"Thin Privilege"

[PizzaSHARK]

So a buddy just linked me to some random Tumblr blog and I've been sitting here flicking through it for about fifteen minutes now and I'm just flabbergasted at the ridiculous sense of self-entitlement this person (people? I don't know how Tumblr things are organized) is.

http://thisisthinprivilege.tumblr.com/

It gets really ridiculous when you click on some of the tags in the cloud thingie off to the side.

I'm not even sure what the fucking point here is. I clicked the "thin privilege" thing to find out exactly what the hell she's talking about, and there's no real explanation, just straight into tirade after tirade on seemingly no concrete points.

Near as I can tell, it's a fat chick raging about being mocked and made fun of due to being fat. It's comedy gold, especially the "trigger warning," crap, as if being called fat is somehow on the same level of a rape victim potentially triggering memories they'd rather not relive (which is the only other place I've seen the phrase "trigger warning," mentioned.)

I'm still trying to figure out the point to this blog thing. Is it protesting how ads and stuff only show "thin," (read: healthy) people? Ads are meant to make people want to buy and use their products, and eat their food, and people within a healthy weight range are nearly always considered more attractive than people who are significantly overweight (or underweight!) Is it protesting people telling her/her readers that, by being fat, they are unhealthy? Well fucking duh, people ain't meant to have a three inch layer of blubber surrounding them like we're fucking arctic seals or something.

Can anyone make heads or tails of this thing?

[Deleted]

There is a movement in certain sectors to stop fat "discrimination". Whilst I can sympathize with the feeling of being bullied or discriminated against, some of them just go a little off focus.

Yes, discriminating against fat people for being fat is wrong. Is telling a fat person to stop drinking energy drinks because they'll end up with diabetes wrong? We have no qualms with telling smokers to stop smoking, drinkers to stop drinking. Why is it that health concerns from other people, outside of the immediate family, must come from a bad place?

Honestly the issue with fat discrimination has more to do with self image than real, hard discrimination.

[PizzaSHARK]

There is a movement in certain sectors to stop fat "discrimination". Whilst I can sympathize with the feeling of being bullied or discriminated against, some of them just go a little off focus.

Yes, discriminating against fat people for being fat is wrong. Is telling a fat person to stop drinking energy drinks because they'll end up with diabetes wrong? We have no qualms with telling smokers to stop smoking, drinkers to stop drinking. Why is it that health concerns from other people, outside of the immediate family, must come from a bad place?

Honestly the issue with fat discrimination has more to do with self image than real, hard discrimination.

Yeah, I saw mention of self-image and self-hating, but it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff there.

I do agree that there's no special cause to attack fat people just because they're fat - no more so than it's okay to attack an alcoholic for being an alcoholic, anyway - but it just seems like this "thin privilege," thing is just all in this person's head and isn't really an issue like they seem to think it is.

Honestly, I'd consider self-image problems and eating disorders to be a completely different subject, really. But again, it's really hard to get anything useful out of those blog posts.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I saw mention of self-image and self-hating, but it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff there.

I do agree that there's no special cause to attack fat people just because they're fat - no more so than it's okay to attack an alcoholic for being an alcoholic, anyway - but it just seems like this "thin privilege," thing is just all in this person's head and isn't really an issue like they seem to think it is.

Honestly, I'd consider self-image problems and eating disorders to be a completely different subject, really. But again, it's really hard to get anything useful out of those blog posts.

In the states there are "rights" movements on behalf of fat people. Their goal seems to be to legislate the protection of fat people from discrimination.

[Deleted]

There is a movement in certain sectors to stop fat "discrimination". Whilst I can sympathize with the feeling of being bullied or discriminated against, some of them just go a little off focus.

Yes, discriminating against fat people for being fat is wrong. Is telling a fat person to stop drinking energy drinks because they'll end up with diabetes wrong? We have no qualms with telling smokers to stop smoking, drinkers to stop drinking. Why is it that health concerns from other people, outside of the immediate family, must come from a bad place?

Honestly the issue with fat discrimination has more to do with self image than real, hard discrimination.

