Subject: Size Acceptance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Please Note: These FAQs are no longer being updated (except that
out-of-date web sites, contact info, and so forth are removed when I am
notified of them - for notification address, see below).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Size Acceptance
This document contains information about size acceptance and other
issues relevant to large folks. If you don't find what you're looking
for here, try one of the related FAQs (see question B1 for
a complete list).
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Updated March 01
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Contents
SECTION A: FAQ about size acceptance and being large
A1) What is size acceptance anyway?
A2) What are some fat positive artists, musicians, sculptors,
etc.?
A3) Who are some famous fat people?
A4) What is International No-Diet Day?
A5) What are some responses to the standard offensive things said
to fat people? Do you know any *positive* fat jokes? What
are some slogans for size-acceptance?
A6) Are there any movies/videos on fat acceptance and fat people?
A7) Are there any mainstream movies/videos that portray fat characters
positively?
SECTION B: Information about this FAQ
B1) Are there other related FAQs?
B2) Posting information
B3) Contributors
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SECTION A: FAQ about size acceptance and being large
A1) What is size acceptance anyway?
Size acceptance is the notion that people are OK (and should be treated
with respect and feel good about themselves and enjoy life) at whatever
size they are: thin, fat, or in-between. Size acceptance usually
includes the notion that consciously manipulating one's weight (either
gaining or losing) is not desirable and may even be harmful and the idea
that dieting for weight loss usually leads, in the long term, to higher
rather than lower weights.
The political side of size acceptance includes calling for public
accommodations and public products to be accessible to all people,
regardless of size. (This means, among other things, that movie theaters
should have seats that are wide enough for large folks, and clothing
stores should carry attractive clothing in large sizes.) Size acceptance
addresses the discrimination that fat people often face because they are
fat; promotes a wider range of beauty standards than is usually shown in
the media; publicizes the studies that indicate harmful effects of
dieting; and educates people (e.g., doctors) about interacting
respectfully with large folks.
On the personal side, size acceptance involves feeling good about one's
body, treating oneself well (e.g., enjoying good food, fun
activities, nice clothing), and expecting to be treated well by others
(i.e., not accepting, or at least not internalizing, size-hating
remarks). Not everyone who believes in size acceptance completely
accepts their size. This is a problem of a fat-hating culture, and one
we are working to minimize.
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A2) What are some fat positive artists, musicians, sculptors,
etc.?
See also the list of web sites in the Online Resources for Big Folks
FAQ. Some of the web sites feature fat positive art.
4 Big Girls
Deb Parks-Satterfield
343 1/2 17th. Ave.
Seattle WA 98122
or
PO Box 2134
Seattle, WA 98111
African-American lesbian comedy troupe.
Candye Kane
103 N. Hwy 101 #247, Encinitas, CA 92024.
Fat, bisexual welfare mom from East L.A., a former stripper and
ex-porn star, now a blues singer. Her web site and shows are
full of affirming, size-positive, uppity-fat-girl talk. Her CD
includes songs such as "You Need a Great Big Woman" and "All You
Can Eat (and You Can Eat it All Night Long)".
Fernando Botero
Contemporary South American artist whose works feature very
round and pear-shaped men and women. Works in a variety of
media: drawings, paintings, and monumental sculpture.
FatChanceBellyDance
FCBD-RAD
PO Box 460594
San Francisco, CA 94146
Phone: (415) 647-6035
Send SASE with two 32-cent stamps for catalog.
Belly dance troupe. Catalog features videos, music, costumes,
jewelry, accessories. They offer classes in Berkeley and San
Francisco.
Fat Chance Theater
Mimi Orner
418 Marston Ave
Madison, WI 53703
Fat performance theater.
Fat Lip Reader's Theater
PO Box 29963
Oakland, CA 94604
Email: carolguy@netcom.com
Phone: (510) 658-3300
Legendary fat feminist performance theater. Travels around the
country performing at feminist and lesbian gatherings to raise
awareness of size discrimination and size esteem issues. Video
of selected performance pieces available, titled *Nothing To
Lose*. Cost is $22 + $3 shipping. Mission statement: "Our
mission is to end fat oppression and promote size acceptance
through education and theatrical performance. We are a
collective of fat women who present exciting, dynamic theatrical
performances about what it's really like to be a fat woman in
today's society. We also offer educational workshops and
in-service trainings for organization and community groups."
The Fatimas
Ronda Wood
Mor-2-Luv
9302 Valley View Ave
Whittier, CA 90602
Phone: (310) 693-1844
Fat belly dance troupe.
Frankly Carmen
1442 N Mandalay Rd
SLC, UT 84116
Phone: (801) 531-8280
Email: franklycarmen@sisna.com
Fat-positive comic -- "America's Most Wanted Comic at Large." "A
comedian that brings a new exciting perspective to life in the
90's, as one of six large women married to a polygamist.
Drawing upon this unusual background, her refreshing wit
covers a variety of topics from the women's movement to
Polygamy."
Dawn French
British actress, best know for her double act with Jennifer
Saunders (French and Saunders). Owner of the women's store
1647 in London.
R.C. Gorman
Painter who specializes in scenes of the American southwest and
whose works often include large women.
This Heavy Heart
Cynthia McQuillin and Jane Robinson
Unlikely Publications
PO Box 8542
Berkeley, CA 94707
Phone: (510) 843-6559
Email: c.mcquillin@genie.geis.com
Fat feminist singers/songwriters. CD and tape titled *This Heavy
Heart* about dieting/body image/size issues. Cynthia and Jane
appear in Women En Large.
Barbara Lavallee
704 Sunset Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (800) 764-ARTS (US)
Alaskan artist who creates lithographs, mugs, T-shirts and
Christmas ornaments from her vibrantly colored watercolors. Her
subjects are fat, beautiful Eskimo women. Call or write for a
catalog.
Ama Menec
Lesbian Sculptor, specialising in the beauty and grace of fat
women. Her sometimes lifesize works defy gravity as they balance
on their toes. A ceramic artist, her work is unique, as pieces
are hand thrown and joined to create stunning characters. Her
work has rarely been seen outside of India. She hopes to create
even larger works in the future.
Interview
Fran Peavey
Atomic Comic -- uses comedy to effect social change.
Daniel Pinkwater
Writes children's books and grown-up books. Commentator for
National Public Radio. A fat man who makes no apologies for his
size.
The Roly Polys
A British dance group composed of older, larger ladies, founded
in 1980. Four of the five are average height and about UK size
18-20. The fifth, Big Mo (Mo Moreland) is 4'11" and UK size
28-30. She's the "darling dumpling" of the Roly Polys. She's
also very fat-positive.
Peter Rubens
Belgian artist of the Renaissance period. Source of the term
"Rubenesque".
Saffir
Diana Mackin
Seattle Now Body Image Task Force
4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Rm #222
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206) 784-1004 (home), (206) 632-8547 (work)
Saffir performs size-positive street theater for public
education.
