"Notes from the Fatosphere" via Fat O'Sphere in Google Reader

Checking in from the airport…

2009-11-14T04:48:36-08:00

…to say what the F is with airline personnel looking at me like I’ve sprouted an extra head for having purchased a second seat? If I’m not obviously fat enough for the seats maybe it’s not that I’m so fat but that the seats are so small! Posted in BeingSuperFat, DayInTheLife, travel [...]

Tights review- We Love Colors

2009-11-13T18:29:52-08:00

Oh my darlings.

So much to talk about today.

First up my review of We Love Colors Plus size black striped tights. See them here. For full disclosure I was sent these tights for free via Twitter somehow (totally the second time for this sorta thing ever the first was a sex toy) and the communication wasn't stellar but whatever. I am a hosiery and tights lover of epic proportions and have been lusting for stripey tights.

Let's begin.

First issue I had with these tights is the sizing. The striped tights only have one plus size which is as follows:

weight height
160 - 250 lbs 5'5" - 6'

Okay first of all I am 5'3" and short legged. So I knew they were going to be too long at the get go. And I was right when I got them holy fucking shit were they long.

I have always been short legged so the length thing wasn't a deal breaker when I saw how gorgeous they were.

I got the black/violet and holy shit y'all they are so pretty. I couldn't get a super accurate picture due to cloudy weather/lighting at work not being great but here you go.

That does not capture how beautifully purple the stripes are.

So on a purely visual basis my first thought was WIN WIN WIN WIN.

After opening the package I really -really wanted to love them but I didn't.

My first issue is the texture. Being that these things cost 12$ I was expecting higher quality material. These were pretty much just like the usually cheaper Leg Avenue striped tights or other novelty tights you find.

Also too much nylon and not enough lycra means there is not enough snap back stretch and for the price I would expect that. Also it means that the tights are kind of scratchy which brings me to the construction.

Despite the heavy on the nylon material, while putting on the tights they felt okay. I have pretty long nails and poked a few spots while putting them on without making holes.

Now there is one huge problem for me with the construction, this weird ushaped ass seam. There is a seam that felt on my skin like I had saggy drawers or something and after about forty minutes I just wanted to take them off. Huge points off for that. I have worn many different brands of tights and never come across that. I am assuming that it's an added panel to give some room for junk in the trunk but I found it really uncomfortable.

Through the day, these tights sagged badly and I found myself hiking them up constantly from the thigh because the waistband area was pulled and rolled two times all the way up under my boobs.

Overall I would not actually ever buy these for myself.

For one pair with shipping to the US is 17$ and for me that's a lot of money to drop on a single pair of tights and I just wouldn't do it after wearing a pair. I was really disappointed with pretty much everything except for the color. I might have forgiven the itchiness of them if it weren't for the weird ass seam but there you have it.

A thumb and a half down.

For that kind of fit I honestly would spend less and buy some queen size that will run you anywhere from 5-7$ at costume shops etc around the internets.

Save yourself ten bucks and get a cupcake or a lipstick instead.

For me plus size tights optimally fulfill the following requirements:

Enough stretch in the form of lycra or spandex to keep their shape.
Options for short fat asses because fat does not always equal tall.
Options for long legged tall fat asses.
No weird ass seams. (Really I CANNOT get over that you guys, that shit bugged me so much you don't even know and I didn't bring pants to wear that day so I couldn't take them off when I got home.)
Adequately sized patterns. Scale the patterns so that there is extra room evenly otherwise they will not fit okay.

You get my drift.

Honestly, I really don't see myself paying 15$ a pair for the regular plus size tights at We Love Colors either. I love tights but that's really just too much for my budget.

I will sacrifice awesome colors to save some bucks.

For some other less pricy options keep your eye out at places like Just My Size, Target (Merona brand tights are love for me, the 1X fits me really well aside from being a little too long), Avenue, Woman Within. A random google search of plus size tights can bring you some awesome finds as well.

The bottom line is, I'm going to keep looking because I do really love interesting tights. I will probably wear the stripes again but probably with short pants over them and boots.

So back to Nanowrimo.

Tomorrow I want to talk about some fetish fashions and some fatgoth groaning. But I'll give some ideas for what I deem gothables if you're like me and not a super fancy goth in lots of sizes because I know some of my homies need bigger sizes.

Okay.

I hit 17K WOOOT and I'm aiming for 18.5 before I leave work in three and a half hours.

