Long time Herdwatching readers know I have been spending less time paying attention to the ranting’s of the “fat is good” demographic and favoring other topics. Frankly it was getting too easy there for a while. Sometimes, however, I just have to comment.
There is a lot of push back against trim, athletic and feminine these days. Especially in the fashion and advertising industry where we see model choices being made not by what is popular or attractive, but by what will appeal to the backlash crowd. You see it all the time where the selection process is explained as one to “make a statement” and not “she is damn hot”. The know we* don’t think she is hot, we know we don’t think the model is hot but we all pretend like looking at someone who is not attractive is exactly what we have all been waiting for.
And no, calling fat “real” doesn’t hide it. Adriana Lima’s body is real too. Thousands of real hot bodies exist out there. Saying someone fat has a “real” body is a code word trying to manipulate the discussion. So is the false choice between fat and anorexic. Between Oprah and Nicole Ritchie lies a whole world of choices that are hot. Trust me.
The other straw man argument? That models bodies are rare. That they don’t look like “most women”. Really? I hadn’t noticed. Next you will be telling me that professional athletes skills are rare or that not everyone can be in the Olympics. Obviously rare thing’s can’t be good right? Welcome to the tyranny of mob jealousy.
Chloe Marshall (inset) is a contestant in the Miss England contest as Miss Surrey. I have never been to Surrey, but I can only imagine there isn’t much point in going there if this is the best they have to offer. Especially when we know England as a whole can do much better.
I am sure she is a fine girl and a nice person. None of that changes the reality here… she is big. Too big to be an honest contender in a beauty pageant. Folks can try and use words like “curvy” or “voluptuous” and they try and pretend that this is the “healthy” answer to “anorexics” but its all bullocks.
But then maybe this is what we are headed for. For so long people have been fed the idea that we are all so stupid and gullible that we find anything pushed at us attractive it is inevitable that someone tried the experiment. I just wonder who they will blame when it doesn’t work. When they realize that hot bodied models aren’t popular because they are common in advertising but rather the other way around.
Oh right, they will blame us for not being “enlightened” enough to be led like sheep.
* note: “us” in this context is the statistical norm. If you want to argue about it then you can go right on ahead but frankly you’re being silly.
I disagree. She is not fat at all. Is this supposed to be facetious?
There are plenty of women who wish they were fat like this woman because they are REALLY fat–as in overweight.
How about you take a picture of yourself and post it so we can see how you measure up against this “fatty.” LMAO
Well I’ll tell you what – when I enter a national fitness or bodybuilding contest then you can go right on ahead.
I have never held myself as the paragon of fitness – though I am fairly fit and active. Let’s for the sake of argument assume I am 350lbs and can’t get off the couch without a forklift though.
How does that make her any skinnier? How does it make the idea of her as one of the pretties women in England any less laughable?
Shrug. I think she’s pretty. And I’m a skinny chick. I wouldn’t say she’s fat, either. I’d say she’s average, actually, when taking a cross section of all sorts of female builds. Most women I see out and about are sized much like she is, sure there are folk that are thinner and those who are fatter, but in general?
She’s built like a whole lot of women out there.
Sorry, she’s not fat. She’s actually quite average, in terms of size. Maybe she is considered “fat” by pageant standards though. And, unlike Adriana Lima, Chloe hasn’t resorted to plastic surgery to make herself beautiful.
Chloe barely registers in the “overweight” BMI category. Besides, being overweight does not automatically make somebody unhealthy or unattractive. Ten years ago, Chloe’s BMI would have made her a “normal” weight. See a trend here? But anyway, her “new” BMI category (“overweight”) gives her a higher mortality weight and a better immune system. It’s true.
But whatever. You can keep your head in the sand and continue to look like an idiot.
all I have to say is that I think your probably some bitter old sea witch that has nothing better to do with your time than to try to mock and humiliate other people to make yourself feel better. She at least has the chance to lose the weight YOU think she needs to but your uglyness runs to the bone…like an incureable disease, and if I didn’t know any better…i might pity you.
she’s fat. the poster child for obesity. yes, she’s pretty. but honestly. saying she’s “curvy” is a lie. she is fat. yes, she has curves, between the rolls of fat anyway. I’m not size zero nor am i a size sixteen. you can be healthy and attractive without aspiring to either extreme. Obesity is, if you’ll excuse the pun, a much larger problem and to cover it up by saying that they are “real” women is just a lie. Why can’t people strive to be healthy and fit, not deadly skinny or morbidly obese.