Sistah Monica
Fat-positive blues singer from the Northern California area.
Judy Small
Singer. Wrote "A Song for the Roly Poly People."
Sapphire: The Uppity Blues Women
One black and two white women in the 30's and 40's, all of whom
apparently abandoned careers to hit the road and sing the blues.
Fabulous, fat-positive entertainers.
Throwing Our Weight Around
BAFL
PO Box 308
Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02142
Video about fat liberation.
Dari Walker
Phone: (800) 484-2762
Limited edition sculptures and silver jewelry featuring fat
female bodies, priced $50-$95.
Wry Crips
Pandoura Carpenter
PO Box 21474
Oakland, CA 94620
Phone: (510) 601-5819
Size-positive and disability awareness performance group.
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A3) Who are some famous fat people?
This is a list of famous fat folks whose names have come up on a.s.b-f
or s.s.f-a. I make no claims that the information here is correct. The
folks on this list are varying degrees of fat (from just slightly above
average to supersize). Some have been fat only at certain times in their
lives. Since I don't know who all of these people are, some of them may
never have been fat. Please send corrections and additions!
Michael Anthony Bassist, Van Halen
Dan Aykroyd actor (Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers)
Kirstie Alley actress
Louie Anderson comedian, author, Sports Authority spokesperson
Maya Angelou U.S. poet laureate
Annabelle U.S. cartoon character, appears on Eeek
Thomas Aquinas Christian theologian
Roseanne Barr Arnold U.S. TV/movie actor (Roseanne, She-Devil)
Roscoe Conkling
"Fatty" Arbuckle silent film star
Louis Armstrong jazz musician from New Orleans
Tom Arnold U.S. TV actor (Roseanne)
James Avery US TV actor.
Nick Bakay US TV actor
Pearl Bailey singer, stage actor
Josiane Balasko French actor (Too Beautiful for You, French
Twist), writer and director
Barney the Dinosaur children's TV character
Ethel Barrymore movie actress
Lionel Barrymore stage and early movie actor
Kathy Bates actor (Misery, Fried Green Tomatoes)
Ned Beatty actor (Deliverance, Homicide)
John Belushi actor (SNL, Animal House, Blues Brothers)
Sarah Bernhardt actress
Joe Besser comic in 1930s films and on Abbot & Costello
Brian Blessed actor on stage, television and film
Francis Bavier actor (Andy Griffiths Show)
Jo Brand UK standup comedian
Marlon Brando movie actor (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now)
Jay Brazeau Canadian movie actor (We're No Angels)
Michael Bruce guitarist, ex-Alice Cooper
Garth Brooks Country Music superstar
Victor Buono movie actor (The Strangler, Whatever Happened
to Baby Jane?), published poems about being fat
Barbara Bush former U.S. First Lady
Delta Burke U.S. TV actor (Designing Women, Women of the House)
Raymond Burr U.S. TV/movie actor (Perry Mason, Ironside,
gangster movies)
Lord Byron poet
Cabbage Patch Dolls children's toy
Sebastian Cabot TV actor (Family Affair's Mr. French)
Sarah Caldwell conductor, Boston orchestra
John Candy Canadian movie actor (Planes, Trains and Automobiles)
Nell Carter singer, U.S. TV and stage actor (Gimme a Break,
Ain't Misbehavin' on Broadway)
Darlene Cates movie and TV actor (What's Eating Gilbert Grape)
Chubby Checker early rock-n-roller, pioneer of the Twist
Winston Churchill U.K. Prime Minister during WWII
J.J. Clarke Canadian CJOH weathercaster
Grover Cleveland U.S. president
Bill Clinton U.S. president
Rosemary Clooney big band singer, actor
James Coco U.S. actor
Mindy Cohn actor (Facts of Life, The Second Half)
Samuel T. Coleridge poet, philosopher
Kim Coles actress (In Loving Color, Living Single)
Robbie Coltrane British actor (The Pope Must Die)
Darlene Conley U.S. soap actor
William Conrad U.S. TV/radio actor (Gunsmoke, Jake and the Fat Man)
Jackie Coogan actor (Uncle Fester on The Addams Family TV show)
Lou Costello Abbott and Costello
John Crosbie Canadian politician
David Crosby rock singer, Crosby, Stills, & Nash (& Young)
Richard J. Daley, Richard M. Daley
Mayors of Chicago (father and son)
Dom DeLuise U.S. comedian and character actor (The End)
Peter DeLuise U.S. TV actor (21 Jump Street)
Lori Beth Denberg actress (Nickelodeon's "All That" and film "Good
Burger").
Brian Dennehy actor (Cocoon, Best Seller, Perfect Witness,
Presumed Innocent)
"Curly Joe" DeRita actor (The Three Stooges)
Andy Devine actor
Danny DeVito U.S. TV and movie actor and director
Colleen Dewhurst actor
Divine female impersonator, actor (Orlando, Hairspray,
Pink Flamingos)
Fats Dominoe blues/rock musician
Marie Dressler stage, film actor (Min and Bill)
Minnie Driver British movie actress
Mike Duffy Canadian CBC political commentator
Harvey B. Dunne actor (Ed Wood films)
Christopher Durang playwright, cabaret singer
Charles Dutton actor
Jane Eaglen opera singer
Roger Ebert film reviewer
Cass Elliot singer (Mama Cass of The Mamas and the Papas)
Missy "Misdemeanor"
Elliott rap singer
Fabulous Sports Babe Sports Talk Show host on ESPN radio
Chris Farley US TV/movie actor (SNL, Tommy Boy, Wayne's World,
Black Sheep)
Conchata Farrell U.S. TV actor (L.A. Law, Hearts Afire)
Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York
Gianfranco Ferre clothing designer
Cecil Fielder U.S. baseball player
Totie Fields comedian
W.C. Fields movie actor/comedian (My Little Chickadee)
Harvey Fierstein actor, playwright (Torch Song Trilogy)
Ella Fitzgerald jazz singer
Fred Flintstone animated cartoon character
Aretha Franklin singer
Dennis Franz TV actor (NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues)
Dawn French British comedian, author of *Big Knits* and
*Great Big Knits*
Frosty the Snowman character in song and cartoon
Stephen Furst US TV actor/comedian (Babylon 5)
Artemisia Gentileschi Renaissance painter of the Caravaggist school;
painted sturdy, realistic women
Jack Germond political columnist/commentator (Baltimore Sun,
McLaughlin Group TV show)
Dizzie Gillespie jazz musician
Newt Gingrich U.S. politician, Speaker of the House
Jackie Gleason actor, comedian, composer (The Honeymooners)
John Goodman U.S. TV and movie actor (Roseanne, Barton Fink)
Sidney Greenstreet character actor from the 30s-40s
Buddy Hackett U.S. comedian and actor
Alan Hale Sr. actor in many old movies (Little John in
Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood)
Alan Hale Jr. actor (Skipper in Gilligan's Island, West Point
Story, To the Shores of Tripoli)
Oliver Hardy actor/comedian (Laurel and Hardy)
Jackee Harry actress (227 and Sister, Sister)
Jo Anne Hart (Mother Love) US TV personality
Heavy D rap singer
Henry VIII king of England; founded Church of England
Bobby Hill cartoon character, "King of The Hill"
Hank Hill cartoon character, "King of The Hill"