I love you guys.

Homo out.

If you are seeing this post anywhere other than http://nudemuse.org/bloger.html or via a feed reader it has been stolen.

Tights review- We Love Colors

2009-11-13T06:41:00-08:00

weight height
160 - 250 lbs 5'5" - 6'

If you are seeing this post anywhere other than http://nudemuse.org/bloger.html or via a feed reader it has been stolen.

Moral Extortion —

2009-11-13T12:07:00-08:00

In defense of liking my body

2009-11-13T15:15:00-08:00

In response...

Anonymous...

"your hourglass shape, "straight normal-size nose," "firm arse" etc. etc. are all just as much parts of the culturally imposed beauty ideal as thinness is."

I suppose so yes, but I'm I think thinness is beautiful as long as it's not from starvation... Things belonging to the social ideal aren't automatically ugly. And neither are things not-belonging. I, personally, don't feel the need to reject every aspect of an ideal which is part of the culture I belong too - I do think our cultural ideal needs to expand with our cultural experience, and in line with reality.

"By listing them as reasons to like your body you're implying that the only reason to like your body is if it looks as close as possible to that beauty ideal. "

I fear I have been misunderstood, or perhaps not set the scene strongly enough. I was referring to finding things I like specifically while looking in the mirror. There are other things I like about my body, but that I can't necesserily see in the mirror - such as my physical strength, or my sense of touch. And you can be beautiful or sexy and not fit into the cultural ideal; and there's plenty of me that doesn't. An example of beauty i can see from where I'm sitting, my boyfriend is the most beautiful person I've ever known, in every way - he's quite short (which is sexy), and has a beard (handsome) - not exactly the ideal for the North East of England).

How do you think women whose boobs are saggy, or whose noses aren't "straight and normal sized" (which is also a very racialized concept) should learn to love their bodies

Look for things THEY like about THEIR bodies?
As to it being a racialised concept, I'm was talking about myself - and I'm a white middle class woman about in the UK, about to turn 30. So yes, I'm referring to my own racial and cultural standards here, because truthfully I don't have alot of experience outside of my these bounds. I don't claim to speak for anyone else here, it's a pretty self-involved project all told.

How do you think women whose bodies are less culturally acceptable than yours might feel when they read this post? If there is nothing that is generally considered attractive about a woman's body, is her body not worthy of respect?
I would hope that they'd be able to find beauty somewhere in themselves. I would hope they realise that I'm talking about myself and not critisising them.

If you, Anonymous, honestly believe your own body is 'less culturally acceptable' to my body (which you've not seen) and want me to second-guess how you feel: I hope you love your 'culturally unacceptable' body, and if you don't then I hope that you can start opening yourself to seeing things you do love about yourself.

I suspect, however from your comment and the fact you don't want to reveal your identity, that you feel pretty bad. I'm sorry if you do, because I've spent more than 15 years feeling pretty bad too. I suspect that you're so used to seeing insult and cultural pressure that you apply it to anything you read. I suspect you might not like yourself very much and if that's the case I'm sorry that you chose to interpret what I said about liking myself as a personal attack on you. But I don't know who you are, or any of these theoretical people who might be reading - it's not really my responsibility to second-guess anyone's feelings, they can think whatever they want.

If there is nothing that is generally considered attractive about a woman's body, is her body not worthy of respect?

And yes, everyone's body is worthy of respect.

The revelation to me, in saying that, is that for the one of the first times I've said it I've not silently added "except mine."

153 / ootd: leopard madness

2009-11-13T13:40:00-08:00

Today has been one of the most trying days. I left my purse on the shuttle bus this morning and have been trying to track it down all day. I thought I had lost everything, camera, keys, wallet. Thank goodness I was able to retrieve it with everything accounted for!

I picked up this leopard dress in the Torrid 50% off clearance because it was $20. I never ever wear animal prints but I figured I’d try to branch out a bit plus, its the same silhouette as my other favorite Torrid dress. I’m still a bit unsure about it though.

Favorite Torrid dress. Its seriously amazing!

dress, belt, bracelets, rings, tights - torrid // jacket - evans // boots - walmart

Plus Size Magazine-SKORCH prepares for a Digital Takeover

2009-11-13T10:01:03-08:00

Plus Size Fashion Magazine Sensation “SKORCH” Announces Plans for a Digital Take-Over As social networking and the digital space become increasingly popular, and due to the overwhelming...

