Comments on: Fat-22

By: sara

sara — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:57:10 +0000

This was excellent. I especially liked the part about having to be better while being told you’re worse.

I feel like every time I (or any other zaftig woman I know) succeed or am popular or pretty, it’s seen as a “Bully for you, you did it in spite of your dress size!” thing. These things are only natural if you’re a size 2, but if you’re a 22, it’s like you’re in the Special Olympics of life and somehow wondrous that you can even function. Such utter stupidity and bias. The only thing worse is how insidious it is, creeping in and making me doubt my ability to do something.

By: Nikita

Nikita — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:20:14 +0000

I watched the fiasco with Tocorra on that show. It pissed me off . I also watched as Tyra later tried to defend herself against being called fat by the media. Hmmm, it makes you think. I do not trust this show to lift up larger women past a size 4. I really do not. What I have never understood about the fashion industry is how in the heck is it representative of all of us if only a very small percentage of us can wear it well? I have heard women who wear 8-12 bemoan their behind, their hips, their breast. They TOO do not feel beautiful enough, pretty enough etc. That is what the fashion industry does to us, when we allow them too. Bigger more realistic models WERE the standard at one time, but Twiggy took care of that. LOL. I look at Tyra, and I know in her mind allowing the beautiful, vivacious big girl back on the stage just simply seems right to her. I understand that she knows it is right. But, looking at her response when she was accused of being a big girl, I do not think she gets it, not really, so NO I am not surprised about Tocorra’s treatment, or Diane’s the other full figured girl on that “competition”. I personally think it was done only because they want to prove that the show is not conforming only to the fashion industry’s standard, but in the end, they are just the same.

By: kateharding

kateharding — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:28:53 +0000

Lucy, size 8 is now where “plus” modeling begins. (Most working plus models are, I believe 12-14.) Bleh.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:29:20 +0000

Sarah, I did not know that Crystal Renn was in Vogue, but then again I don’t really consider her a plus-size model at size 14. That’s the size of the average woman in the U.S. In my mind, “plus” denotes more than average. *Sigh* No wonder Wintour let her in.

I remember when size 8 and size 10 were the coveted sizes, not 4/2/0.

It’s hard to express the profound pain I feel to know that even behind the scenes, regardless of talent/sense of style/qualification/intelligence/education/etc. I would never be hired at Vogue until I lost weight. I don’t aspire to work at Vogue, but just feeling so markedly barred from anywhere is deeply dispiriting.

By: fillyjonk

fillyjonk — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:19:20 +0000

It's funny that fashion models are supposed to be all "editorial," yet when there's one who really does fall outside the conventions of model beauty, it's just all too shocking. Funny-looking models are avant garde; non-skinny models, on the other hand, couldn't possibly be making some kind of larger point, they merely lack willpower!

By: kateharding

kateharding — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:04:25 +0000

Christ, you could have a whole “America’s Next Confident Fat Girl” competition.

I would so watch that.

Hmm. YouTube series, anyone?

By: Madge

Madge — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:58:20 +0000

Wintour must have been asleep at the wheel to let Renn somehow slip by…..That woman is pure evil. She’s a true enemy to women everywhere.

As is Janice Dickinson, aka, the crypt keeper. I’m so surprised Tyra has her on the show. I’ve personally never watched it, as I suspected there was a lot of fat hatred afoot, (regardless if there were any plus size models on the show or not). I’m so not surprised to hear that Toccara was eliminated, but i am surprised to hear that she’s subsequently lost weight. what a shame. I wonder if jordan sparks (was that her name.. the AI winner?) will soon follow suit and lose weight to conform.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:20:29 +0000

Lucy, plus-size model Crystal Renn has been featured in Vogue magazine a few times. Maybe Wintour is coming around a bit?

By: Joy Nash

Joy Nash — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:33:29 +0000

Amen!!
btw Tyra Banks has had a couple of fat model competitions on her talk show..
I think there was America’s Next Top Plus Model.. and there was something about Thick and Sexy Models …
It is kind of weird that she’s creating a whole separate category there.. but I do like to see the fat girls. I don’t know…

By: Lucy

Lucy — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:43:55 +0000

I forgot to add that I was so frustrated when the one judge said, “America just isn’t ready for a plus-size America’s Top Model.” Uh, yes, we are! I think America is long overdue for plus-size representation in fashion and film. It was so obvious that it is the forces that run the fashion industry, like those judges, that aren’t “ready” for plus-size as mainstream. They are the ones who can lead the changes, but it’s clear they do not want to.

After I read The Obesity Myth by Campos, I read The Beauty Myth by Wolf. She raises an excellent point about how fashion, advertising, cosmetics, and the like are fueled by women’s self-hatred. I’m not sure if the fashion industry would ever let plus-sizes become acceptable because where would the self-hatred go? Would it hurt their business?

Ugh. I only need to think of Anna Wintour to be reminded why I don’t trust the fashion industry. Not only does she refuse to feature plus-size anything in Vogue, but she will not hire fat people to work behind the scenes either.