Normally it’s bad form to start an article with a bunch of pictures. So what? This is the Douchebag of the Month Column; we’re not up for a Pulitzer. So we’re going to start by rustling your jimmies.
Welcome to the world of [b]Thin Privilege[b]: a term concocted to make obese people – the vast majority of whom simply refuse to exercise sufficient hand-to-mouth control – into a persecuted minority.
“Thin Privilege” is a concept onto which many overweight and obese people have latched in recent years, spurred on by movements such as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), in the face of simmering resentment that seems to be building about the impositions the obese cause on the health care system and public spaces in general.
This post was taken from the blog “This Is Thin Privilege” on Tumblr
Part of the purpose of society is to take care of its weakest members, but when that weakness tends to be a result of a willful negligence to one’s health, an unwillingness to make good decisions, or bluntly, an inability to keep one’s hand away from one’s mouth, the burden on society becomes unnecessarily heavy, and many of those who are putting in the effort to carry their own weight, begin to resent carrying more than their carefully-managed share.
“Privilege” is a fairly recent tool used by activists for framing social issues in the context of an oppressed minority looking out onto the advantages of being part of a majority group. In some cases, such as “White Privilege”, the term has legitimate uses, especially in making certain people see that things they take for granted in their lives are as much a result of their luck as any other factor.
Can’t handle having your feelings hurt by people who point out the reality of your situation? Well then partner, just create your own minority group and bam, now you’re being persecuted.
But you can’t fill in the blank that precedes the term with just anything, simply because you happen to be a constituent of a particular group of people who want to complain about their treatment by society. In a rational world, you’d never see a ‘hygienic privilege’ site dedicated to people who are upset for being treated poorly because they refuse to shower and brush their teeth.
Yes, we are comparing people who refuse to address their weight issues with those who refuse to bathe; both are a part of routine life maintenance conducted by functional, well-adjusted adults, capable of making good decisions in their long-term interests. And don’t confuse the issue; you may not be at society’s optimal weight, but you should constantly be trying to achieve your own optimal size and level of fitness, whatever that may be. Avoiding personal hygiene creates an increased likelihood for both catching and spreading infections and diseases, and so does refusing to be physically active where possible and make smart choices about the things that go into your mouth.
Now let us introduce you to the underlying foundation of Thin Privilege: Fat Logic
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Al Lutz is a serious Disney fan - he runs MiceChat.com, a Disney fan site which covers the multi-million dollar Disney parks and resorts. He’s also been stuck on the world-famous “It’s A Small World” ride, due to the passengers on his boat being too heavy, personally witnessing park staff being put in the awkward position of having to request certain passengers disembark the ride.
"“If these boats get stuck . . . they have to send someone back in there to lighten the load on the boat,” said Lutz. “They’ve even built a platform next to that curve because they’ve had so many problems.”
It’s a Small World
Well-known for its celebration of the world’s different cultures and the song played on an unending loop, the famous ride has been in service for almost 50 years . But in 2007, according to Lutz and the New York Times, the depth of the river had to be increased to accommodate boatloads of passengers who weigh more than when the ride opened.
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At the end of the day, “Fat Shaming” an individual probably isn’t the best way of motivating them towards achieving a healthy weight. But then, neither is Fat Enabling, by accommodating the delusion that it’s perfectly fine to be obese.
Shame not only can, but should be collectively heaped upon groups who espouse anti-social, unhealthy, or dangerous views. If a society does not express contempt for people who are a net drain on it, but instead tolerates or even celebrates those people, that society is not going to be around for very long; some other society with its values and priorities in the right place will make it their bitch.