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The fat nutritionist in hiding.

2009-11-13T10:41:36-08:00

Since becoming involved in size acceptance, somewhere back around the end of 2000, I’ve had a series of comings-out.

I first had to tell my husband and family I was quitting my diet, and all further weight loss attempts. That was a little hard, since I’d been such a devoted and obnoxiously voceriferous dieter (I’m sure you can imagine, given how obnoxiously vociferous a fat acceptance activist I now am. The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

Eventually, I got around to telling my friends, too. In the process, I discovered something that startled: every single one of my female friends had the same issues with weight, eating, and body image that I’d, until then, imagined were my own personal neuroses. I was floored to discover just how common these problems are, and how good we are at hiding them from each other.

I started writing online around 2002, in a personal journal-thingy, as I was discovering more of the literature on health and weight and dieting, and as I came to my decision to pursue a nutrition degree. I had catty drama-filled fights with pro-ana bloggers and with dedicated dieters, and we all did a lot of pearl-clutching at how insane we each thought the other was. Eventually, I realized that, despite appearances, we really were all on the same team, struggling in different ways, using different methods, with the very same problems.

The first time I spoke in public, to real, live people, about Health at Every Size and my own decision to accept myself was in the late summer of 2002. I nearly peed my pants before standing up in front of my biology class and saying loud and clear, I’m a fat lady and I think that’s okay. I thought I would be pelted with rotten tomatoes. Instead, people rushed to encourage and thank me. I was bowled over by just how needed the message of size acceptance was.

I then proceeded through school, writing papers about weight and Health at Every Size and body image whenever the opportunity presented. I did a couple more presentations where I talked frankly about how I’m a fat lady and I think that’s okay. Again, I never received the rotten tomatoes that I never failed to imagine I somehow deserved.

I wrote for and was active on Big Fat Blog for a number of years; I attended a conference about Fat Studies and met heroes — truly kind, scarily intelligent, morally advanced people.

And this has been an inventory of all the ways in which I didn’t hide.

But there were other parts of my life. There was work at the hospital, or rather, hospitals. Despite being a visibly, unapologetically fat person working in nutrition, I was hiding. I never told my bosses about my extracurricular activities, about my interest in fat acceptance.

The closest I came was when, once, my boss asked me what I was writing my term paper on, and I said, “Health at Every Size.” When another dietitian (who I love dearly) asked me how I felt about my own weight, I responded with a hedging, “As long as I’m healthy…”

I put a quote by Marilyn Wann on the wall above my desk, as a reminder of my principles in an environment that was sometimes hostile to my beliefs. It said, “You can’t hate people for their own good.” Sometimes my volunteers asked what it meant, and I mumbled something about prejudice and discrimination. I never explained it to anyone. I was hiding.

This September, I concluded my work as a diet tech at the hospitals. I had the good fortune to work in many areas (like eating disorders and oncology, and with frail, older inpatients) where my job was to encourage, not discourage, eating and enjoyment of food, where any focus on weight was more toward gaining than losing. This made me happy, and I believe my own comfort with food and my body gave me a special knack in this, because there was no inner conflict for me in encouraging people to eat and be satisfied with themselves. But still — I was hiding.

When I began this website and began using my real name in emails and when talking to the media, it scared the shit out of me. When I knew that I had to cowgirl up and actually start promoting myself, admitting to the fatosphere that I’m a nutritionist, and admitting to the nutrition world that I’m one of those fringe fat acceptance nuts, it scared the shit out of me. My cover was blown.

And, predictably, I took some heat for all that. It wasn’t unexpected, but it still scared the shit out of me. I also took a lot of sweetness for it, from people who have been encouraging and admiring and thankful. This, I wasn’t expecting — the sweetness scared the shit out of me, too.

I’ve been in the habit, for a long time, of singing in empty rooms, of reading my poems to no one in particular, of deliberately flying under the radar. It’s a comfortable place for me, for though I’ve always had a streak of the performer in me, I’ve also always abhorred a crowd, hated to have eyeballs on me unless protected by full costume and greasepaint.

To stand here, unaided by artifice, for people to yea or nay my value as a contributor to this world, has been unthinkable to me. I suppose because I take that vote seriously. I integrate it into my valuation of myself.

