Fat Woman: From Insult to Praise

msabaye
by msabaye
19-Feb-2012
 

I have been watching "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series; a feel-good, humorous television series about life in Botswana. I loved it for many reasons. First, I found out about Botswana, a country neighboring South Africa, and the people. Secondly, the splash of color on the screen that suddenly radiated with orange and yellow and green. The wild life, the culture, and the relax and easy-going attitude were among the numerous attractions. But, the thing that first shocked me and then appealed to me most was the use of the F word, not that one, F as in fat. There I said it.
The main character is a beautiful, "fat woman", as she is called by friends and admirers alike. The first time I heard someone saying to her, you fat woman, I thought there would be explosions. But apparently, unlike here, being fat is not on the top list of crimes there.
It took me a while to get used to that because of the situation in North America. I remembered so many occasions when many of my friends, beautiful women, viewing themselves nervously in a mirror turning to me and asking, "Am I fat?"
I recalled growing up in Iran, women were not expected to be super-skinny. It seemed so far and long ago since I had come across the notion of being fat as being attractive. And this woman never seemed to feel self-conscious about her weight. It was both amazing and refreshing.
I hope one day we come to agreeable terms with diversity in human shape, size, and weight and develop healthier attitudes about ourselves and others: not to worry about being "fat" or being called so. Basically, to reclaim the word fat and not use it as an insult but an adjective in our language.

Balatarin
Share/Save/Bookmark

Recently by msabayeCommentsDate
Freedom to be Poor, Ill, Forsaken
2
Oct 14, 2012
Newfoundland: Leave your Camera behind
1
Sep 29, 2012
Test (Result)
3
Sep 20, 2012
more from msabaye
 
Azadeh Azad

Sheila K.

by Azadeh Azad on Mon Feb 20, 2012 08:54 PM PST

I agree with you that the responsibility of this situation  falls upon young Western women themselves: women of the new generation who did not fight for any of their own rights, thus easily fell for the backlash against feminism initiated mostly by men and the Father's Rights Movement that began in the 80's and began behaving like their great-grandmothers: pleasing men at all cost as the core of their existence.

There is a lesson here: one must constantly fight to maintain the rights one has - whether obtained or given.

After the backlash against feminism and the consequent weight isssue, we had another similar issue:  the 9/11 and the backlash against democracy and personal freedoms in America. A decade later, Americans are just beginning to realize what they took for granted, did not fight to maintain, and lost.

 

Azadeh


  •  
Albaloo

Blame it on the Capitalism.

by Albaloo on Mon Feb 20, 2012 01:42 PM PST

If you ask men the majority prefer curvy women over bony ones but this happens to not be a case in the advertising business. 


  •  
Sheila K

it's women's fault

by Sheila K on Mon Feb 20, 2012 01:33 PM PST

Before blaming media and the fashion industry, I blame women in the Western world (collectively speaking). This is the same civilization who fought for women's equality and brought about the "feminist" movement. But at the end of the day, these women do what comes to them naturally: They are women seeking men's desire and attention at any price.


  •  
Soosan Khanoom

Ali. P

by Soosan Khanoom on Mon Feb 20, 2012 09:20 AM PST

Any man that is worried about his wife or girl friend getting fat is a JERK. Those Jerks are living in their Victoria's Secret dream world and need to be pinched on every single inch of their body if not tasered inorder to wake up. 

And, for your information, according to a Cardiovascular research study subcutaneous fat, the type found in women's butts, hips, and thighs, might protect against health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.  

If health is the reason then I can write a book on how being obsessed with size  " 0 " has been causing serious health problems especially among teens and young women. 


  •  
Cost-of-Progress

Queen even had a song about them

by Cost-of-Progress on Mon Feb 20, 2012 09:20 AM PST

Released in 1978: 

Are you gonna take me home tonight ?
Ah down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out ?
Fat bottomed girls
You make the rockin' world go round

Hey I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad
But I knew life before I left my nursery - huh
Left alone with big fat Fanny
She was such a naughty nanny
Heap big woman you made a bad boy out of me
Hey hey!
Wooh

I've been singing with my band
Across the wire across the land
I seen every blue eyed floozy on the way, hey
But their beauty and their style
Went kind of smooth after a while
Take me to them dirty ladies everytime

C'mon
Oh won't you take me home tonight ?
Oh down beside your red firelight
Oh and you give it all you got
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round

Hey listen here
Now I got mortgages on homes
I got stiffness in ma' bones
Ain't no beauty Queens in this locality (I tell you)
Oh but I still get my pleasure
Still get my greatest treasure
Heap big woman you gonna make a big man out of me

Now get this
Oh (I know) you gonna take me home tonight (please)
Oh down beside that red firelight
Are you gonna let it all hang out ?
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round yeah
Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round

Get on your bikes and ride
Ooh yeah oh yeah them fat bottomed girls
Fat bottomed girls
Yeah yeah yeah
Alright, ride 'em, c'mon
Fat bottomed girls - yes yes




  •  
Esfand Aashena

As Michael Jackson would say: WHO'S FAT?!

by Esfand Aashena on Mon Feb 20, 2012 07:56 AM PST

Everything is sacred


  •  
Ali P.

You just put on a few pounds. ..

by Ali P. on Mon Feb 20, 2012 07:24 AM PST

...and the boyfriend/husband tells you:

"Honey, I am worried about you, getting fat!?"

How would you react?

 

 

 

 

Now, imagine he also happens to be a cardiologist. 

Now how would you react?


  •  
Soosan Khanoom

Interesting blog...

by Soosan Khanoom on Sun Feb 19, 2012 09:03 PM PST

It is all relative to the time one lives ..... Not long ago, being thin was not considered pretty and Women with a plumper figure were constantly admired instead... 

 "He watched the beautiful curving drop of her haunches. That fascinated him to-day. How it sloped with a rich down-slope to the heavy roundness of her buttocks! - Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D. H. Lawrence (Written in 1928.)

As a woman we should learn to love ourselves no matter what ... It takes much more to be a woman than to be judged by the dress size we wear ... 


  •