said he has no doubts about how his readers feel.

"When you're a community newspaper like the Daily Journal, you're close to the community," he said.

"They really let you know about things."

Body-shaming is a behavior that once may have been acceptable, but isn't any longer, Engstrom said.

"Personally, I think it's a generational thing," he said.

"I think at one point you could talk about someone wearing glasses as a 'four-eye,' or make fun of a person's weight or the color of their hair. Now people are, 'No bullying, no body-shaming.'

"It all goes into the category of what's acceptable these days, along with racism and homophobia. They're kind of asking adults not to act like children."

[ItachiZaku]

Everyone has to be a snowflake. The world has turned into this disgusting place where you can't poke fun. A shame.

[Themius]

Wait they were upset he referred to the fat person as fat? I mean I can understand the other grievances but calling a fat person fat?

[Mad_Murdock]

It's a humor column okay? Comedians have always been given wide leeway.

Well there are 2 sides to this coin. He is free to make jokes and people are free not to find them funny, a comedian that isn't funny (or few find funny) is an unemployed comedian.

He needs to work on his humor skills it seems

[Machismo]

In his actual column, the guy came across as a dick.

http://mcfeely.areavoices.com/2017/0...lls-newspaper/

I don't see any problem with people deciding not to publish him.

[Trollhammer]

Let's hide from reality more.. People aren't fat anymore they are perfectly fine and healthy they are just promoting a different body type.

[Machismo]

Let's hide from reality more.. People aren't fat anymore they are perfectly fine and healthy they are just promoting a different body type.

If you read what he said, it goes a bit beyond stating that people are bigger and fatter than they used to be.

[TriHard]

As I said, 2017 is the year of the SJW (though I hate that term tbh), more like
year of the wussies.

[Themius]

In his actual column, the guy came across as a dick.

http://mcfeely.areavoices.com/2017/0...lls-newspaper/

I don't see any problem with people deciding not to publish him.

He doesn't really come across as a dick... and the article seems pretty tame.

[Dhrizzle]

In his actual column, the guy came across as a dick.

http://mcfeely.areavoices.com/2017/0...lls-newspaper/

I don't see any problem with people deciding not to publish him.

Yeah, but overall not that offensive (if anything he was more insulting to people with a Georgia accent.) Still I guess the key issue is the newspaper received complaints from the community it serves.

[Trollhammer]

If you read what he said, it goes a bit beyond stating that people are bigger and fatter than they used to be.

I see nothing wrong with that article.

[Machismo]

People want to act as if we are more overly-sensitive than we used to be. While that is true in some circumstances, previous generations were some pretty thin-skinned people. They banned records and prevented rock and roll from playing on the radio. Husbands and wives did not share beds on television. It wasn't that long ago that showing a gay or interracial couple on television caused chaos. Hell, there were riots when black kids started to go to white schools. People quite literally died, all because of the color of their skin. We banned prostitution, alcohol, marijuana, gay marriage, interracial marriage, and anything else that people found offensive.

It's not that we are becoming too sensitive, we're just don't seem to try to suppress it as violently as we used to.

[Independent voter]

He doesn't really come across as a dick... and the article seems pretty tame.

I tried. The arm rest. Tried to get it down. He looked at me, kind of grimaced. And when a 300-plus guy has you effectively pinned in and you can’t even run for it, when they grimace at you, your first thought is: “Oh, man. He looks hungry.”

It's a little funny.

[Machismo]

Yeah, but overall not that offensive (if anything he was more insulting to people with a Georgia accent.) Still I guess the key issue is the newspaper received complaints from the community it serves.

Oh, I didn't find it offensive. However, I do see how a newspaper wouldn't want to print something like that. He was more insulting to Southerners than to fat people, so that would have been the better focus. In the end, it's all about making the best business decision, and pissing off customers is a good way to go broke. Hell, I had the same problem when I managed a restaurant. It was a constant balancing act in trying to keep everyone happy. At some point, you just have to say, " Fuck it" and just try to keep the best customers happy.

[zenkai]

This guy wrote a humor column for 30 years that appeared in a dozen or small newspapers across Minneasota, a Northern state in the US, almost Canada. He writes about having to sit next to a fat guy on a plane ride and the problems with it. He's been fired from at least one of his papers due to public outcry.

"Not only did this offend many of our readers, it offended us," the editorial said. "Bullying others is not OK. Body shaming is not OK. … The list goes on, but you get the picture. Let's debate the issues, not make personal attacks on people."

Bullying others is not ok but bullying him was. Awesome

[Machismo]

I see nothing wrong with that article.

I'm not offended by it, at all. Of course, I do see how it may offend someone else. People get offended by two women kissing, so anything is possible.

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He doesn't really come across as a dick... and the article seems pretty tame.

I thought it was a bit funny, but if a guy was telling thqt to a random stranger, he comes across as a dick.

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Bullying others is not ok but bullying him was. Awesome

Did the newspaper bully him?

[Dread Pirate Phayde]

Seems more like he was interested in making fun of the guy being from Georgia and his accent.

[zenkai]

I'm not offended by it, at all. Of course, I do see how it may offend someone else. People get offended by two women kissing, so anything is possible.

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I thought it was a bit funny, but if a guy was telling thqt to a random stranger, he comes across as a dick.

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Did the newspaper bully him?

His readers did.

[Machismo]

His readers did.

People are assholes, we all bully others to some degree. Then the fair decision, is to not give them a column, either.

[zenkai]

People are assholes, we all bully others to some degree. Then the fair decision, is to not give them a column, either.

If we fire people for every time they offend or piss someone off then we should fire everyone.