Flutterby™! : Stick women rant 2003-11-27 06:46:34.894807+00

Stick women rant

2003-11-27 06:46:34.894807+00 by Shawn 8 comments

So, I was seeing (no, I wasn't watching it - K was) the American Idol Christmas Special the other night when Kelly Clarkston came on in a tight red dress (the thumbnail links don't go anywhere, but these were the best I could find without spending way more time than I should). My first thought was one of mild surprise - knowing our society's body image regulations - that the outfit actually showed a [perfectly natural and normal] small hump of belly. She was still too scrawny for my tastes, but I suspected the rest of the public wouldn't see it that way.

Confirmation of my suspicions came the very next morning, when a popular morning radio show laid into her appearance. The words "fat", "disgusting", "gross" and "huge" were spewed loudly and often throughout the roughly five-minute diatribe. And, no, they weren't being satirical (at least, they sure didn't sound like it).

...sigh... Will we ever outgrow this nonsense?

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-11-27 10:35:35.224958+00 by: meuon [edit history]

It's a sterotype we have unfortunately perpetuated and enhanced. Personally, stick women are no fun.. Go out for a nice dinner.. and they are counting calories, grazing on a salad, ruining the mood of sinful indulgence. And in bed? Ouch. Real woman have a nice shape, a little padding and are soft to snuggle up next to. And the best sex? Voloptuous women win hands down.

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-11-27 16:36:01.556934+00 by: Diane Reese

"No fun"? Gee. I promise not to take that as a personal affront, since you don't know me. It's difficult not to feel I should respond, though. (Full disclosure: I am thin [wouldn't you say, Dan?]. I was always thin until I had kids, then I got heavier and out of shape and didn't eat right, and last year I lost 30 extra pounds and got fit, and I feel much better. I am now much more aware of how what I eat affects me, and am much more careful about my diet. And damn, I'm a good snuggler. You'll have to extrapolate.)

Some women don't eat meat; do you find them no fun at dinner, either? There are plenty of ways to arrange one's diet to enjoy a dinner out yet still eat within a caloric regimen. And certainly to avoid annoying one's friends, dates, or loved ones! Anyone who's pedantic or proselytizing about anything can be unpleasant to be around.

40% of Americans are overweight, with some large percentage of those obese. Perhaps "sinful indulgence" should be more of an occasional thing for a lot more people. This isn't a "snuggle" problem, it's a health problem, and the sooner we all start eating more reasonably, the better. IMNSHO.

I happen to agree with you that our negative stereotype about rounder, fuller women is completely stupid. I prefer to actively disagree with your *other* stereotypes about thin women.

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-11-28 16:12:44.841445+00 by: adnankrze

Hey I own the fansite the fansite you linked to with the pictures. In order to view bigger versions, you must register at KRZEPictures.com. The thumbnails aren't just there. Just came to post that. Happy Thanksgiving!

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-11-29 08:06:32.180344+00 by: Shawn

Diane, you make good points. Aesthetically, I've never found skinny women attractive. One of the sexiest things I see around the campus is when a young woman is wearing one of those midriff-baring shirts and about a half-inch of her belly is spilling over the waist of her jeans. This speaks to me of a woman who feels sexy herself, has a certain level of confidence and enough spunk to show herself off. Hot damn! Nothing more sexy than that.

meuon's point about padding is also a good one. I've never had the opportunity to be in bed with a skinny woman, but they just look far too fragile to me. Imagining it, I'm always worried that I'd hurt them.

Weight as it relates to health is important, but I don't feel that being a stick-figure is a pre-requisite for being healthy. It's one part of a much larger equation. Obesity is a certainly a problem that should be addressed, but the other side of the coin is that we have an extreme definition of "obesity" in this country that I think is unwarranted.

adnankrze, thanks for the tip (and for the pictures - it was hard to find something that fit my needs). I didn't get that (that registration was necessary) in my quick-grazing power-hunt.

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-11-29 17:21:50.576339+00 by: Pete

How good a partner is has nothing at all to do with their weight and everything to do with their attitude. The only rule, at all, is that there are some things (lifts, etc.) you just can't do once your partner weighs over a certain amount, whether that weight is fat or just plain old size. A 6'1" slender woman can still be a lot to to keep of the ground.

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-11-29 20:23:16.317729+00 by: Shawn

I'm not defining their limits, I'm defining mine. When wrestling with someone (to use a non-sexual example) I'm going to go easier on somebody if I'm afraid I might snap their arm.

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-12-05 19:57:47.075849+00 by: Dan Lyke

I've thought about this back and forth, trying to figure out if I want to pipe in, and... what the hell:

To me, the body shape isn't nearly as interesting as what the person does. Sometimes the body shape is a reflection of what the person does, and there's a big difference between the shape of a person who's life revolves around not eating versus the shape of someone who works out in a gym versus the shape of someone who does stuff.

In our culture we've exchanged "not eating" and "gym rat" for "does stuff". I'm all over [sorry] the body of someone who actually does stuff, gym rats can be hot in an abstract kind of way, if you're just thin 'cause you starve yourself, ho hum.

#Comment Re: Stick women rant made: 2003-12-06 03:04:35.036575+00 by: meuon

does stuff - I have given up on losing weight, but as I stay active, working out, caving, hiking, climbing.. I'm getting healthier and more fit, but my body has chosen a weight of about 225 (fluctuates +- 5). I can live with that as I have recently done things like climb 700' of rope. Much more interesting to go 'do something' than work out 4 hours in a gym... An active woman, even is she is a little pudgy, is much more attractive to me than a 'stick woman' just working out for it's own sake.