Fat Is Not a Bad Word: Current Events

Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts

Oscars 2013: Wrap-Up

Good morning, darlings! Did you watch the Oscars last night? I missed the first half (though I caught up on the good stuff later on), but had my eyes glued to the screen when Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress. I'd say that, and Seth MacFarlane's singing and dancing were the highlights, for me. How about you?

If you missed the show and want to catch up, or simply want to relive the magic, check out these links:

-Full list of 2013 Oscar Winners. Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress. I'm glad (and not surprised). You?
-35 People Who Just Realized That Seth MacFarlane is Actually Hot made me laugh. I think it's the phrasing, and maybe the fact that I've had a crush on him for the while. The juxtaposition of political humour and Old Hollywood entertainer just gets to me, I guess.
-Red Carpet fashion here and here. Whose look is your favourite?
-The entire Oscars show is available online, for the first time ever.
-Seth MacFarlane's opening monologue and musical numbers.
-Quvenzhane Walis' puppy purses are adorbs!

Finally, since Oscar Winner (!!!) JLaw is clearly popular around here....

-Jennifer Lawrence Tells Ryan Seacrest That She's Starving.
-She tripped at the Oscars... and still looked cool.
-Her best Oscar red carpet gifs.

Vogue Introduces "Health Initiative"; Still Thinks You're Too Fat

Vogue (and its 18 international editions) pledge to implement their "Health Initiative": using "healthy models" in their magazines. Here are the criteria:

1. We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.
2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.

3. We will help to structure mentoring programmes where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative.

4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.

5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.

6. We will be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image.

What worries me most (among the numerous misguided notions the above list represents) is that "healthy", to the fashion industry's standards, ergo society's standards, means 'thin, but not "too thin"'. So Vogue's models will be size 2 instead of 00.

Health At Every Size has proven that one does not have to be thin to be healthy. So to truly be "ambassadors for the message of healthy body image", Vogue better feature models of all sizes-- yes, from 00 to XXXXXXXXXL & everywhere in between.

I'm not counting on it.

Unemployed? Maybe it's because you're fat!

Qualified? Professional? She should get the job!

I've been struggling to get job through the past few years.

Jobs are harder to come by when the economy is not doing well, and a young university student with minimal work experience is not going to be first choice employee. However, research has shown that in landing a job, for some, weight is a larger factor than ability.

Society's prejudice against larger people permeates the workplace, leading fatphobic employers to hire unqualified thin women instead of their larger, well-qualified counterparts.

All because of body size.

“I used to get hired very easily when I was thinner. Now if I get called in for an interview, I never hear back. They assume I’m going to be lazy and not get the job done. I try extra hard to look put together, but it’s occurred enough times that there’s no question it’s about my weight and not my skills.” (source)

Just like a 'distaste' for certain cultures, races or genders, this is discrimination.

The time to stand up for ourselves is now. Here's how:

If someone is clearly abusive towards you because of your size, call them on it.
&
Be as ostentatiously, fabulously, confidently fat as possible. Wear bright colours and wild prints if you want to. Wear high heels and tight pants and short skirts. Look good, feel better, and ignore anyone who tells you otherwise.

Everyone has the right to a successful career, happiness, and respect, regardless of the way they look.

Image Source: RebeccaEsther.com

Texas Hospital Bans Fat Employees

Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, TX is banning workers whose BMI is over 35.

Hospital chief David Brown explains: “The majority of our patients are over 65, and they have expectations that cannot be ignored in terms of personal appearance".

So if the majority of their patients at Citizens Medical Center demanded only brunette nurses or doctors wearing purple lipstick and clown suits, would that be acceptable?

Further, the issue is not employees who do not adequately do their jobs, nor employees looking or acting unprofessionally. Therefore, despite no laws being in place against this, it is discrimination.

Peggy Howell of NAAFA agrees. “This is discrimination plain and simple. A hospital should know that lots of medical conditions lead to obesity or weight gain... So the field of medicine is no longer an option for people of larger body size? What a waste of talent.”

Perhaps most importantly, BMI is not an indicator of health, ability to do a job, or attractiveness.

Shape up, Citizens.

Quote sources: Buzzfeed and the Texas Tribune