Wal-Mart Fat Girl Costumes

[DiracSpike]

Earlier DA had a post essentially saying it was better to be bald than fat, and laid out some fair points. But as someone losing his hair in his 20s I would rather be fat than bald because being overweight is much more treatable. There is no lifestyle change short of cutting my balls off that will let me keep my hair. In reality we are probably both right and wrong, and if our roles were reversed we would argue the different sides. Most of the body issues people are self conscious about are fickle, don't matter that much to people around us, and are 99% in our heads.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Well, when we discuss the Washington Redskins, it is the disparaged that determine if the term is offensive.

The notion that the "disparaged" get to determine what's offensive is BS in the that context too. Objective standards, please.

Otherwise I can say that I find "atheist" disparaging, and society must stop using the word because I'm the disparaged and thus I get to decide. It's circular logic that leaves us at the whims and fancys of absolutely everyone. Were I to do that, though, all it would indicate is that I hold negative connotations to "atheist", which would likely contradict any argument I might make that it's okay to be atheist.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I know lots of physically fit fat people.

Really? you know a lot of physically fit fat people? Let's not get carried away here. This isn't "chubby" or "overweight", this is fat (as in plus-sized) not just "could stand to lose 10-20 pounds".


Full disclosure, I have battled weight issues my entire life and haven't been considered "skinny" since fourth grade. I got "fat" in grade 9/10 and packed it on, my peak weight was 260 (although that wasn't for very long). I would say that I averaged around 230 pounds from the time I was 16 until I was 22. I'm 5 foot 9. I have been bouncing around between 175-205 ever since and that's entirely lifestyle and diet. I usually hit 205, get upset with myself and get back on to eating right and exercising more.

The truth is I love food. I absolutely love food and I feel like I'm a bottomless pit. I agree with everyone here, it is very very hard to lose weight, this is something that I've tried to tell everyone around me. When I measure my food, refuse to eat sweets or say I really need to go for a run, I have to do these things otherwise once I let my discipline go, I gain weight again.

It's hard, but c'mon that's not an excuse, lots of things are hard.

[Robo]

Wrong thread

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Really? you know a lot of physically fit fat people? Let's not get carried away here. This isn't "chubby" or "overweight", this is fat (as in plus-sized) not just "could stand to lose 10-20 pounds".


Full disclosure, I have battled weight issues my entire life and haven't been considered "skinny" since fourth grade. I got "fat" in grade 9/10 and packed it on, my peak weight was 260 (although that wasn't for very long). I would say that I averaged around 230 pounds from the time I was 16 until I was 22. I'm 5 foot 9. I have been bouncing around between 175-205 ever since and that's entirely lifestyle and diet. I usually hit 205, get upset with myself and get back on to eating right and exercising more.

The truth is I love food. I absolutely love food and I feel like I'm a bottomless pit. I agree with everyone here, it is very very hard to lose weight, this is something that I've tried to tell everyone around me. When I measure my food, refuse to eat sweets or say I really need to go for a run, I have to do these things otherwise once I let my discipline go, I gain weight again.

It's hard, but c'mon that's not an excuse, lots of things are hard.

there are a few in shape "fat" people in professional sports, i.e. Offensive lineman in the NFL or NCAA.

[taco.vidal]

You should put "in shape" in quotes like you did with "fat". Athletes such as lineman may have muscle mass and strength as well as some aerobic fitness but they face the same health problems that "regular" people who carry extra fat do. Its common for such athletes to face significant health issues as they age due to the extra body fat they carry. Im not able to link any research right now, though if you search you'd be able to find some info as there have been studies done.

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

there are a few in shape "fat" people in professional sports, i.e. Offensive lineman in the NFL or NCAA.

[bubbsy]

am curious based on the responses earlier in the thread.

What did CP'ers find more appalling behavior for a professional company to put out there for the public:

The vancouver paper that referred to subban of the nucks as "the dark man in the middle" or Walmart referring to costumes of the large variety as "fat girl costumes".

are they equally bad, one worse than the other, or neither bad, as they are simply using adjectives to describe the person/people in question?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

am curious based on the responses earlier in the thread.

What did CP'ers find more appalling behavior for a professional company to put out there for the public:

The vancouver paper that referred to subban of the nucks as "the dark man in the middle" or Walmart referring to costumes of the large variety as "fat girl costumes".

are they equally bad, one worse than the other, or neither bad, as they are simply using adjectives to describe the person/people in question?

