The Big Show

I was weirdly emotional for no reason last night and then someone posted this article. After that, I was at least emotional about something. In fact, I felt a lot of ways about this.

If you don't want to read the article (though it is good), it's a letter to a fellow fat woman the author saw while on vacation. The woman she's writing to was vibrant and amazing and having a very good time. Then the staff of the place did something to humiliate her in front of a whole crowd of people. It's devastating.

Okay, first of all, I guess on the positive side, I am happy the author wrote this and showed such empathy toward the woman. All too often, fat people are pressured to hate each other. My grandmother was really bad about this. She would talk about other fat people with such disgust and then encourage me to view them the same way. I guess the logic is that if you come to hate the fat on others, you'll not want it on yourself? Not exactly how that works.

Anyway, I'm glad the author was supportive and I'm glad she marveled at the beauty of this woman instead of being spiteful or shaming about it. That's refreshing and maybe a sign that in some ways, our ideas about bodies are changing.

On the other hand, we have the staff of the vacation place who pig partied this fat woman. Fuck them. Fat people are not your free entertainment. On one hand, I hope she sued. On the other, if she did, there would be a barrage of articles about how people are too sensitive and snowflakes and all that cliched crap. That is not the case here. If you are paying for an expensive vacation, part of that is the idea that you will be treated with common decency.

On a personal note, I was never this vibrant beautiful fat woman who shined with goddess glory. I know women like this, but it was never me. That's okay. On one hand, I blame the Grandmother stuff. On the other, it's just not my personality. I guess I ranged from "just don't look at me and let me go about my business in peace kthanx" to "yeah I'm fat so what fuck you!" I never did anything to be inspiring, but on the other hand, that's not my job.

I would say I hope this woman recovered and had a good vacation, but after living in this kind of body for most of my life, the truth is, this situation probably marred it for her. The staff of this place did the opposite of their job here. They should seriously be fired.