Alfred Hitchcock film director
Mara Hobel TV/movie actress, Claire Makes It Big
Billie Holliday blues and jazz singer
Bob Hope comedian, movie actor (The Road Movies)
Bob Hoskins British TV and movie actor (Mona Lisa, Roger Rabbit)
Curly Howard actor (The Three Stooges)
Howlin' Wolf Mississippi bluesman (recorded "Three Hundred
Pounds of Joy" and "Built for Comfort")
Sammo Hung martial-arts actor (Martial Law; Enter the Fat
Dragon; Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon)
Tony Iommi guitarist, Black Sabbath
Burl Ives actor
Jabba the Hut evil alien in _Star Wars_
Mahalia Jackson singer
Jigglypuff cartoon character, "Pokemon"
James Earl Jones actor (Star Wars, Lion King)
Mother Jones feminist, labor organizer
Star Jones attorney, Inside Edition correspondent
Wynona Judd country wester singer, The Judds
George Kennedy actor (Naked Gun)
Brian Keith TV actor (Uncle Bill on Family Affair)
Ted Kennedy U.S. Senator, D-Massachusetts
B.B. King singer
Wayne Knight U.S. actor (Seinfeld, Jurassic Park)
Konishiki largest (and perhaps most popular ever) sumo
wrestler, from Hawaii
Yaphet Kotto actor (Homocide, Midnight Run, Alien)
John Kruk U.S. baseball player
Fiorello LaGuardia former New York City mayor
Greg Lake lead singer, Emerson Lake and Palmer
Ricki Lake U.S. TV/movie actor and talk-show host (Hairspray,
Ricki Lake Show, China Beach, BabyCakes)
Judy Lamarsh Canadian politician
David Lange former New Zealand Prime Minister
Mario Lanza opera singer in 50s movies, "The American Caruso"
Queen Latifah rap singer
Charles Laughton actor (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mutiny on the Bounty)
Blackie Lawless Guitarist/vocalist, shock rockers W.A.S.P.
Rush Limbaugh U.S. right-wing political commentator
Tone Loc rap artist
Rita MacNeil Canadian singer
Marjorie Main character actor (Ma Kettle of The Egg and
I and Ma and Pa Kettle movies)
Camryn Manheim U.S. TV/Movie Actor (The Practice, Road to
Wellville); writer (Wake Up I'm Fat); teacher
Hattie McDaniels movie actor (Gone with the Wind)
Spanky McFarlane 60s pop musician
William McKinley Former U.S. president
Meatloaf rock singer (Bat Out of Hell, Rocky Horror Picture
Show, Leap of Faith)
Ethel Merman actor/singer, (Annie Get Your Gun,
No Business Like Show Business)
Michelin Man advertising mascot
John McCoy Member of "Mammoth" heavy metal band
Barbara Mikulski U.S. Senator, Democrat from Maryland
Bette Midler singer, comedian, actor
Oliver Miller U.S. basketball player
Michael Moore Movie and TV director (Roger & Me, TV Nation)
Nicky Moore Member of "Mammoth" heavy metal band
Zero Mostel comedian, actor (A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum, Waiting for Godot)
Alison Moyet singer / songwriter ("Only You", "Is This Love",
"Whispering Your Name")
Jenny Murray (Woman's Hour - UK)
Kathy Najimy comedian, actor (The Kathy and Mo Show,
Sister Act, Witches of Eastwick)
Nero ancient Roman emperor
Stevie Nicks pop singer (Fleetwood Mac)
Jessye Norman opera singer
Carroll O'Connor U.S. TV actor
Rosie O'Donnell U.S. movie actor (A League of Their Own,
Now and Then)
Vince Neil vocalist, Motley Crue
Tip O'Neill U.S. politician, former Speaker of the House
Jimmy Page guitarist, ex- Led Zeppelin/Coverdale/Page
Sandi Patty contemporary Gospel singer
Vinnie Paul drummer, heavy metal superstars Pantera
Luciano Pavarotti opera singer
Mary Jo Pehl Writer and actress (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
William
"Refrigerator" Perry U.S. football player
Rikishi Phatu WWF wrestler
Miss Piggy Muppet character
Pillsbury Doughboy advertising mascot
Matt Pinfield ex-MTV veejay
John Popper musician (Blues Traveller)
Elvis Presley rock star
Paul Prudhomme chef
Anthony Quinn actor
Ma Rainey jazz & blues singer
Ramanujan early 20th-century mathematician
Rob Reiner U.S. film director/actor (When Harry Met Sally,
Bullets Over Broadway)
John Rhys-Davies TV actor (Sliders)
Edward G. Robinson movie actor (gangster movies, The 10 Commandments)
Rolly cartoon character, 101 Dalmatians
Linda Ronstadt pop/country music singer
Chad Rowan (aka Yokozuna Akebono) top-ranked sumo wrestler
from Hawaii
Babe Ruth Former U.S. baseball player
Marianne Sagebrecht movie actor (War of the Roses, Bagdad Cafe,
Sugarbaby, Rosalie Goes Shopping)
Santa Claus mythological character
Alexie Sayle Comedian
Beverly Sills opera singer and director
Gene Simmons Bassist/ vocalist, heavy metal superstars KISS
Homer Simpson cartoon character (The Simpsons)
Bart Simpson cartoon underachiver and proud of it man.
Anna Nicole Smith large-size model (she is not, by any
reasonable standard, fat)
Cyril Smith British politician now in the House of Lords
Kate Smith singer (sang God Bless America during WWII)
Mel Smith of Smith and Jones
Matt Sorum drummer, ex-Guns N' Roses/Cult
Burno Ve Sota actor in B-Grade horror movies
Wendy Jo Sperber U.S. TV/movie actor (Bosom Buddies, I Wanna
Hold Your Hand, 1941, Hearts of Fire)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton 19th century feminist writer and lecturer
David Ogden Stiers actor (MASH, Beauty & The Beast, Perry Mason)
Sally Struthers singer, actor
Sharon Sweet operatic soprano
William Howard Taft Former U.S. president
Danny Tamberelli US TV comedian ("All That")
Elizabeth Taylor actress
Teletubbies children's show characters
Kenan Thompson US TV comedian ("All That")
Big Mama Thornton blues singer
"Tiny" world champion sumo wrestler
Mel Torme jazz singer
Liz Torres U.S. TV actor (Mahalia on John Laroquette)
Friar Tuck character in story "Robin Hood"
Peter Tuiasosopo actor (sumo in Street Fighter)
Big Joe Turner blues shouter
Abigail Van Buren Newspaper advice columnist Dear Abby
Vivien Vance actress (I Love Lucy)
Luther Vandross singer
Reginald velJohnson actor (Die Hard, Family Matters)
Fats Waller musician/composer
Martha Wash singer (Two Tons of Fun, The Weather Girls)
Al Waxman Canadian actor
Orson Wells actor, writer/director (Citizen Kane)
George Wendt actor
Leslie West guitarist, ex-Mountain, aka "The Great Fatsby"
Mae West actor, comedian (My Little Chickadee)
Forest Whitacre film actor
Barry White soul singer
Oscar Wilde poet, novelist, playwright
Ann Wilson singer (Heart)
Brian Wilson singer (Beach Boys)
Carnie Wilson TV personality, singer (Wilson Phillips)
Nancy Wilson singer (Heart)
Oprah Winfrey U.S. TV/movie actor (Women of Brewster Place,
The Color Purple), talk-show host
Jonathon Winters comedian, actor (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad,
Mad, Mad World)
Shelley Winters actor
Nero Wolfe fictional detective in Rex Stout novels
Victoria Wood UK comedian and comedy writer
Yokozuna Takanohana top-ranked sumo wrestler
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A4) What is International No-Diet Day?