There's an issue with overweightness and obesity, but it is difficult to pinpoint in a sense. There are far too many people being assholes about it, which ain't helpin', but there's also far too many people playing the role of the victim way too easily which also ruins it. People need to step back, on both sides, and stop being fucking cunts about it and apply the same mentality as to everything else: Don't be a dick about it.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

In the states there are "rights" movements on behalf of fat people. Their goal seems to be to legislate the protection of fat people from discrimination.

There should be some form of protection for where the discrimination wouldn't be relevant to the job. Otherwise, discriminating against fat people is as wrong as discriminating against people who watch Cartoon Network or play video games, etc. The only difference is that it's easier to see who is fat.

[Cybran]

Blame Adele

[Deleted]

There should be some form of protection for where the discrimination wouldn't be relevant to the job. Otherwise, discriminating against fat people is as wrong as discriminating against people who watch Cartoon Network or play video games, etc. The only difference is that it's easier to see who is fat.

I don't argue with the idea of not discriminating. But these groups want it mentioned specifically in anti-discrimination policies and laws. Why not 'ugly' people? People with acne? Do people with psoriasis count? It's an issue I'll admit, but not one that we should resort to legislative means about.

[Thrive]

This whole "check your privilege" stuff is going to far and is ridiculous. That's what I think.

[theWocky]

I have an issue with:

fat people when they sit next to me at cinemas and sit on my chair.
when they pay the same air faire as me, or god help, sit next to me on the plane - endangering my life if I need to get out in an emergency.
when they push up my medical insurance,
when they whine about being discriminated against or mocked. You're lazy, and you're unattractive to me - deal with it.

Other than that... do I "hate" someone for being fat? No, of course not, but I personally appreciate honesty from people.
People that don't say anything or make excuses for you don't give a damn about you.

I am currently over-weight by about 5kg and my g/f is poking fun at me - so what do I do?
I cut down on carbs. I eat healthier. I get on a rowing machine and take care of it.
Why? Because I don't want her to leave me for being an unattractive fat slob.

You know what I notice when I exercise and eat healthier? I feel better.

The poster above me is right: This world's political correctness movement is getting out of hand. Tolerance for stupid beliefs and customs, special privileges are unacceptable in a modern society. It restricts our freedoms and pushes us towards a fascist society.

[Deleted]

I have an issue with:

fat people when they sit next to me at cinemas and sit on my chair.
when they pay the same air faire as me, or god help, sit next to me on the plane - endangering my life if I need to get out in an emergency.
when they push up my medical insurance,
when they whine about being discriminated against or mocked. You're lazy, and you're unattractive to me - deal with it.

Other than that... do I "hate" someone for being fat? No, of course not, but I personally appreciate honesty from people.
People that don't say anything or make excuses for you don't give a damn about you.

I am currently over-weight by about 5kg and my g/f is poking fun at me - so what do I do?
I cut down on carbs. I eat healthier. I get on a rowing machine and take care of it.
Why? Because I don't want her to leave me for being an unattractive fat slob.

You know what I notice when I exercise and eat healthier? I feel better.

The poster above me is right: This world's political correctness movement is getting out of hand. Tolerance for stupid beliefs and customs, special privileges are unacceptable in a modern society. It restricts our freedoms and pushes us towards a fascist society.

A society that acknowledges varying "stupid" customs and beliefs encourages a heterogeneous society. Your final sentence is completely backwards. Expecting other people to adopt our customs, or lack of, pushes us toward a homogeneous society, which is a key concept in a fascist society.

Maybe stop basing your opinions in radical positions and take a step back.

[Beavis]

Can anyone make heads or tails of this thing?

Yes, it's part of the fat acceptance movement. As the name suggests, the fat acceptance movement promotes the idea that society should accept that some people are fat just as it accepts any other "minority" group. While it seems intensely stupid on it's face, it isn't entirely without merit. For a lot of people being fat is just as much a part of who they are as any other trait and for many overweight individuals long term successful weight loss is an impossibility.

That being said, I'd rather these folks focus their energy on improving our understanding of both weight loss and weight loss maintenance, two topics which are still relatively poorly understood, and education about what actually works. But, I'm a fatso that decided not to be a fatso anymore. Thanks to the power of Paleo and mind bending anti-depressants, it seems to be working, so I'm not exactly their target demo.

