If You Are FAT you are not worthy! | 23 comments (23 topical, 1 hidden)
A few things (none / 0)
1)-You may know this, but it's worth repeating: Weight and height alone are antiquated measures. It's all about body composition, aka the percentage of bodyfat relative to lean meass.

Someone can be 6'1 250 and in amazing muscular shape or they can be clinically obese and at increased risk for a variety of health conditions. Weight has some use but bodyfat percentage is far more important. Someone can be at a "normal weight" and still be unhealthy.


2)-It's the biology stupid. NOTE: That was a fun play on words based on Clinton, just so you don't read it the wrong way. At any rate, it's true. Being into clear skin and a certain waist-hip-ratio is not society, it's biology.


It's on our genes to seek these things out, and research (by Helen Fisher and many others) shows that symmetry, clear skin and a particular waist-hip-ratio spans cultures across the globe. With that said, society puts these natural ingrained desires on steroids through make-up, air-brushing, push-up bras, tanning, etc.


Generally speaking marketers don't create phyiscal desires out of thin air, they just exaggerate our existing desires and create an unrealistic ideal to keep the physical perfection carrott just out of our reach.


3)-Did you see the other day when Cenk and Ana agreed that Scarlett Johannson had lost too much weight and she looked better before? I completely agree with them.


And I've said many times in the past that too many women fall into the trap of excessive diet and cardio (and tanning). But like many things in life, there should be some balance.


Unfortunately the bottom line is that judging others based on physical appearance is not a purely societal construct, it's a deeply biological one. Should we try to recognize how society exaggerates and exploits this for profit? Yes. But it's often times fighting an uphill battle IMO.


The other tricky thing is that America is the fattest country on earth! We have this strange polarization of perfect and completely unhealthy, sedentary slobs.

by Tom Hanc on 04/09/2009 03:16:54 PM EST

Shoot (none / 0)
Remind me to do a comment preview next time, sorry about the spacing. And I really do need to download Google spell check again.

by Tom Hanc on 04/09/2009 03:17:48 PM EST

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Spellchecker (none / 0)

If you use Firefox they have a Spellchecker add-on.

Where you can correct words like you are using Microsoft Word. 

Awesome! 

"Everything That Is Green...Is KeeN"

by GGooDie on 04/10/2009 08:50:36 AM EST

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Thanks! (none / 0)
Although Firefox obnoxiously blocks my downloads and I've been too lazy to get around it so I'm using Explorer for TYT only.

PS---Dove Evolution, work-safe.

by Tom Hanc on 04/10/2009 01:47:14 PM EST

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about judgement (none / 0)
I agree that we respond to physical appearance on a biological level.  We all have our own tastes when it comes to who or what we find attractive in another person.

However, I don't understand the need for unnecessary cruelty when talking about the appearance of others.  At various times TYT have used adjectives like "nasty", "disgusting", and "gross" when talking about those they deem as too fat or too skinny or too ugly.  More than once, this had angered me to the point of reconsidering my membership.  

It's fine if they don't find someone attractive, but I'm often disappointed by the meanness of the commentary that occurs during the entertainment sections of the show.  Am I crazy for wanting TYT to hold themselves to a higher standard?

by pmdtrans on 04/10/2009 12:27:51 AM EST

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I understand what you're saying (none / 0)
And I think it would make for a members only question (assuming you're a member).

You know, you could ask something like "do you ever fear that your third hour and post game show talk about sex and "nasty, "disgusting" or "gross" people could impact your chances of hitting the big time? That you'll have less credibility or that the comments could come back to haunt you?

For whatever reason, I'm personally NOT bothered by the comments. And this is coming from someone who's had body image issues from the age of 6 due to be being fat. And barring surgery, I can have a pretty good body, but no six-pack. It's not a mental thing, it's physically impossible.

That's what sucks about set-point, it's very easy to get your body physiologically accustomed to higher weight, but it HATES it when you try to reset it to lower one. And big weight loss can mean stretch marks and loose skin, etc.

At any rate, I'm rambling now. I understand your point but they don't bother me, largely because they're generally discussing celebrities or others who WANT to be in the public eye (and or they have a ton of fame/money so being criticized on appearance is a very small price to pay and I'd trade places with them in a heartbeat) OR they talk about people who'll never (ever) know.

Like some mug shot from a hooker, etc. They say what I'm actually thinking "wow, she looks beat". I think *most* people have these thoughts, so to that end the honesty is refreshing.

But I understand there can be a fine line between "keepin it real" and "keepin it really mean". Some are just at a different end of the spectrum on that issue.

by Tom Hanc on 04/10/2009 01:17:34 PM EST

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Just a small bit to add... (none / 0)
You're male, and they don't spend much time talking about in the same way that they shred the female celebrities for perceived physical defects.

As a woman who's struggled with weight and body issues all my life (from childhood, like yourself), when I hear them pick apart someone for gaining ten pounds, or refer to someone who's appearance may be similar to my own in a derogatory way, it's hard not to take it personally.  I am a member, and have been for years, but I find myself reconsidering more and more often whether or not I want to sustain my membership. I'm really, really tired of the meanness.  

by pmdtrans on 04/11/2009 08:13:40 AM EST

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True (none / 0)
But trust me, I don't need TYT to talk about it, it's all over the magazines, tv shows and movies (if you read that blog I wrote quite a while ago on the men/women disconnect).

In some ways I'm abnormally concerned with body image, because of my childhood/teen experience. My current GF will attest to that. It makes summer a much less enjoyble season, worrying about body hair and a gut, or receding hair-line, etc.

No question that women still have more pressure (I would argue that's also rooted in biology, not that it makes it right but it is what it is), but the playing field is not quite as far off as some would think.

I think part of why the TYT talk doesn't bother me is because Cenk himself is overweight. If he looked like (insert hot male actor here), I'm sure it'd be a different story. And yes, Ana is pretty, but she's expressed the lack of confidence she has in certain things about herself.

PS---Don't cancel. At the very least, take some time to carefully craft a concise but hard hitting members only question they can answer in the post game show.

by Tom Hanc on 04/11/2009 11:46:22 AM EST

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If You Are FAT you are not worthy! | 23 comments (23 topical, 1 hidden)