The annual International No Diet Day is May 6.
The main web site is http://www.eskimo.com/~largesse/INDD/
International No-Diet Day is a day to:
Declare a moratorium on diet/weight obsession.
Learn the facts about weight-loss dieting, health, and body
size.
Celebrate the natural beauty and diversity of our sizes and
shapes.
Affirm every*body*'s right to health, fitness, and emotional
well-being.
Recognize how dieting perpetuates violence against women.
Honor the victims and survivors of eating disorders and
weight-loss surgery.
Work to end fat oppression and size discrimination.
International No Diet Day is sponsored by a network of size rights,
anti-diet, feminist, and lesbian activists and organizations.
A5) What are some responses to the standard offensive things said to
fat people? Do you know any *positive* fat jokes? What are some
slogans for size-acceptance?
This list is compiled from posts to s.s.f-a and a.s.b-f. If you have
additional slogans/jokes/responses, please do send them in.
COMEBACKS/RESPONSES
Some of these responses are intended to put off criticism, some are
intended to educate the critic, some are just intended to blow off
steam, some are intended to simply get the critic to shut up. Think
about what message they'll send before you use them.
If you are ever physically threatened (or hit) by someone who is
harassing you for your weight, have someone call the cops, and have the
person arrested for assault and/or battery. Someone once slapped a fork
out of Lee Martindale's hand while she was eating in a restaurant. She
had the restaurant owner call the police and had the woman arrested for
assault.
And now that I've warned you of know the potential penalties for
physical assault, here is one person's response to offensive statements:
For an extremely fat person, I've been very lucky. I'm 6'4", so
regardless of how fat people think I am, they rarely mention it
for fear that I'll kill them or something. But every once in a
while, someone will take it upon themselves to correct me at the
store, or mention that I don't "need that."
When that happens, I do something. See, I got tired of being
the only one in the room who was humiliated when someone was
rude. So when someone says something rude, I pull out a squirt
gun and let them have it right in the face. Four or five
squirts.
The reaction to this is amazing. They get a look of abject
horror, as if I'd sprayed them with acid. Then they're
humiliated, because nobody's sprayed them with water in a public
place since they were seven, and they don't know how to handle
it.
I tell them I used to work in a pet store, and when the dogs or
the cats acted up, I'd squirt them with water to get them back
into line. Then I say "It works on all dumb animals, as you can
see. Was there anything else you wanted to comment on?"
This pulls the rug out from under these people with such
totality that I've never had anyone say a damned thing. I must
say, it's quite satisfying to ruin THEIR day for once. -- Don
Derwin (dmderwin@earthlink.net)
Sue Widemark wrote: "I remember my mom, always around 300 lbs (our
family is all genetically large), deciding one day that she was tired of
the word 'fat' and would substitute the word, 'slender'. She was then
becoming more slender even if she ate a bunch of slender-ing foods. And
she could then call us (when she was annoyed at us), 'slender'-heads. It
did make for some funny situations."
Another web site with comebacks for people who bug you about your size:
They are all relatively polite, and some may function to make the
people stop and realize their rudeness. (You can add to the list.)
In response to "That big fat man just went for his THIRD bag of popcorn."
"PARDON me, but I want to just let you know, my husband and
I are going over to La Pinata to eat right now, in case you
wanted to come along and take notes on what he has to eat for
dinner."
In response to pointing, giggling, and whispering:
"You must be staring at me because of my 'super' model
qualities. Do you have a camera? If you take a picture of me I
would be more than glad to autograph it."
(if teenagers are doing it) "EEEEWWWW LOOK! TEENAGERS!"
In response to "You have such a pretty face."
"Thank you! It goes along with my pretty body!"
"Yes, I look far more pretty now than when I was skinny!"
"You should see how beautiful my *body* is!"
"No, no... It's too late for flattery."
"Keep trying. Maybe you can get one too."
"Yes, your (husband, wife, mother or whatever) mentioned it
at the motel last night."
"Did YOU ever have one?"
"If only everyone were as nice as you are to mention it!
Thanks, for being such a nice person. You look good too!"
"You think my face is something, you should see my ass!"
"And you have such a great body, if only your face didn't
look like it was set on fire and put out with an axe. Have you
considered plastic surgery?"
(One woman reports talking to a man who said, "You have
such a pretty face..." Assuming this was a backhanded
compliment, she began to finish for him "If only...", when he
interrupted her with, "If only you were mine." :)
In response to "You have such a pretty face, if only..."
"Why would I want my body to match your narrow mind?"
"Oh, I used to have a pretty body and an ugly face, but the
damn Genie said it was an either/or situation."
In response to "Look at that fat ass!"
"I'd rather have my fat ass than your narrow mind!"
In response to "Oh, you'd be such a pretty girl if you just lost all
that weight."
"Gee, you'd be such an intelligent person if you didn't make
statements like that."
"I am beautiful just the way I am."
"I'm pretty now."
"But I don't need to lose weight. Do I look like I need to
lose weight?"
"No, then I'd look like you (your mother, your sister,
etc.)."
"And in a perfect world you wouldn't be insensitive and
insulting."
"And if you had bigger tits and no head you could be Jayne
Mansfield."
"Lose weight? Why, then I'd be only half the woman I am
now! Don't you know how much time and effort goes into all this
wonderful fat?"
In response to "You would feel much better if you lost weight."
"Actually, I'm very comfortable with my weight; it's YOUR
manners that are the problem."
In response to "You carry your weight so well."
"Like what else am I going to do with it? Leave it in the
car while I go shopping?"
In response to "You don't need that."
"You're absolutely right. I don't *need* it. I *want* it.
If I needed it, it would mean that I was addicted to it, the way
you seem to be addicted to making stupid remarks."
"Sure I do. You just don't know what you're talking about."
"In the same way that I don't need your butting in."
"I'd pay you for that advice, if I thought it were worth anything."