The Subban thing was worse because it was completely unnecessary to make the distinction and it referred directly to an individual human. Newspaper photos typically just say "from left to right" or something like that. In this day, they never use race as a way to distinguish the people in the photo.

With the Wal'mart thing, the "slur" refers to the costumes and not an individual.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

am curious based on the responses earlier in the thread.

What did CP'ers find more appalling behavior for a professional company to put out there for the public:

The vancouver paper that referred to subban of the nucks as "the dark man in the middle" or Walmart referring to costumes of the large variety as "fat girl costumes".

are they equally bad, one worse than the other, or neither bad, as they are simply using adjectives to describe the person/people in question?

See this is what I hate about North American society and the media today. These are both instances of some individual making a bonehead decision and not thinking through when they're typing something up on the computer. Somehow this makes this APPALLING BEHAVIOUR FOR A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY. I'm not sure what makes a company professional, since I think they all do it for money. But nevertheless, because they hired these people and let them get in front of a computer, they're terrible companies and must FACE CONSEQUENCES.

People are dumb, people are occasionally subconsciously racist or prejudice against fat people, but acting as if either of these instances has any relation to the overall beliefs of the companies they work for is a joke, and making a story out of nothing. Its a lapse in review, shouldn't have happened, but it did. Lets fix it and move on with our lives.

[Chill Cosby]

I myself am generally a big proponent of political correctness when it's concerning itself with someone that serves no other purpose than to insult or degrade another human being.

That said, I think some people are confused and generally over sensitive to certain words because they've been hurt by them before. That does not mean those words are inappropriate. If you are fat, you are fat. You may also be "big" or "plus sized" or "overweight" or "obese" but simply put, you are fat. Fat itself is no more or less insulting than any of the other words. It is, however, used more often as an insult. But don't confuse the two.

"Fat" is not an insult. It's effectiveness when used as one is based solely on how you feel about yourself, not the word.

I can say to someone:
"You're fat"
"You're bald"
"You've got acne."
"You're short."
"You've got a big nose."
etc.
And there is no reason any of those should be taken as insulting if that's not the intent. This is NOT like the N word, or the term "Redskin" and to suggest it is does nothing but harm those actually impacted by word that are solely design to marginalise races of people.

In a situation like this, you could say Wal-Mart was a bit insensitive considering the general amount of people that get their back up about being fat. But they weren't being purposely insulting, it was simply a page of costumes for fat girls. I don't get insulted when someone points out descriptors that apply to me if they aren't doing it to try to hurt me.

That's my opinion anyway. If you're fat, losing weight isn't often easy, but it always helps to work on being happy with yourself first.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Earlier DA had a post essentially saying it was better to be bald than fat, and laid out some fair points. But as someone losing his hair in his 20s I would rather be fat than bald because being overweight is much more treatable. There is no lifestyle change short of cutting my balls off that will let me keep my hair. In reality we are probably both right and wrong, and if our roles were reversed we would argue the different sides. Most of the body issues people are self conscious about are fickle, don't matter that much to people around us, and are 99% in our heads.

So, you haven't tried everything then?

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Really? you know a lot of physically fit fat people? Let's not get carried away here. This isn't "chubby" or "overweight", this is fat (as in plus-sized) not just "could stand to lose 10-20 pounds".

The person who has worked out 2 hours a day and has lost a hundred pounds but still has another hundred pounds to go is most certainly fit. A person who has put on 50 pounds due to a prescription drug that they are taking can certainly still be fit.

A person isn't fat. They have fat. When you call someone "fat", you are using one of their physical features to define them.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Really? you know a lot of physically fit fat people? Let's not get carried away here. This isn't "chubby" or "overweight", this is fat (as in plus-sized) not just "could stand to lose 10-20 pounds".


.

Yeah, I do.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

A person isn't fat. They have fat.

Well that's some odd logic. On the plus side, I guess I'm not short then!

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Well that's some odd logic. On the plus side, I guess I'm not short then!

You are vertically challenged.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

You are vertically challenged.

Oh, so short shaming is fine then.

[Sr. Mints]

Some of you guys just sound like plain old ###holes who lack the capacity to understand why using "fat" as a pejorative is hurtful.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Oh, so short shaming is fine then.

Yes, yes it is. Although my mom is 4'10 and I love her anyways.

[Burke Salad]

Kind if on topic, but how about that Pennington commercial where the plus size gal strolls through in her seductive lingerie. I think that lady is beautiful!

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Burke Salad

Kind if on topic, but how about that Pennington commercial where the plus size gal strolls through in her seductive lingerie. I think that lady is beautiful!

Sexist and sexy all in one commerical.