everyone laugh at the invisible fat chick

I watched 8 whole episodes of Gilmore Girls yesterday (it was a lazy day), and in the midst of them had a moment of argh.

At the beginning of one episode (specifically, the one where Kirk does the 'journey of man' dance), there's totally random banter between Luke and Lorelei about shopping. They have a bunch of bags. She pulls out a pair of underpants much bigger than her and they chuckle over some horrible crack about how the underwear are in hiding from the OMIGOD ENORMOUS woman who would wear them. Cause even inanimate objects don't want to touch the Dread Fat Chick. It was so out of place in an otherwise snarky but not mean show. Here's a show where almost all the actors playing supporting characters are round or otherwise not "standardly" attractive, and it's not a big deal. WTF?? There were so many other things about those underwear to mock, too - they were all shiny and polyestery and pink beyond human comprehension.

And the joke was just so effing casual, like of course the invisible fat chick is humorous. Is that how the culture thinks about fat? That even relatively hip, liberal types still readily deride the invisible fat person, but act like they're totally cool with the non-invisible one?

Sigh. The true test of cultural decency is, I think, our ability to not be asshats to people who aren't standing in front of us.

fat-a

I've decided to call the Fat And The Academy conference Fat-A. Wonder if that's what the Northhampton peeps are calling it? Hey, Northhampton peeps - "Fat-A", yes or no?

Everyone who's anyone in fat is coming to this thing, and so am I. The tribe is totally on the schedule with all these other ass-kicking people, some of whose books changed my perspective on the world.
Kathleen LeBesco, "Queer Tactics in Fat Politics: An Assessment"
To The Earth (Tribal Bellydance) (aka us!), followed by the Royal Renegades (the Philadelphia Drag Kings)
Paul McAleer, "Blog This: How You - Yes, You - Have Changed the Media's Stance on Fat."
Stefanie Snider, "Fat Girls and Size Queens: Visual Productions of the Fat and Queer Self in Contemporary American Culture"
Pattie Thomas, "Fat as Social Problem, Social Stigma as Solution"
Paul Campos, "Ask Your Doctor if Cultural Hysteria is Right For You"
Marilyn Wann, "Fat Liberation 101 - Life's Too Short for Self-Hatred & Celery Sticks!"

Too much rock and roll for one hand, I tell ya. You want to go, cause you have a brain and a soul.