"Well I'm sure as hell not going to let YOU have it."
"Are you a doctor? Do you play one on TV?"
In response to unsolicited diet advice:
"Mom? (Dad?) Is that you?" Look the person right through
the eyes as if trying to see the inside of their skull, to see
if they are the reincarnation of that long-lost nagging parent.
"How dare you assume I'd rather be thin!"
"That's great. Do you have any tips for removing pet odors
from carpeting?"
"Oh, I can't diet -- my doctor told me I had to gain some
weight!" They know I'm pulling their leg but then I look so
serious that they don't want to go against my doctor.
In response to some comment about "ugly fat":
"The only ugly fat in this room is in your head."
"I used to think it was ugly too, then I heard what you
said, and now I know what ugly really is."
In response to "You shouldn't be eating that":
Spit the food out onto them, then say:
"Thank God you told me that! Why, that food could have killed me!"
"But if I don't, I'll have to rub it into my hair, and you
know how messy that can be. No, I think it's best if I go ahead
and eat it."
In response to "Do you know how many calories that has?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"No, but give me a little time to research it, and I'll try
to find out for you."
"No, I'm not a musician. And that's a stupid name for a song."
"Fifty percent less than it used to. I've already eaten half
of it."
In response to "You know that isn't good for people like you":
"I'm shocked. I'd never thought of you as a racist."
"Yes it is. You're just not up on the latest research."
"Are you sure? It TASTES good."
"What about for YOUR kind of people?"
In response to "I'm so faaaaaaat!":
(pretending to see barely detectable fat) "Yes."
"Yes, you are getting fat."
"I know how you feel. I used to have a weight problem myself."
"So what. Even at 110, you wouldn't look like Christy Brinkley.
I like you just as you are, wrinkles and all. Why can't you?"
"That's OK. I still like you."
"Hell, that's nothing. I've got cellulite bigger than that."
"Yeah, you're such a cow! What do you wear, an 8? If I
were that big, I'd just kill myself!"
In response to "I'm having a 'fat day'":
(cheerfully) "Me too! Isn't it wonderful?"
"Is that it? I thought you were suppressing flatulence."
In response to a worried question "Have I put on weight?":
"Yes! You look terrific! Someday, maybe the two of us will
shop for clothes together."
"Well I'm no expert..."
In response to "I feel HUGE!":
"Would you like to accompany me to the next NAAFA meeting?
NAAFA is a place where huge folk can really relax."
"You want to feel me for comparison?"
In response to "I'm getting so fat":
"Subconsciously, you are trying to broaden that narrow mind
of yours, but you have expanded your 'middle' instead of your
'mind'."
"No, you're just a lot shorter than you used to be."
"What does that make me, the mother ship?"
If the person saying this is pregnant: "No, you're
pregnant. *I* am fat!"
In response to "I need to get in shape!":
"Choose the shape 'triangle' and save your energy for more
important problems."
"That's a relief. I knew it was one of us."
In response to "I'm going on Optifast":
"I've decided to give the $5000 I would have spent on Optifast
to end world hunger. My contribution to the world as a
'decorative' thin person would be so much less."
"Don't bother. I'll teach you my plan."
"I gargle with that, after I eat enough for four people."
"I ate five dozen doughnuts for breakfast, and I'm still
going on them."
In response to "I look like a beached whale":
"I have a theory that the emotional response people have to
whale beachings is due to transference of the need to preserve
maternal symbols."
"No you don't... but have you ever seen a manatee?"
"But you have a pretty face, like me."
In response to "You look like a whale":
"And I have seen wonders in the deep you haven't dreamt of."
"And I can sing, too."
In response to grousing about how awful it is to diet:
"Yeah, isn't dieting awful. That's why I just don't do it any
more!"
"But it's better than a sharp stick in the eye... no, wait a
minute..."
"But if you don't keep going on diets, you can never look
like me."
In response to the accusation that people who are attracted to large
people have a "fetish":
"Many men are attracted only to women who weigh between 105 and
120 pounds. I, on the other hand, am attracted to women who
weigh between 150 and 500 pounds. Now you tell *me* who has a
'fetish'!"
""No, wanting to dress a fat person in a gorilla suit,
sitting naked in front of them, trying to dice potatoes with
your genitals, while reciting the pledge of allegence in a
Cockney accent... THAT'S a fetish!"
In response to "You'd rather be fat than thin?":
"I'd rather be me than you."
"Yes."
Maybe. How thin are you talking about?
"I didn't know you were going to give me a choice. Let me
get back to you."
"I'd RATHER be in Hawaii."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I LIKE to be fat?"
In response to any comment not spoken directly to you, but clearly
intended for your hearing:
"You know, I'm fat. I'm not deaf." (accompany with a withering
stare)
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing you. You might
want to hold it down, so others won't know what an asshole you
are."
In response to "Inside you there is a thin person screaming to get out":
"Just the one, dear?"
(burp slightly into one's fist) "He's not screaming anymore."
"Shhhh... I'm hiding Jimmy Hoffa."
"And I'm not letting him/her out until there's a reward."
"That's my conjoined twin."
"No, I have a huge navel."
"Outside every thin person is a fat person screaming to get in."
In response to "You've gained weight" (a suggestion from the venerable
Miss Manners):
"Why, thank you; how kind of you to notice."
In response to "Are you pregnant?":
"No, just fat!" (beaming at them like a proud parent)
"No. Are you?"
"No. Why?"
"No, but I have been thinking of painting my living room" (or
some other completely unrelated comment...)
"No, but the night is still young..."
"No, just voluptous."
"No, just cuddly."
"No, but I am tired" (or hungry or sleepy or anything else that
you really are)
"What a personal question!"
"What a pick-up line!"
"I can't believe you asked me that!"
"Is THAT where babies come from? Finally!"
"Why? Is a star rising in the East?"
To a child: "No, I'm fat. People come in all kinds of shapes and
sizes."
"I think it's just fat, but stick your head up my ass and
see if you can tell."
In response to "When's the baby due?":
"In about ten years."
(huge, proud grin) "He's 15."
"In about nine months, but we have to get started right away!"
"Due for what?"
In response to "What have you got in there, a baby?" said to a man:
"No, an elephant." [reaching for zipper] "You wanna see the
trunk?"
In response to the insult "You're fat -- take up jogging!":
"You're rude -- take up eating soap!"
"You're right -- step in front of a train."
"I'm beyond fat, so I figure I'm also beyond jogging."
"I did. What do you think made me so fat?"
In response to the insult "You're fat!":
"And you're rude. Which is worse?"
"I'm fat but I can lose weight. You'll always be
stupid/mean/rude."
"Yes, I am."
"Yup and some day if you're lucky you'll be fat too!"
"Oh yeah? So what am I?"
"Is that it? I thought I'd been looking in a funhouse mirror."
"Oh, you're just saying that because I'm obese."
"Do you want me to sit on your face?"