[xChurch]

I can't help but feel the world is becoming far to, for lack of a better word, wimpy. I mean is it going to get to the point where no one is allowed to be poked fun at ever? And I don't mean doing it for simple malicious reasons, I mean just saying the odd joke here and there. Though I think the fat arguement is the worst of it all. At least when people want better protection or respect for words like "Retard" or "Homo/Gay" it's reflective of something that is completely out of the target people's control. Fatness however isn't out of someone's control. That being said though I do think that more needs to be focused on preventing people from becoming overweight since it seems fairly unlikely in most cases that a person who has been overweight for a long period of time will all the sudden decide they are going to change. But their is definately to much people out there trying to play the victim in to many cases, and you know what, if you caused a problem then you can't be the victim of it.

[Deleted]

I don't hate fat people because they're fat I hate the ones that moan about it and also those that claim they have a medical condition. I know there are actual genetics and stuff that can cause people to get fat but 1. that's a very small minority and 2. Even if you do have a condition like that it doesn't mean you should be eating a family bucket of KFC to your self on a regular basis.

And to be honest I'd be surprised if the fat acceptance movement could get off the ground let alone get out of its chair.

[Kisho]

I can't help but feel the world is becoming far to, for lack of a better word, wimpy. I mean is it going to get to the point where no one is allowed to be poked fun at ever?

No. Nobody seriously wants to remove the jokes, nobody wants to make an unfun world of political correctness gone CRAAAAZY. This is a logical fallacy to suggest this.

Sure, some people are rather misguided in their attempts for equality and an end to discrimination, but the goal is a valid one: get rid of hatred in our world. Get rid of discrimination, insults, and sometimes even violence against each other.

See, there appears to be a life cycle to these causes.

-One group of closed-minded, ignorant and hateful idiots start hating a particular group of people.
-The victimised group rally back, try to bring this problem to the attention of the masses.
-A different group to the first, of people who may have joked around with their friends about the victimised group, feel as though they are being targeted by the victimised group. They get offended and rally back, even though they were never the true target in the first place.
-The victimised group sees this as proof that they are victims and double their efforts, which annoys more people, who fight back harder, and it all just gets confusing and dumb.

Grossly over-simplified, but you get the idea. No matter where you stand on this issue, one thing can be agreed upon: hate is wrong. Discrimination is wrong. It needs to be fixed. Reacting with hostility to these blogs and other activists is just making the whole situation worse.

Keep in mind the overall goal of these activists: they're all fighting for the same thing. An end to hatred. I'd like to think we can all agree that would be a good thing.

---------- Post added 2012-11-13 at 12:03 PM ----------

I don't hate fat people because they're fat I hate the ones that moan about it and also those that claim they have a medical condition. I know there are actual genetics and stuff that can cause people to get fat but 1. that's a very small minority and 2. Even if you do have a condition like that it doesn't mean you should be eating a family bucket of KFC to your self on a regular basis.

And to be honest I'd be surprised if the fat acceptance movement could get off the ground let alone get out of its chair.

Ignorance. Also strawman.

You've created this idea of a fat person in your head, and assume every fat person is exactly the same. Who says those with a medical condition that causes them to be fat are also those eating entire tubs of KFC? They could be eating perfectly healthily most of the time, and then this one time you catch them going to KFC and oh crap, they must go there every day for every meal!

Society's tolerance for body shapes/sizes is also way too low. There are so, SO many healthy men and women who are larger than the average person, yet they still get deemed fat by the masses. Even though they eat their 5 a day, get exercise, etc.

There's a brilliant picture that shows Olympians of all shapes and sizes. These are men and women who are the best of the best; at their peak condition. Yet if you saw some of them walking down the street, you'd call them fat. But they're probably far fitter than you.

[PizzaSHARK]

Society's tolerance for body shapes/sizes is also way too low. There are so, SO many healthy men and women who are larger than the average person, yet they still get deemed fat by the masses. Even though they eat their 5 a day, get exercise, etc.

There's a brilliant picture that shows Olympians of all shapes and sizes. These are men and women who are the best of the best; at their peak condition. Yet if you saw some of them walking down the street, you'd call them fat. But they're probably far fitter than you.

Oh, absolutely. My sister's in the PR side of the fashion industry and the models that a lot of companies use are, to be honest, thin to the point of almost certainly being underweight (unhealthy.) But because those are considered the models everyone needs to try and emulate, anything that deviates from that is "fat."

