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News & ArtsThursday, October 29, 2009
News Anti-Fat Violence in the UK
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 10:04 AM
This is distressing. And it's not going to end well for the skinnies, I think. A widening majority* of people in the UK are either overweight or obese and if this crap keeps up or gets worse it's only a matter of time before roving gangs of obese people start beating the shit out of waifs and skinnies and gym queens. You can only oppress the majority population for so long before they rebel and revenge themselves on their oppressors.
* The number of overweight and obese people keeps growing and there was no way to make that clear without it looking like a dig. Take your pick: "a growing majority," "an ever-larger majority," "a widening majority." How do you describe the rising prevalence of overweight and obese people while avoiding big-and-getting-bigger qualifiers that look like insults?
6
HO HO HO NOW YOU WANNA PROTECT EM?
FEAR FOR YOUR OWN LIFE FRED SAVAGE/WHINEY COOPER HYBRID MECHANISM.
FEAR FOR YOUR OWN LIFE FRED SAVAGE/WHINEY COOPER HYBRID MECHANISM.
7
@1 - increasing was the first thing I thought of too.
And of course Dan's concern in all this is for "the skinnies" and how fat people will start beating the crap out of them.
And of course Dan's concern in all this is for "the skinnies" and how fat people will start beating the crap out of them.
8
It's interesting how our genetic material keeps mutating year by year and making us fat. Damn you genes!
9
It's interesting that the first commentor on the original story admits to resenting overweight people for putting a strain on the National Health Care System. I suspect this is related to the economic crisis. People are struggling to make ends meet, and see their tax dollars going to people who could avoid needing the money. Kind of like people in this country start getting upset about the "welfare queens."
10
@7 Somebody should skinny bash Dan. Then, he can start really complaining.
Of course, he'll probably just call it gay bashing.
Of course, he'll probably just call it gay bashing.
13
Yes and pretty soon Gays will be raping straight men for being beaten up - makes total sense - NOT. This article is about fat jokes and abusing fat people is okay - Not over wieght people beating up skinny people - that is all in the delusional mind of the guy with his brain in his crotch.
14
I'd've said, "an increasing number", but I see this has already been floated.
*smacks Dan upside the head*
Smarten up, skinny bones.
*smacks Dan upside the head*
Smarten up, skinny bones.
16
Black History Month is almost over in Britain and a journalist is upset that more gay blacks aren't celebrated. Dan, is it true Malcolm X was bisexual?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/…
17
She was taking up two seats but she is only one person! Isn't there something a little bit wrong with that folks?
18
@17,
Not if she was there first. The skinny bitch should've appreciated the opportunity to burn extra calories while standing.
Not if she was there first. The skinny bitch should've appreciated the opportunity to burn extra calories while standing.
19
It's really sad to see the trend from the article reflected in comments like #3 (Being thin is *not* simple: fat's a complicated issue that has much more to do with having a place to exercise and healthy food available, and the best predictor of fat is income--the less money you have, the heavier you are likely to be.) and #17 claiming that someone was in some way deserving of violence because they deviated from the norm is an old apology for all sorts of bigotry. Obesity is starting to be recognized as a disability because of the open discrimination and inaccessible environments that obese people face.
That said, I'm really glad that Dan posted this--it's good to see that some people see through the bullshit excuses that haters are using for terrorizing people whose bodies are too different.
That said, I'm really glad that Dan posted this--it's good to see that some people see through the bullshit excuses that haters are using for terrorizing people whose bodies are too different.
20
@17: Yup, it's about fairness. Anyone who's ever regularly ridden a busy commuter train at rush hour would have been peeved, and people get mighty stressed when crammed like sardines.
21
From the Article:
"Most people want to be slim, but this perceived physical perfection is difficult to hold on to and they fear losing control of it. Women and men can be on diets their whole lives and it's utterly miserable. They project that fear and unhappiness on to people who are bigger and that often translates into abuse and attacks. It's a way of people disassociating themselves from what they fear the most - getting fat."
That seems to explain a lot of the shrieking from the anti-fat bandwagon.
"Most people want to be slim, but this perceived physical perfection is difficult to hold on to and they fear losing control of it. Women and men can be on diets their whole lives and it's utterly miserable. They project that fear and unhappiness on to people who are bigger and that often translates into abuse and attacks. It's a way of people disassociating themselves from what they fear the most - getting fat."
That seems to explain a lot of the shrieking from the anti-fat bandwagon.
22
I think the comparison to drug addicts is the fairest - like the obese, addicts are most often found in poorer communities. Yet I don't see anyone having a cow because society is biased against crack dealers. Low income people, and I certainly qualify as a member of that group, still have the choice to eat LESS of the more expensive, healthier foods.
23
Dan, I know you like to be tongue-in-cheek and tactlessly direct. It's a big part of what gives your columns their color.
But your reasoning here is exactly the same reasoning used by white supremacists when they explain why they're just defending their people against what they see as a threat. It's the same reason that the anti-marriage people think they're actually "defending marriage" against a crazy gay minority.
It amazes me how easily naturally thin people will lecture the obese about why they are fat when they would know better than to lecture a poor person raised in a ghetto about how they are poor because they are lazy.
But your reasoning here is exactly the same reasoning used by white supremacists when they explain why they're just defending their people against what they see as a threat. It's the same reason that the anti-marriage people think they're actually "defending marriage" against a crazy gay minority.
It amazes me how easily naturally thin people will lecture the obese about why they are fat when they would know better than to lecture a poor person raised in a ghetto about how they are poor because they are lazy.
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