In response to "You're too fat!":
"Too fat for what?" This works quite well if you say it in
a really serious, quizzical way, and look at the person as if
you expect an answer. I've never yet seen anyone come up with an
answer that makes any sense when put on the spot. If they just
say "you know, too fat!", keep shaking your head in a friendly
way, like you just don't understand what they could possibly
mean. And if you're feeling really sassy, add a big smile and a
"What did you have in mind, honey?"
In response to a comment to a woman about how she looks masculine:
"Yeah, sometimes I get mistaken for a man. Do you?"
"I'm more man than you'll ever be, and more woman than you'll
ever have."
General purpose comebacks:
"People come in all sizes. So do minds."
"Do you think you still feel the same way if you were
intelligent?"
"I hope you're not talking to me ... and so do you!"
(delivered with a cold, cutting gaze, and a no-nonsense voice)
"My doctor said I'm going to die in the next two months, and
I'm really worried. I hope you'll have a wonderful life though."
Miss Manners's catchall answer: "I BEG your pardon!"
In response to "You look like you've lost weight!":
"No. In fact, I've actually gained some. Do I look sick or
something?"
"You think so? I hadn't noticed."
"No, but I'm glad you think I look *good*. I do *feel* really
good."
"I've lost weight? Really? Oh no!!!! Is there a lost and found
here?"
In response to "You've gained weight!":
"And you are as observant as ever!"
"And I'm so much happier now that I don't obsess about it."
"Are you absolutely sure about that?"
"And your point?"
"Yes."
"Yes, and I've never felt better."
"How sweet! You noticed!"
"I was starting to miss my womanly figure."
"Yeah, that's right. I like the curvy look"
"Yeah, I decided it was more fun being happy and fat than thin
and miserable."
"Yep, look, test how huggable I am now!!"
"My goodness! You know, you're absolutely right!"
"It was the result of a freak eating accident."
"I tried gaining Spanish doubloons, but weight was all I got."
"And 'you've got mail.'"
In response to "Don't eat that, you'll get fat."
"I already am fat."
In response to a child asking why you're fat:
"There are all kinds of people in this world. There are bigger
people, and there are smaller people. And I am one of the
bigger people."
In response to a child declaring "You're fat" in a way that is obviously
not intended as an insult:
"Yes, I am. And you're {small, short, whatever}"
In response to a parent punishing a child for making an observant
comment about your being fat:
"Excuse me, I don't have a problem with me being fat. Why do
you?"
In response to someone pointing out to you that you're fat:
"Oh my god, when did that happen??????"
"Alert the media!"
In response to "Why are you still fat if you are vegan?"
"Because my two wonderful grandmothers gave me these genes."
"So _someone_ can be living proof that not all fat people
eat junk food."
"To survive better in the next famine than thin people."
"Because my ancestors lived through lots of hunger and
their bodies learned how to store food."
"So I can be voluptuous and curvy, and jiggle when I walk."
"Because I like not fitting into airplane seats and having
people ask rude questions."
In response to "I wouldn't wear that outfit if I were you":
"You're right. I don't think it would look anywhere near as nice
if it was on you."
In response to "why don't you just exercise?"
"Every time I get the urge to exercise, I just lie down
'till it goes away."
(Whipping out gym card) "More than 5 times a week?
I'm game, meet you there?"
"And what makes you think I don't get any exercise?"
-- If they reply "because you're fat," give the names of some
big athletes or weightlifters
In response to "I'd date you if you lost some weight":
"Oh, no problem, I was looking for something a bit higher up on
the evolutionary ladder anyway."
"Thank goddess! Since I'm staying this way, you're one less man
I have to turn down gracefully!"
"If I had wanted to date you, I would have asked you out by
now."
"I wouldn't date you if: (fill in the blank)
"You grew a brain."
"You offered me a million dollars."
"You paid me."
"You begged."
"You were the King of Siam."
"You quit being a horse's ass."
"Oh that's all right, with a husband, two boyfriends and a
girlfriend, I've got enough dates already!"
"There is really nothing you could do in return that would make
me consider dating you."
"That's OK. I don't date beneath me."
"I'd date you if you were smarter."
"Thanks for saving me the trouble of rejecting you later."
"Whatever made you think I'd want to be seen with you?"
"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?"
"Then it's a good thing I wasn't planning on dating you, isn't
it?"
"How kind of you to say so."
"If you don't take me fat, you won't get me thin!"
"You're not good enough to go out with me now, so why do you
think you'd be good enough to go out with me if I lost
weight."
In response to "If you don't lose weight, you'll never find a man."
"Eeewwww! A _man_? No way!"
In response to "You have a weight problem":
"I don't have a weight problem. I'm fat. *You* have a weight
problem."
To obnoxious people in general:
"If you don't like me fat, what makes you think you will like me
thin? I am the same person inside and out!"
"If you're so much better than me, then how come I am a happy
and successful business executive with a husband I love, and
you are a piece of shit who can only make himself feel
worthwhile by belittling others?"
In response to comments about another person who has "really let
themself go" (and gotten fat):
If the person does not seem to be "letting themselves go", point
out that they seem happy, that they still wear nice clothes, and
that they still groom themselves carefully. If the person does
seem to be "letting themselves go", redirect the conversation to
point out genuine signs of "going to seed", and voice concern
about the real problem: unhappiness, stress, ill health,
whatever.
In response to relatives you hassle you about your weight:
Look down at the floor, dejected, and say quietly "I'm sorry you
can't love me the way I am". And repeat it to every "helpful"
thing they say. Guilt. It's not just for relatives anymore!
"I'm a [blank] year old woman, and I believe I can decide
what I do and do not need to do, but thank you for your input."
For comments when someone is making a point and the statement ends with
"...because you're fat":
In a sarcastic manner, respond, "and here we thought you
were a blind rocket scientist."
For comments that you should lose weight to improve your health:
"I was born in 1947 and all my life I've been told my weight
was a health hazard although I've had hardly a day's illness in
my life, but many people born the same year as me and who've
been thin all their lives - are dead."
"I must have missed something. Where did you say you went
to medical school, Doctor?" [And if you ever get someone who
turns out to BE a medical doctor, you can always ask: "And did
they teach you to give medical advice without taking any medical
history and without any tests?" If they ever answer yes to that
you can ask for their card, and add that you will take care
never to consult them, because you prefer an MD who thinks
before giving advice.]
For people who push herbal fat remedies:
"Forget to take your rude sob herbal cure this morning?"
"I'm not really interested in that, do you have one that
will bring world peace and end [latest media obsession]?"
"Last time that happened to me, I asked the helpful lady
what percentage of her lean body weight she could bench press.
She didn't know, so I told here that unless it was 100% or
better, I didn't take workout program advice from weaklings."
For salespeople who say "We don't have anything in YOUR size":
[holding up a pair of tiny stretch pants] "If I want to
wear these as socks it's my business, now go away."