And now, here I am. Not only have I opened myself up for judgment, I have staked my professional reputation, and possibly the ability to feed and shelter myself, on my name, on this page on the internet. I have sworn like a sailor, I have proclaimed that a lot of nutrition is bullshit, and I have encouraged people to do the unthinkable by feeding their kids dessert twice a day. I’ve ruined the façade that I so carefully cultivated and conserved, and I’m not entirely sure, now, what to do with myself.

My only option remains to construct something new from these remnants.

But I’m struggling. I am not, by nature or training, a carpenter. I’m someone who sits at the back of the class, who covers her writing with her hand, who doesn’t answer the telephone — who, in short, keeps secrets.

But if I’m truly okay with who and what I am, there shouldn’t be a need for secrets, or to shrink from the yeas and nays. The referendum on my right to exist should be fixed, and I should have full right of veto.

Writing this blog is as much about helping people come to terms with their eating as it about helping myself come to terms with being visible. I apologize in advance that you will be exposed to a lot of the messiness and self-indulgence inherent in that process, but you can skip over those parts if you like. There will be times when it will seem like I am talking to myself, because, well — sometimes I am. It’s a habit that isn’t so easily extinguished. I suppose it’s a way of clearing my throat for the actual singing that must be done, whether I like it or not, before an audience.

Ellyn Satter said something this past week that made sense to me: “Somehow, going over and over a thing takes the bother out of it.”

So that’s what I’ll be doing here, taking the bother out of, finally, showing you my face.

Open post: “Am I a feminist?”

2009-11-13T10:53:28-08:00

Amethyst22 wrote a very poignant wondering-out-loud kind of post this week on Feministing’s community blog that I thought would make for good conversation here. She writes: I’m a feminist. I believe women are all beautiful no matter what their size shape or color. But I can’t believe I’m beautiful. I am an activist for women’s reproductive rights. I’m so [...]

Fatty Clothes – Tight or Loose?

2009-11-13T09:53:37-08:00

“Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.” Euripides

This harkens back to the old fatty issue of “to tuck or not to tuck”. I was a tuckee for many years, until my physique changed and I became an un-tuckee. My criteria being what made ME feel comfortable and attractive?

I am so happy to see more and more fatties wearing tight clothes. How I envy them their self confidence. I admit to being a more draped kind of girl, but I am working on it. I now traipse around the house in tight legging jeans and a cami top – and when I see myself in the mirror, I think I look pretty damn good. I even go outside dressed like that – but if I’m going to the store, I confess that I throw on a sweater.

I am not advocating one style over the other; but I’ll tell you one thing I learned back in my misspent youth working in a fat lady clothing store – if you wear loose fitting clothes, most people will assume that you are as big as those clothes, so you might as well show them exactly what you got!

Of course what you wear is also determined on what you’re going to be doing – I work in a law office, and they would be very unhappy if I came in with my boobs and/or belly and/or butt in view. For my own personal comfort, I usually try to keep most of those parts covered anyhow – except the boobs – sometimes. Hey boobs are a goodness.

But when I’m on campus, I love when I see fatties who have their bellies peaking out! You go girl! When we go to a size-acceptance dance, I love the fatties who are obviously reveling in their curves! It rocks!

Personally, I also have to deal with the issue of age-appropriateness. This is another toughie for me. In my head, I’m still in the midst of that misspent youth! I’ll see something adorable, to die for, and then there’s that nasty voice in the back of my head saying — should someone YOUR age really wear that? Sometimes I tell the voice to shut up; other times I have to say, okay – not really for me. But I try to base these decisions on what I am comfortable with — not what society says I “should” be wearing.

As I’ve said before, we all do the best we can at any given time. Somedays I’m up for making a statement by wearing tight clothes or putting red or purple in my hair. Somedays, I’m not up for the battle.

But I do try to dress to the occasion, to my own comfort level, and to my personal standards of appropriateness. Looking “good”, in and of itself, is a statement to the world. It shows fat-phobes and people who might otherwise be unaware, that fatties can (and do) look good; and it serves as a “good example” to other fatties. Sad to say, some fatties don’t think they can look good unless and until they lose weight. So you are putting them on notice too – hey, I look good – so can you!

And that is what I try to keep in mind when I see fatties in tight or revealing clothes. They look great – I’m like them – I can (and do) look great too! We’re in it together my fat friends.

Hello Beautiful- Excuse me, Whiny? Plus Size women are NOT

2009-11-13T08:52:35-08:00

I start this off shaking my head as I read this article with disgust… yesterday, I had the pleasure of stumbling over to Hello Beautiful, when this title stopped me in my tracks. It read: Plus- Size...

