I was really looking forward to today. Today is the start of a really good weekend. Unfortunately today turned out to be “Let’s See How Many Times Christina Can Be Offended in the Course of an Hour Day.” The answer is two, which doesn’t seem like much but I’d like to think it takes a lot to offend me.
I’m not really going to go into the first one because it involves people who are close to some of my friends. Basically I don’t understand how some women can be so malicious, rude, and two-faced. It honestly makes me incredibly sad.
The second issue came about when a friend of mine posted this on her facebook along with this letter:
A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"
The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:
"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness. They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia. They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.
Mermaids do not exist.
But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?
They would have no sex life and could not bear children.
Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.
And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?
Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale.
At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.
We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.
We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.
Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: "How amazing am I ?! "
(The girl on the picture is French model Tara Lynn) Feel free to tag yourselves :)
Last comment: I'm not putting down thin people, being a thin woman myself (BMI of 22 maybe?) just saying that being large doesn't equate to being unattractive.
First, there are so many things wrong with that ‘letter.’ The person definitely took the whale/mermaid analogy too literally. Whales are not actually overweight. And I watched the Little Mermaid-Ariel had tons of friends.
The letter was offensive but it was the comments that really got to me. One person said, “it's sad how people think skinny=beautiful. this girl is definitely hot. you know all those runway models? if you saw them without makeup and their hair done you'd think they were ugly girls that needed to eat a cheeseburger!”
This was followed up by “I think that way makeup or not.” This kind of thinking is unbelievably close-minded and I think its how a lot of people think. Somehow people have shifted from skinny just being the norm (watch movies set in the 60s and 70s-there are very few overweight people) to skinny being abnormal and fat is something to be proud because you “love your curves” or whatever. Fine, but when you’ve got diabetes and a BMI of 30….how are those “curves” something to love?
As a thin person, I’ve heard everything. I’ve been accused of being bulimic, been told to eat a cheeseburger, even been told that I look like I haven’t eaten in a year. How is that okay??? I’ve seen the looks people give when I order a salad with dressing on the side, when I don’t finish everything on my plate or when I pass up a cookie (this doesn’t happen often, I love cookies). People have told me, “Oh I wish I had your metabolism.” Metabolism?? I work out five days a week and eat mostly healthy.
Something is wrong when I feel pressure to eat a lot in front of other people. When I feel like I can’t talk about working out because people respond by telling me I don’t need to work out. When my friends can talk about things they don’t like about themselves but I can’t say anything because I’m ‘skinny’ and therefore I should be completely happy with myself.
Basically, this comment sums everything up perfectly:
“Where is the connection between a whale and an overweight woman? I do not think I have ever seen an overweight whale. And while the lady has some nice features she is over weight and it is not healthy physically or mentally. I am not saying she is not likeable, or loveable, and I am not saying she should hide herself. Too much fat on a body is not good for you. (Being too skinny is not good for you either.)I myself can gain very easily so I practice self control and stay active. There is a difference between accepting ourselves and being lazy, gluttonous and stubborn. I have quite few things about myself that makes me VERY unattractive to myself and others (Im sure someone will say that what I am saying here is one of them) Tho I do not say "O well, I cant do anything about it"? No, I take steps every day to change it. Yes the process is awkward, embarrassing and difficult and some things I might not be able to get beyond. Staying static within it is not the good choice. Curves are great! Yes we have breasts and larger hips then men. That does not mean that overweight is feminine. Being spiteful, self righteouse and having a bad attitude toward part of a society that says that it is better to be fit dose no one any good. The comment toward the mermaid is representative of the hatred toward women who are, or manage to be, fit. What did they ever do to you? Some of them made fun of you? Well it is not becuse they are thin that they did. It is because they have their own unhealthy issues to deal with as well.”
I feel much better now that all this is out. I’m going to go have that really good weekend now.
