An Open Letter to the guys who made “Fat Shaming Week” a thing

Anyone else know about this? I that the week of October 7^th was apparently deemed “Fat Shaming Week” by some nobodies over at Returnofkings.com. What is Fat Shaming Week you ask? Well, here’s how these so-called kings describe it:

“Hurting people’s feelings is the quickest way to get them to change, as any man who has been rejected by women can tell you (we can get laid today only because we’ve adapted to being shamed and punished for our appearance and beta male behavior over the course of many years)… Therefore, we are proud to announce this week as Fat Shaming Week. For the next seven days, we will promote a culture of fat shaming. The brightest masculine minds are currently at work to bring you a delicious buffet of fat shaming analysis and literature.”

Hurting people’s feelings is the quickest way to get them to change? Have these guys not watched the news lately? Do the words cyber-bullying ring any bells? Have they missed all of the efforts by organizations sponsoring events and taking a stand against bullying of any kind? Did they not see all the people wearing purple in honor of GLAAD’s #SpiritDay on October 17th!? Bullying is an epidemic — a heart-breaking one. One that allows eating disorders, suicides, and violence to thrive because adolescents are being pushed to the ends of their emotional cliffs. But one does not just shed insecurity once he or she leaves adolescence. Words don’t stop hurting once you hit adulthood. And that’s why this concept of Fat Shaming Week is all of our problems.

And now, my message to The Kings:

Guess what? I’m one of those “fat” girls you’re aiming to shame this week and you haven’t upset me once. Instead, you’ve made me feel sorry for you because clearly you’ve never let loose and had a night full of bacon and ice cream and that’s a fucking shame. I have no problem making friends, starting relationships, or getting free things because I’m a nice person and sometimes—and this may be a foreign thought to you—being nice goes along way. Try it—I dare you.

Am I proud to be fat? No. But I am proud to be the person I am and my appearance hasn’t stopped me once. Obesity is a disease, it really is. It stems from a slow metabolism and sometimes, even if you completely change your eating habits, losing weight just doesn’t work. It’s hard. I’ve been dieting on and off since I was 8 years old and I continue to fluctuate. A tip: if you want America to be a little less fat, offer to be someone’s gym buddy and support them in their weight loss efforts.

So Kings, I’ve gotta ask you: are you having some trouble with the ladies? I have a sneaky feeling I know why. I’m gonna let you in on a secret: maybe it’s because your idea of beauty is skewed and your refuse to acknowledge a woman, let alone hit on her, if she’s over 150lbs. Beauty isn’t measured on a scale, people. No one’s gonna argue that Tyra isn’t sexy – whatever size she is this season of America’s Next Top Model. Or that J-Lo would look better if she dropped some pounds and lost that butt. Or that Toccara Jones isn’t one of the most gorgeous women strutting cat walks today. And on the flip side, that Natalie Portman, Halle Berry, Kerry Washington – thin women! – are not also beautiful. “Beauty” doesn’t specify a jean size or scale number – it is a one-size-fits-all term.

And if everything I just said just went in one ear and directly out the other because you’re too busy shaming fat people, here’s something that should grab your attention: BOOBS. Guess what they’re made of? FAT. Yes, your beloved boobs are predominately made of fat. And from your hyper-masculinized prose I’ve got a premonition you guys are pretty fond of them. Though with the way you’re acting, you’re probably just experiencing them through the second-hand story telling of your best friend’s older brother.

Did none of this get through? I expected that. In that case, go back to the cave from which you came. More Big Macs for us.

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