Ferocia's Two Cents On The Marie-Claire-Obese-People-Debacle

Hey Glamazons! OK, OK I know that I’m super late and just about everyone and their mom has said something about it already, but this whole Marie Claire blog post debacle has been on my mind for awhile now. And I totally have a blog (obvs!) so why not post my two cents about it, right?!

So, just in case you’re behind in the news, this blogger Maura Kelly that writes about Sex and Relationships for MarieClaire.com took to the net to air her opinions on fat people displaying public affection for each other. (Click here to read it.)

I’ve never actually watched the show she discusses (CBS sitcom Mike & Molly), but supposedly it's getting flack for the loads of “fat jokes” that are told on it as well as the fact that some viewers “aren’t comfortable watching intimacy between two plus-sized actors.”

In a nutshell, I think Maura's entire blog post was pretty insensitive, but the part that disturbs me the most was not that she voiced the fact of being grossed out at the idea of watching fat people make out but this:

“I think obesity is something that most people have a ton of control over. It’s something they can change, if only they put their minds to it.”

And then goes on to offer diet advice.

WTF?!

Excuse me, Miss Kelly it’s OK to voice your opinion, but don’t presume to try and tell others how they should live (or lead) their lives.

I’m not an obese person, but I do have some friends and family members that are and never in life would I ever try to tell them how to lose weight when I myself would probably be the same if I didn’t have a high metabolism. (Yes, I have a seriously sad love affair with foods that aren’t always the best for me and working out is not exactly at the top of my to-do list.)

Ewwww......

However, it does make my stomach turn to watch an obese person eat so would that be the same thing as her saying that she can’t stand the idea of them making out on public television? Is it insensitive for me to also say that I get angry when a fat person sits next to me on the train and hogs up all the space?

Yes, it probably is. But never in a million years would I ever judge anyone for being obese or even super skinny for that matter. It’s your life and you have to live it for yourself and no one else.

So, essentially, I don’t think that there’s harm in Maura actually voicing her opinion about what she views as being attractive (obese people obviously not being one of her top faves) but more so in the fact that she’s writing about (and passing judgment on) a whole topic that she knows nothing about.

Also, the fact that she’s writing on behalf of a women’s magazine that’s supposed to love all women (no matter what the size) makes it even worse. (Side note: It also doesn’t help that they currently have one of the skinniest women in America (i.e. Victoria Beckham) on their November 2010 cover.)

Although she’s since written an apology addendum to the blog post and added that she herself has struggled with anorexia, the damage has been done. Thousands of people have taken to the cyberworld to voice their opinions through MarieClaire’s Face Book and Twitter pages announcing that they’ve cancelled their subscriptions. I’m also pretty sure that Maura will never be able to show her face in the cyberworld again without receiving some sort of hate mail attached.

But, I want to know what you think about all this, Glamazons. Do you agree with me above when I say that it’s meaner that Maura passed judgment on obese people rather than the fact that she states that seeing them make out in public disgusts her? Am I wrong to say the things that I said above about fat people? Does anyone out there actually agree with what Maura writes?! Let’s talk about it below in the comments section.

xo

Ferocia