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And the Winner Is…

2009-11-13T08:24:55-08:00

by sylvia

So who was the big winner of our Amazon Gift Card Contest, you ask?

It was CTJen! Visit her over at http://knittinginterrupted.com/.

She correctly guessed that the #3 search term people used to find our blog was She-Hulk! Yep, She-Hulk. I’ll self promote and link to the original post I wrote about She-Hulk here.

Congratulations, CTJen, and thank you all for participating!

152 / musings around the web 11/13 edition

2009-11-13T08:01:26-08:00

- Big Gurl Fashion shows off sequins and snakeskin. Fab!

- Saks in the City features curvy street style of Emeline.

- Young, Fat & Fabulous is wearing all black everything.

- Fashion, Love & Martinis asks what is your fashion holy grail?

- Garner Style interviews the amazing Velvet D’Amour.

- Frocks and Frou Frou is chic in black and white!

- Hello Love shows off new hair and mixes leather and bows. Totally jealous of that leather blazer!

- Le Blog de Big Beauty is gorgeous in shades of gray.

- Its Shoe Week at The Fat and Skinny on Fashion!

- Cupcakes and High Heels showcases cute cocktail rings and hats.

Back Again, Back Again, Joggety-Jog . . .

2009-11-13T04:45:27-08:00

I came home from work the other evening, went to change into something a little more comfortable, and found that I needed to do laundry. I had no clean workout pants or pyjama pants, and my jeans were at the bottom of the laundry hamper, where I don’t care to forage. After I loaded the washer, [...]

Feel-Good Friday: April Flores, You Can Make Me Feel Good Any Time

2009-11-13T05:32:09-08:00

Are you feeling down, low, sad, lonely, lacking in happiness and needing a tiny little boost to get you through that last patch of Friday and boost you into the weekend? Are you feeling cynical, hateful, sure that the world is bigoted and there are no positive, body-friendly messages left on earth and that everyone wants you to hide asexually in a closet somewhere while science figures out a way to airbrush a living human being into a creature with no creases or crinkles?

I say: Fret no longer, and smile big and wide, because plus-size pinup and pornstar (or “muse, model and erotic performer”) April Flores is posing sexy (and in an unsafe-for-work manner) in this covershoot video for Bizarre magazine. This is her second time on the cover–and her first appearance was the magazine’s best-selling issue last year. She is hot, sexual, and she’s awesome, too.

When a recent piece in US porn trade magazine AVN [was insulting to] big girls…April spoke out. She posted a blog articulating her dismay, and a Twitter update titled, “This fat girl’s pissed off.”

She was delighted at the tidal wave of support she received. “I didn’t expect such a strong reaction from people who clearly feel passionate about their body size,” she says. “I also got a big response from men who are dating or married to bigger girls who were also highly offended.

I did it to vent and to say ‘Hey, this isn’t cool’ but I didn’t expect to get such a reaction.” Support also came from others in the adult industry, “A lot of skinny girls wrote to me – Kimberley Kane supported me and wrote to them also, and I got a comment from Stoya saying ‘good for you.’”

April points out that by attacking big girls, the magazine was badmouthing all women. She says, “These days you can’t be so degrading to women and not expect people to call you on it.”

Check out her interview (probably also unworksafe) for the magazine here, and her definitely not safe for work blog here. And I’ll be over here wishing I had a nickname as awesome as “Fatty Delicious.”

health professionals v. fatties (round 786)

2009-11-13T02:26:50-08:00

Making news today (again) is the apparent difficulty doctors and nurses have in dealing with fatties.

You can read the article here

Basically the nurses are saying the can’t move fat patients on their own and so need cranes etc or extra staff in order to do so. I thought lifting apparatus was mandatory anyway? I thought the unions had made it so that nurses weren’t allowed to lift ANY patients, fat or otherwise… And apparently doctors are having trouble examining fat patients yada yada yada.

