those who were seen dancing

Hey there, Brazil. What's up?

Really? Arty semi-erotic video campaigns about beauty and size acceptance? You don't say! [Readers, it may not pass your personal test of what counts for pornography, but it's definitely NOT work safe.]

Brazil, you know the reason we haven't spoken is that I've come to associate you with some of the most ridiculously over the top anti-fat advertising shenanigans. Perhaps I was too hasty.

Arby's has a new fruity yogurt thing, and since it's somehow Brazil-inspired, they needed a silhouetted thin person. Clearly this one has escaped from its outer fat person. Maybe someone cut it out with a knife?



It's not nearly as ridiculously anti-fat as the other stuff, but it does seem emblematic of, you know, Brazil.

So. While I was away being sad, it seems like the internets just went batshitcrazy over Teh Fats. I keep thinking I'll make some coherent fattivist statement, but I can't wrap my brain around all of this at once.

Yet. I think the good news is that I'm back and operational again.

Make kids exercise! Athletes are smarter! Oh, yeah. That's exactly how I remember it.
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/06/take-home-message-from-school-kids.html

People advocating that parents be prosecuted for having fat kids. It's child neglect.
http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=902032007&format=print
I can imagine situations in which a kid's habits are indicative of somewhat bad parenting. But neglect? Er. This is creepy.

Of course, fat girls should be DELIGHTED to have sex, however nonconsensual. How silly to call it rape! This article about an English barrister's defense of a group of young teenage boys accused of rape is infuriating - I know it's one person's opinion, but it disturbs me that this kind of logic is allowed anywhere, let alone a courtroom.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23396785-details/%27Gang-raped+girl+was+glad+of+the+attention%2C%27+says+barrister/article.do

Sandy Szwarc's "for girls only" encouragement. For reals? I'm pretty sure boys need this stuff these days, too.
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/06/private-for-girls-only.html

And I was frustrated and annoyed at the whole stupid Mika "Big Girls" video, until the very end. It bothers me that one prancing pop singer might be considered the savior of fat women. Like, how desperate are we for one little crumb of men saying we're okay? But the part at the end with all the different-shaped people getting all joyful and dancing? Oh, yay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcRiXOONqf0

On a similar note, the yogurt ads with the fat women in movie iconic pictures (apologies for the anti-thin-actress context of the link, I can't find the origina) with the phrase "men’s preference will never change" - the women in the ads are gorgeous (as were the originals). I have the rose woman as my desktop at home now.
http://cloverr.livejournal.com/793112.html?view=1395992

The Onion's "too fat for suicide" article bears enough resemblance to "real" research that some of the kids at fatshionista were offended. This is a sad day, Mudville.
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/study_many_americans_too_fat_to