She is kind of pretty facially. I can see where she might be attractive if she worked at it.
You are right obviously – there are a lot of women shaped like her out there (kind of, in many of her other pictures you can see that she is, in fact, rather large). The thing is that whether or not she is “average” doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not she is fat or attractive. It just means lots of folks are fat.
Pretty face,great curves, seems like a good laugh. Any red blooded bloke would!
I think it's kind of sad how we feel the need to define ourselves with one word. Fat, Skinny, Punk, Prep, Black, White. It's all an excuse not to get to know the person. Honestly, I thought this article was really immature, and came off as really jealous sounding. Honestly, dear, were you even in the running? I tend to doubt it.
Honestly, I'd rather my children be looking up envying her rather than women who would rather kill themselves for a barbie doll perfection. Face it. Unless you come in a plastic box, your not going to be perfect. If you could do me a favor, I'd really like you to read this article. Maybe it will open your eyes.
http://www.imeem.com/abbyheartsmusic/blogs/2008/0…
I find it amusing that you will talk about the need to avoid these sort of flat definitions then ask me to read a piece of tripe so filled with anger and bile it can barely see straight. That little bit of heaven over at "abbyheartsmusic" for those who don't want to go read it is your classic "aren't pretty girls stupid, shallow and mean!" routine.
Even your comment shows a complete lack of the shades of Grey you seem to want to instill in us. Obviously the only people who are thin, trim or toned are going to "kill themselves for a barbie doll perfection"… I mean, we all know the only mentally healthy and balanced people are the chunky ones, right?
Please.
You CAN be healthy without being skinny. Believe it or not, there ARE people who are considered overweight and they are healthy in all other regards. And I'm not talking about the bodybuilders. I'm talkin about folks with jiggle who are absolutely healthy. It happens, because I'm one of them. 5'4", 210 pounds and every single doctors test came back N-O-R-M-A-L.
Oh, but that's right, we can't let folks know that. We have to keep up the facade that fat people are slobs and blobs of flesh ALONE. Please. Fat people are active too. Don't believe the hype.
And the woman got THAT FAR in a BEAUTY pagent. Meaning she had more to her than just her weight to keep her in. You make it seem that just because of her weight, she shouldn't be considered beautiful. Obviously the judges saw more to her than just that one number.
I'm not sure why "healthy" is supposed to be the crux of this discussion… but certainly she is not as fit as she could be and while fitness isn't the same thign as health moment ot moment it is a decent predictor of the trends.
Of course this is what happens when people don't have the balls to be honest. Lots of guys (and gals) won;t come out and say "fat is simply not attractive to me". They will try and be sneaky and talk about the health issues. "No honey, I don't care that you have an ass like a zebra I am just worried about your HEALTH". That way (they think) they can get the wife to the gym and still come off like a good guy.
I am much more honest than that
The NRA fell into the same trap. Instead of saying "guns are important because they let us kill any scumbag who tries to hurt us instead of cowering like sheep till the cops arrive" they got all weepy about "hunting". The result? Idiocy like the "assault weapons" ban.
So yes, it is quite possible that you can be too overweight to be really attractive but still be healthy (for the moment). Good for you, I hope you have a long and healthy life filled with joy.
By the way this whole idea that "Oh, but that's right, we can't let folks know that" like there is some vast conspiracy is just paranoia and wallowing in the joy of perceived victim hood.
As for your last comment? I actually think she got that far for political and publicity reasons. Hell, I'm surprised they had the guts to not give her the crown.
Yes well my dear, with the media disproportionately putting out images of a "norm" that is most of the time created by airbrushing, I would say YEAH, there is some victimhood going on. The tabloids ripped into this young woman, calling her the "fat, lazy poster child for ill health." Because all fat people are ALWAYS lazy and in bad health, and all skinny people are ALWAYS healthy. PLEASE.