FAT-POSITIVE FAT JOKES
Fat-related ASCII codes (Contributed by Robin King):
Weight loss clubs: $fat
Fat acceptance: =fat
Internet resources on fatness: @fat
Bodybuilders: %fat
Fat hotline: *fat
Liposuction: -fat
Fat-accepting Masseurs/Masseuses: #fat
"She's SOOOOO fat!"
"How fat is she?"
"She works at the airport kick-starting 747s."
Contributed by Sharon Curtis, who likes it because she feels
it conveys an image of *power*.
At about 300 pounds, William Howard Taft was our fattest president.
Wiseacre Chauncey Depew once quipped that he looked like he was about to
give birth. Taft replied, "If I give birth to a son, I shall name it
John. If I give birth to a daughter, I shall name it Mary. But if it is,
as I suspect, nothing but a great bag of wind, I shall name it Chauncey
Depew."
Contributed by Lenore Levine.
"How many fat-acceptance zealots does it take to change a lightbulb?"
"I don't know, how many?"
"You can't change a lightbulb."
Contributed by Stef Jones
"How many fat-acceptance zealots does it take to change a lightbulb?"
"I don't know, how many?"
"First, we have to write letters of protest to the company that made
the ladder, because it's only rated to 200 pounds...."
Contributed by Sator Arepo
"How many fat-acceptance zealots does it take to change a lightbulb?"
"I don't know, how many?"
"The lightbulb is just fine, darkness is great!"
Contributed by Rachel Priebee
How many fat-acceptance zealots does it take to change a lightbulb?
I don't know, how many?
Change? Why does the lightbulb need to change? It's so lovely and round
and sensual the way it is!
Contributed by Araiguma
I have a very young tabby kitten (8 weeks) who has a tubby little
tummy. How can I tactfully convince him to switch to vertical stripes
which would be more flattering than his current horizontal ones?
Contributed by Mark Denman
I, personally, prefer my former-skinny-stray-now-obese-Charley's choice
of tasteful black with a tidy white throatpiece. Black, after all, is
so slenderizing.
Contributed by Phyllis
(A joke from Scientific American. Equally balanced towards thin and
fat people, and not hurtful to either):
They were reporting on some whizzy new computer program that could model
how fabrics hang. Warp, weft, weight and other factors all affect the
way that fabrics hang. They had a little picture of a cloth draped over
a table, and a computer image that showed how well the simulation
matched reality. I think the idea is that eventually it'll be used to model how clothing will hang from people. But the article warns that this isn't available yet. So far the hang has only been tried on tabletops and spheres. So they said unless you're very thin or very fat, they wouldn't bother just yet :-)
Contributed by Sharon Curtis
Big, Bold and Beautiful, a Toronto clothing store and mail order place
has recently made a commercial which will be airing in southern Ontario.
Apparently in the commercial starring Jacqueline Hope, the President of
BBB and a BBW herself she looks seductively into the camera and says
"Some men will try and tell you that more than a handful is wasteful,
but you know what they say about men with small hands..."
Contributed by Sherry Anderson
I was with my 11th year (11th grade) class on the birthday of one girl,
and was asked to sing her my own version of Happy Birthday, which I'd
sung when these folk were much younger. I was planning to do it when the
class quieted down, before they left. I feel pretty safe with this
group, we have a pretty good relationship. So when one student said, a
bit prematurely, "Can we leave, sir?" I said, nice and loud: "The class
isn't over till the fat man sings!" It got a big, hesitant laugh. There
was something good about me acknowledging with some pride that I am
"fat", and not ashamed of it or try to keep it as a taboo word or
subject, as long as it's used with respect.
A man was hassling his wife about going on a diet.
She sez: "Last time I was at the doctor's, he said I had a good body for
my age."
He sez: "And what did he say about your big ass?"
She sez: "Your name never came up."
Contributed by Martha Koester
SLOGANS
Some of these slogans are available on
buttons, magnets, and keychains from SeaFATtle (http://www.wolfenet.com/~marymc/buttons.htm)
or from NAAFA
(http://naafa.org/Html_web_store/html_web_store.cgi)
More slogans are available at the International No Diet Day web site:
One woman was sick of people in her aerobics class assuming she was
trying to lose weight. She had a T-shirt printed up with the slogan: HOW
DARE YOU PRESUME I'D RATHER BE THIN! (Also seen on a button.)
KISS MY FAT ASS (stickers available in 2 sizes 1x5 and 3x11; small are
free with a stamped, self-addressed envelope; big are $1 US with SASE.
Donations accepted. Send to: Max Airborne 2215-R Market St. #193 San
Francisco, CA 94114 USA)
Fattitude Adjusters (tm) Fat-positive business cards that say "Thank you
for your assistance with my size-related needs." $1.25 per 10 plus 33
cents postage to S R Productions P.O. Box 832571 Richardson, TX 75083
Seen on a T-shirt (from Castles Direct) "If this were the 1500s, I'd be
a goddess!"
Lee Martindale was identified in a column in the Dallas Morning News as
a "fiery fatvocate".
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind."
"Being a model means wearing clothes and not eating. I'd rather eat and
take off my clothes." (Seen on a button.)
Seen on a bumper sticker: "Scales are for fish, NOT women."
Seen on a bumper sticker: "I'm built for comfort, not for speed."
"Fat isn't a fault, it's a feature."
"Fat people are harder to kidnap."
"Everything is beautiful -- in its own weigh."
Been there, done that, outgrew the T-shirt.
And the brains are even bigger!
Butch Nerd -- soft body, hard mind
Vertically challenged and horizontally gifted -- can't reach the shelf
and can't see my feet!
Seen on a button: Fattitude!
Seen on a button: Fat free? I don't THINK so!
Fighting Fit- Not fighting Fat
Fit, Fat and Forty+
Let's make a deal: I won't worry about your (small) mind, if you won't
worry about my (larger) body
For a button: If you don't like looking at fat people, how come you're
reading this?
Just Say Fat!
Livin' Large
No, I DON'T want to hear about your latest weight-loss miracle product.
Don't live hungry
Perfect exactly the way I am
Fat and Sassy
Wild Fat Grrrl
Chubby Chaser
Fuck Dieting
Life is a banquet...Why are you starving yourself?
Big! Bold! Beautiful!
Straight, but DEFINITELY not narrow!
Phat
Warning: I sit on fat bashers!
Fat & All That!
Flabulous!
Beware the Diet Nazis, for they are hungry and mean!
NO, FAT CHICKS
wouldn't have you!
(first three words in a different color or larger size; takes the p***
out of the 'No fat chicks' slogan)
Large and in Charge
Don't Weigh Your Self-Esteem
Fat by Nature, Proud by Choice
Women of Substance
Diets (surrounded by international No symbol)
Other names for fat women (and fat people):
Big, Bad Bitch
Big, Beautiful Woman
Fabulous Fat Babe
Gravitationally Enhanced
Person of Flesh
Person of High Calibre
Plumpsuous
Sizeable Woman
Substantial Woman
Woman of High Caliber
Woman of Size
Woman of Stature
Woman of Substance
Women of Weight
============================================================
A6) Are there any movies/videos on fat acceptance and fat people?