I agree that aspect needs to change. Hell, I've seen articles saying that it's healthy to have a few - like five to ten, depending on frame and height - extra pounds, and it makes sense, since fat is just stored energy; your body would want to have a little surplus in case you have to miss a meal or three (not likely in modern society, but our bodies are still living in the cave man era as much as I can tell.)

But this "I'm a victim because I lack the self-control and discipline to control my eating habits and get enough exercise," shit needs to stop, immediately. I've seen fat people claim that because they face (some) discrimination for being fat, they're on an equal level with minorities and LGBTs when it comes to having to face ridicule and discrimination in society - which is fucking ridiculous, but these people actually believe what they're saying.

Makes me want to crack a joke about getting outside and seeing the real world to see how disconnected from reality they are.

[Deleted]

Ignorance. Also strawman.

You've created this idea of a fat person in your head, and assume every fat person is exactly the same. Who says those with a medical condition that causes them to be fat are also those eating entire tubs of KFC? They could be eating perfectly healthily most of the time, and then this one time you catch them going to KFC and oh crap, they must go there every day for every meal!

Society's tolerance for body shapes/sizes is also way too low. There are so, SO many healthy men and women who are larger than the average person, yet they still get deemed fat by the masses. Even though they eat their 5 a day, get exercise, etc.

There's a brilliant picture that shows Olympians of all shapes and sizes. These are men and women who are the best of the best; at their peak condition. Yet if you saw some of them walking down the street, you'd call them fat. But they're probably far fitter than you.

You've got me wrong here I don't dislike the average fat person I even stated I only hate the ones that bitch an moan about. I admit the KFC thing may have given you the wrong idea but I was making the generalization that there are people who claim to have this type of condition yet you still see them always snaking and eating fast food. I judge people on them not of their weight but as soon as someone starts moaning about having all these stairs everywhere they go and expect people to feel sorry for them I just think to myself 'fack off'.

I know a woman who is big herself but she is the loveliest person you will ever meet she never complained about he weight and when asked she says she's comfortable with it and she herself is annoyed when people can't just go I'm fat because of my choices and/or am just to damn lazy to exercise.

[Slummish]

And to be honest I'd be surprised if the fat acceptance movement could get off the ground let alone get out of its chair.

I'm sitting here in the dark watching my dying grandmother sleep and sifting through threads... This made me laugh aloud and I woke up the poor dear. Thanks. I needed that.

[Silhouette of Seraphim]

I like the part about halfway down where the fatty claims it's other people aren't taking personal responsibility for themselves.

If people could sit around and be fat in their homes and didn't inconvenience anyone else around them, that'd be fine. Unfortunately that's by far the reality of the situation, as anyone who's been stuck behind or had to be crammed into a plane, train, movie theater, etc. seat can attest to.

Also, you don't have to be thin to chew with your fucking mouth closed. Fact. Locked. Personal pet peeve there. Some like to treat it like an Olympic sport to see how much can be shoveled in at once.

[Spectral]

I'm sick of the term "privilege" in general, as it's mostly used as a way to shut down criticism rather than a way to add anything at all to conversation. Applying "privilege" to something that's generally a set of choices that are made seems absolutely absurd. I can at least see what someone's driving at when they say, "white privilege" or "male privilege" or "heterosexual privilege". I don't know that "thin privilege" could even mean anything useful; among other problems, it relies on the assumption that the individual in question wasn't ever fat.

---------- Post added 2012-11-13 at 08:33 AM ----------

For a lot of people being fat is just as much a part of who they are as any other trait and for many overweight individuals long term successful weight loss is an impossibility.

Nonsense. If this were valid, our entire history would have been plagued by roughly equal amounts of obesity. Instead, just 50 years ago, the average weight was ~25 pounds lower (one source). People are the weight they are because of their own choices, not because of something intrinsic in the person. I realize there are exceptions to this, but I can't stand when people decide to pretend that rare exceptions are actually the norm.

I know this wasn't the main thrust of your post, I just really dislike the idea of telling anyone, "hey, you're stuck the way you are". It robs people of agency, which is a lot worse than someone calling them a fatty.