For instance, the Eiffel Tower. There's this commercial for some new lap band thingy (called Realize, or something like that, which itself makes me want to puke; as in, REALIZE YOU ARE FAT, FATSO or REALIZE YOU'RE NOTHING UNTIL YOU'RE SKINNY, FATASS), and in the commercial, two (not-very) fat individuals--one woman, one man--are stating WHY they want to have this invasive surgery to artificially kill their appetites, and the man says that he wants to do karate with his daughter. Leaving aside the fact that fat can't really stop you from doing karate, especially if you are this man's size, my real problem was with the woman's why: I want to kiss my husband under the Eiffel Tower. So a) this woman wants to get skinny for a man, and b) she can't fit under the Eiffel Tower as she is?
I forgot. Paris is only for skinny people. They won't let you near the Eiffel Tower if you're fat, and watch out for the Louvre and the Orsay too, because those are skinny only zones too. Better not visit Rome or London either, because if you're fat and you try to kiss someone say, in the forum, or the Tower of London, they'll kick your fat ass right out.
And as for the man thing, well, that's tricky, isn't it? One of the things you're not supposed to say about accepting yourself is that it's easier if someone (and I'd say it doesn't have to be a man, but in my situation, it is a man) loves you for you, however you are. It's like this big thing--women should be independent of men especially--and if you say something against it, you're not a feminist. But the thing of it is, it's a LOT easier to love yourself when someone else obviously loves your body. There's no other way to say it, but it's true. I'm sure it's not like that for everyone, but I couldn't feel the way I do right now if I didn't have Sam in my corner adoring me.
The thing about the commercial is, it's subtly saying that men will like you better if you're skinny. Which is, frankly, the biggest load of bullshit ever. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's not like all fat people are disastrously alone, all the time. It's not like fat people aren't getting laid left and right. I think that any sort of generalization about what men will like best is bullshit, because all men (and women) like different things. I'm sure some men only want to kiss skinny women under the Eiffel Tower, and probably some only want to kiss red-haired girls and some only want to kiss smart girls and some only want to kiss girls who laugh at their jokes and some only want to kiss girls who like science fiction movies. People like different things. Maybe the chick in the commercial has a husband who doesn't love her the way she is. But then dude, don't have surgery. Leave the asshole. You shouldn't marry a guy who doesn't love you for you. I know that's reductionist, it's way reductionist. But....if the shoes fits....
Anyhow, the commercial really bothered me. It made me sad.
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