Now to me, the obvious answers would be that doctors need to improve their existing skills or learn new ones. They have to ADAPT. But I guess asking the medical profession to do new stuff that wasn’t originally their idea is kind of cheeky (drip drip drip). It is mentioned that bigger beds, bigger gowns and bigger blood pressure cuffs are required in order to treat fatties. Now if all those things were needed to treat premmie babies, sports injuries or car accident victims, I am sure there would be no issue. But because we are talking about fatties and ALL fatties are fat by choice, we can’t possibly expect hospitals etc to outlay more money to accommodate us, or so that, gasp, they can do the job we are paying them to do…

The suggestions is made the fatties only be treated at the hospitals equipped to deal with their fatness. Yep, I can see that saving more lives… some parts of Australia have trouble accessing any sort of hospital let alone a fat specific one…

The complaint regarding taking blood, inserting catheters and IV lines… well I find that interesting. I am deathfatz (morbidly obese) and I have never had any medical professional have trouble doing any of those things to me. I would think the patient who is big enough to have their fat hinder those procedures would have to be much larger than I am and those people are actually a minority in the population. Most fat people are overweight, obese or morbidly obese, they are not (despite what the media etc would have us believe) ’supersized’ (I hate that term personally).

The only time I have had my fat hinder any medical procedure was when I was in the very early stages of my pregnancy with my daughter and it was apparently difficult to feel my uterus through my stomach and I was sent for an internal ultrasound. But then I know many slim women who have also been sent for internal ultrasounds at that point in their pregnancies so who knows…

Personally I think this all comes back to a lack of compassion. Society hates fatties and so rushes to any opportunity to show us all how much of a burden fatties are on the system. It all comes back the mighty dollar, extra resources cost money and gods forbid we should spend money on fatties, cos you know that just enables them to stay fat and fat is evil so we can’t have them staying that way… easier just to let them suffer and die.

Sounds extreme doesn’t it? But really, that is what it comes down to. Conform or we will do our best to get rid of you. Your choice. Yeah, some choice…

Conversation with The Giving Season author Rebecca Brock

2009-11-12T16:07:32-08:00

Click here to listen to and/or download the 50-minute mp3 recording of today's Pearlsong Conversation with Rebecca Brock, author of the newly released rubenesque romance The Giving Season -- and lover of all things zombie. Yes, you read that right....

How to love your body?

2009-11-12T15:13:00-08:00

I'm fairly new to FA, and becoming happy with my body is an ongoing project. My last post was (from just a few days ago), explained the revelation of looking at my body in the mirror and not hating everything I see, I've written about the way I've treated my body in the past, and how I hope never to disrespect it like that in the past. But I'm still calling my body "it". My body isn't an "it", it's me. When I'm hating what I see in the mirror, I'm not hating an external Body, I'm hating myself. When I'm hurting my body, I'm hurting myself.

Disrespecting my body is disrespecting myself.

So now I face the issue of dismantling the 'mind-body' split: Something, incidentally, which I have never believed in intellectually - as a student I used to think (and I still do think) writers who believed that the mind was something separate [and implicitly better] than the body were deluding themselves into human superiority. (I have a degree in Philisophy don't 'cha know). I know that I get physical symptoms when something's wrong psychologically (my panic attacks have always manifested themselves like stomach flu). And yet it's taken me 10 more years from knowing and believing these things to even recognising that I unconsciously acted as if I believed in this delusion, let alone tackling the problem.

There are changes I'm going to have to make to break out of this now-conscious social training. I've got to look after myself, in a much less perfunctory way. I need to be remembering that in order to be healthy I have to nourish and care for my mind and my body. I need to harmonise myself, retune my mind into my body. To train myself to believe, consciously and unconsciously that mind and body are one.

We Have Our Winner!!!!

2009-11-12T13:30:11-08:00

By Bianca

More details in the morning. Thanks for playing guys!

Overdue quote of the day

2009-11-12T10:50:41-08:00

I was listening to NPR’s All Things Considered last week and heard an interview with Sapphire, the author of the novel Push, on which the movie Precious is based. The host asked why it was important that the character be obese, and I found this question and some wording in Bob Mondello’s movie review (“her face so full it seems incapable of expression”) to be at least irritating and perhaps borderline offensive–I felt that they seemed to view Precious and to some extent Gabourey Sidibe, the actress who plays her, as some sort of strange curiosity. So I loved the author’s straightforward and beautiful response, in the context of an anecdote about a white woman who had approached her to indicate that, after seeing the film, “she would never look at an overweight black woman again with the same judgment.” It made me happy to hear.

After seeing this film, she had to deal with an obese black woman as a feeling, intelligent person as a person who dreams, as a person who wants the things that she wants. So we brought up a stereotype, and we cracked it open, and a human being comes forth.