Some videos are also listed in section A2 on famous
fat artists, and in the Publications FAQ.
The Famine Within
Documentary about weight as a cultural and class issue. Not
entirely pro-fat, but good nonetheless. It was made in 1990 by a
Canadian film maker, and appears occasionally on PBS in the US.
Fat Chance
A film made by the Canadian National Film Board. A true story
about Rick Zakowich, a 400 lb man who does music therapy for
abused children, in addition to playing in a band and being an
abstract painter. At the start, he is told he must lose 200 lbs
for health reasons; he is also depressed, feeling isolated and
alone. He ends up going to a conference on fat acceptance, and
later begins a support group for overweight men. He comes to
accept his body and discovers a fat-positive community in which
he gets the support he needs to live his life as he is. The
movie includes stills (of Rick and others) by a photographer he
met at the conference who takes wonderful pictures of overweight
people. Highly recommended.
The movie is available from Bullfrog Films:
PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
Phone: (800) 543-3764, (610) 779-8226
Fax: (610) 370-1978
For schools and libraries, with public performance rights, price
is $275. For individuals and home video purchases, the price is
$29.95 + $5 shipping.
Fat Chance in a Thin World
NOVA episode, made by PBS. Features obesity researchers.
Fat World
Lorna Boschman
Phone: (604) 872-8337
Fax: (604) 876-1185
25-minute video about being fat, from a fat perspective.
Gracious Flab, Gracious Bone
Evie Leder
199 Riverside Dr.
Northampton, MA 01060
Phone: (413) 586-9012
$12
15-minute video about Susan Stinson and her work.
Killing Us for Our Own Good: Dieting and Medical Misinformation
Body Image Task Force
PO Box 934
Santa Cruz, CA 95061-0934.
Check or money order for $19.95 plus $5 shipping and handling.
All proceeds go to BITF for further distribution of the film.
Comes with a set of educational brochures.
Lecture by Dawn Atkins. Production quality isn't high, but the
material is timely and important. Includes Cozy Sheridan's song
"The Losing Game." Running time is 1 hr. 45 min. Purchase
includes the right to show the video publicly for educational
purposes.
No Apologies
PO Box 21474
Oakland, CA 94620
Phone: (510) 601-5819
30-minute video by the size-positive, disabled-positive
performance troupe Wry Crips.
Individuals: $25-$35. Institutions: $55. Include $4 for shipping.
Nothing To Lose
Fat Lip Reader's Theater
PO Box 29963
Oakland, CA 94604
Phone: (510) 658-3300
Email: carolguy@netcom.com
Video of selected performance pieces by this legendary fat
feminist performance troupe.
$22 + $3 shipping.
Slim Hopes: Advertising and the Obsession with Thinness
Media Education Foundation
Phone: (800) 659-6882
By Jean Kilbourne (creator of "Still Killing Us Softly").
$250 for universities/colleges; $215 for high schools and
non-profit health centers.
Throwing Our Weight Around
BAFL
Sandy Dwyer
PO Box 1836
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone: (617) 491-1549
Video about fat liberation.
Individuals: $30. Groups/institutions: $40. Add $5 shipping.
============================================================
A7) Are there any fat-positive mainstream movies/videos?
Feature movies that feature fat characters portrayed (more or less)
positively or that have a (mostly) fat-positive message. Some folks may
disagree with some of the items in this list.
Analyze This -- Kyle Sabihy playing Michael Sobel
Babycakes (US remake of Sugarbaby) -- Ricki Lake
Bagdad Cafe -- Marianne Sagebrecht
Claire Makes It Big -- Mara Hobel
Crybaby -- Rikki Lake
Exit to Eden -- Rosie O'Donnell
Fantasia -- hippo ballerinas sequence
French Twist (Gazon Maudit) -- Josiane Balasko
Fried Green Tomatoes -- Kathy Bates
The Full Monty -- Mark Addy
Hairspray -- Rikki Lake
League of Their Own -- Rosie O'Donnell
Muriel's Wedding -- Toni Collette
Nutty Professor -- Eddie Murphy in a fat suit {sigh}
Rosalie Goes Shopping -- Marianne Sagebrecht
Return To Me --
Sugarbaby/Zuckerbaby -- Marianne Sagebrecht
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? -- Darlene Cates
============================================================
SECTION B: Information about this FAQ
B1) Are there other related FAQs?
There is some overlap in the topics covered by the FAQs. If you don't
find what you're looking for here, try the other FAQs.
The latest version of the following FAQs can be found at:
http://www.cat-and-dragon.com/~stef/Fatfaqs/
alt.support.big-folks newsgroup FAQ
soc.support.fat-acceptance newsgroup FAQ
soc.support.fat-acceptance.moderated newsgroup FAQ
Clothing for Big Folks in Canada
Clothing for Big Folks in the U.S. (parts 1 and 2)
Organizations for Big Folks
Online Resources for Big Folks
Other Resources for Big Folks
Publications for Big Folks
Resources for Dealing With the Physical Aspects of Being Fat
Size-acceptance
The following FAQs can be found at:
http://www.sover.net/~astarte/fa/faqs.html
Big Folks and Fitness
Big Folks and Health
Big Folks and Sports
Research on Big Folks
The latest versions of following FAQs can be found at the following
locations:
Clothing for Big Folks in the U.K. at
http://www.thegrapevine.co.uk/Avalanche/FAQ-UK.htm
Clothing for Big Folks in Europe at
http://www.thegrapevine.co.uk/Avalanche/FAQ-Europe.htm
Plus-Size Pregnancy Website at
http://www.teleport.com/~rvireday/plus/
You can also find (sometimes slightly older versions of) the above FAQs
(except the plus-size pregnancy FAQs) at the following locations:
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/fat-acceptance-faq/
(Note: The big-folks FAQ is listed separately at these locations.)
You can also get FAQs from rtfm.mit.edu via anonymous FTP or via the mail
archive server. For information about the mail server, send email to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
with the word "help" (without the quotes) in the body of the message.
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B2) Posting information
This document is posted bi-weekly to alt.support.big-folks,
soc.support.fat-acceptance, and soc.support.fat-acceptance.moderated.
Stef Maruch (ff@cat-and-dragon.com) maintains this FAQ.
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B3) Contributors
These are the people who contributed significant chunks to the FAQ:
Sasha Wood (Sasha.Wood@cs.cmu.edu)
Largesse (75773.717@compuserve.com)
Also, lots and lots of other people (too many to credit) contributed
information that appears herein, some via email and some on s.s.f-a or
a.s.b-f. Thanks to them all.
Suggestions for additions/improvements are always welcome.
Send suggestions to Stef Maruch (ff@cat-and-dragon.com)
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Copyright 1995-1999 by Stef Maruch (ff@cat-and-dragon.com)
Permission is granted to copy and redistribute this article in its
entirety for non-commercial, educational use only, provided that this
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