Yeah, she isn't the "norm" and quite frankly, it's about damn time we had someone who wasn't beat out those who are. To say fat people as a whole aren't attractive is bull. Just as there can be fugly as hell skinny and "normal" size people, there can be beautiful people who are overweight. There actually ARE people out there who are attracted to overweight people, but they are ostracized by society for "lowering their standards," as fat people are the lowest denomination of human. So skinny gold diggers are better than a fat girls with a good heart, huh?
Also, let us get one thing straight about body types. There are 12 body types to a woman. 12. Meaning fat people can come in various shapes, not just the stereotypical shape of BLOB. Chloe Marshall is one of those folks who DOESN'T fit that blob body type, along with PLENTY of others, including myself. Too overweight to be attractive my fat ASS.
Just as you can be honest about calling out a fat person on their fatness, I'm calling out the bull that skinny is the only beauty. Because this fat girl is more honest than that.
Is it really critical to your worldview that people be victimized sheep that have no ability to think for themselves? Because all this paranoia about "the media" is just that… a way to feel superior that you see the truth when the regular folks are to stupid to get it.
Besides, with the amount of video around these days your dreamign if you think air-brushed still are a significant problem They aren't.
Your next comment is the most telling… "Yeah, she isn't the "norm" and quite frankly, it's about damn time we had someone who wasn't beat out those who are.". You have to love the avergae revenge fantasy. Damn right! Put all those girls who didn;t love you in their place. You'll show them! Who needed a pony anyway!
"There actually ARE people out there who are attracted to overweight people". Of course their are… social dynamics require it. Not only is it well within the variation for a large population but in any situation where a desirable resource is scarce the majority will find a way to be happy with the sub-optimal.
As for this… "as fat people are the lowest denomination of human" you must not be paying attention. it used to be terrorists but after the last election it is those evil greedy "capitalists". Socialism is the new black, baby.
Your own prejudices show here in this comment as well… "So skinny gold diggers are better than a fat girls with a good heart, huh?". Once again, not only is your own paranoia (the base assertion) wrong but so is your weak attempt at creating a false choice. Not nearly all fat chicks are good people, and not nearly all hot ones are bitches.
I'll take hot and good hearted thanks
"Because this fat girl is more honest than that" – you go right on with your bad self. Fight the power. Desert is a revolutionary act.
Average revenge, I think not. But it still doesn't change the fact that she made it that far. She beat out how many other women to become runner up. Last time I checked, the PUBLIC helped put her there, since that contest IS partially guided by the public. People do think for themselves, and these same people are going out and living their lives with pride, ignoring society's call for them to fit a certain mold.
Airbrushed isn't a significant problem??? Wow. And you call ME delusional…
And honestly, what is it with you going against fat people wanting to FEEL GOOD in their own skin? Every person has that right, to feel good in their own skin, to celebrate themselves. Of course, in your world it must be a felony for a fat woman to have self confidence or have people who disagree with your claim that they are too fat to be considered attractive. And you STILL refuse to consider the idea that fat comes in different sizes. There are a considerable amount of people, including myself, who DO NOT SHOW THEIR WEIGHT IN THEIR BODY TYPE. You said it yourself "Between Oprah and Nicole Ritchie, lies a whole world of choices that are hot."
I am not saying all fat women are good people, nor am I saying all skinny women are bitches, but quite frankly the hatred against fat people is quite tiring. We know we are big as fuck. We hear it from the doctors. We don't need to hear it from fuckers who obviously have too much time on their hands to go out of their way to remind us that we're going to lonely and in considerable pain because of the love handles we have. You said that "she is too big to be an honest contender in a beauty pageant." Reality check: she's runner up. Nothing you can do about it. The big girl got in and made her way to the top, along with many other fat women in the fashion and advertising industry. Because obviously SOMEBODY finds it attractive.
I have met Chloe Marshall in real life and she is so radiantly stunning it rendered my speechess – and I'm a straight woman. She is also not even remotely fat. I can't even imagine why I am bothering to respond to the ignoramous who wrote this article, other than it's 3am and my neighbours have kept me awake for 3 hours with extremely loud music and I'm bored. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and there is room for the entire spectrum in the modelling industry – Everyone shoud be represented, not just a skeletal 1%. The writer of this article will be left behind as people become more enlightened and his or her views will be seen for what they are – a little bit nazi and completely irrelevant.