After donald’s recent physical and his physician’s questionable press conference, the internet exploded with all manner of fat-shaming of donald, followed by people being called out for, and subsequently attempting to justify, their fat-shaming. Y’all, I have seen some nonsense today.
Sadder still, a lot of it came from people who normally get it when it comes to fat activism. If you’re wondering what constitutes a bullshit justification for fat-shaming donald, I’m here to help:
It’s not fat-shaming because he is a horror of a human being!
It’s totally fat-shaming, even when you fat shame a horrible human being. If you argue that it’s ok to fat shame someone you don’t like, your fat friends and loved ones (and everyone who interacts with you, including co-workers) know what you really think of us – and what you’ll start saying about us if you don’t like what we do.
If you are saying something about donald that you wouldn’t want said about you, or about a fat loved one, you are fucking up. We all fuck up, but there’s no need to get defensive, try justify it, and make it into a permanent state. Admit your mistake, examine your own fatphobia (and remember that we fat people are not immune – we need to examine our internalized fatphobia,) and do better moving forward.
It’s not fat-shaming because he (and his doctor) lied about his weight!
Online trolls speculate about the weight of fat people all the time. I know because it happens to me. Do you really want to engage in the same behavior as a reddit troll? You can’t say “it’s not about his weight” if you are talking about his weight. And you can’t call the doctor a liar unless you have proof, or you’re some kind of licensed weight psychic.
More to the point, if you’re angry because you believe that he/his doctor is lying about his weight, you are lending credence to the idea that his weight matters at all. It does not. It has literally nothing to do with anything. I actually saw a fat person claim that while they are fat, they can deal with some fat-shaming if it helps bring him down. Pro tip – he bragged about sexual assault and called nazis “some very fine people.” Claiming that he lied about his weight is not going to be the straw that broke the despot’s back. You’re not hurting donald – you’re just hurting other fat people.
We are talking about a “president” who is a proud racist, misogynist, xenophobe, sexual predator, and white supremacist who lies about nearly everything – including matters of national security. Who gives a shit about his weight or height? Or his doctor for that matter? I certainly wouldn’t put it past him to threaten/pay off/blackmail the doctor, I just think it’s the least of our problems. He’s got republican congresspeople, cabinet members, and the press secretary lying for him about things that affect many people’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, his weight and height don’t affect anyone.
The good news is, by not talking about his weight we can avoid engaging in fat-shaming, and stay focused on things that matter.
It’s not fat-shaming because it’s about his health!
Not if you’re talking about weight it’s not. Weight and health are two separate things, neither is an obligation, barometer of worthiness, or entirely within our control. Also, this justification moves us from just fat-shaming into fat-shaming and healthism – not a good look. Again, let’s use our energy to point out the ways at which he is utterly failing and terrifyingly dangerous as “president,” getting him the hell out of the office he stole, and finding ways to negate the dangerous things he’s trying to do until then. Let’s not waste our time and energy talking about his weight and height. There are specific policies in place to deal with a President who develops a health problem. There are not specific plans in place to deal with a “president” who might get us all killed with a tweet. Again, let’s keep our eyes on the ball (and off donald’s ass.)
It’s not fat-shaming because he is a fat-shamer himself!
I very seriously doubt that the path to liberation is paved with hypocrisy. Fat-shaming is fat-shaming no matter who the victim is. If you mention Donald’s weight as part of your criticism of him, you are engaging in fat-shaming and that perpetuates fat-shaming.
And make no mistake, when you engage in fat-shaming, your victim is every single fat person. So don’t do it. There are only two choices – you are either a person who believes that fat-shaming is wrong, or you are someone who supports shaming every fat person. That’s it, there are no other choices, so make the right one, every time, even with donald.
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Perfectly put! Thank you!
I think that fat-shaming Herr Crotchengroper is wrong because it makes you look like you don’t think there’s literally a THOUSAND better reasons you could be criticizing and/or putting him down.
Seriously. This particular thing is not worth our time. The InStyle article about his tryst with a porn star will do much more damage, necessarily. One reaps what one sows.
Yes, yes, yes! We have an entire twitter account that we can call out and criticize. We don’t have to focus on looks and possible health problems.
Thanks for your thoughts on this issue!
I think people either just don’t see it, or cognitive dissonance is at play. What they are saying is that a racist sexist anti Semitic homophobic isolationist is a worse person because he is FAT. So the true insult is in his BMI and not in his behavior and commentary about anyone not like him. Granted some of these people just hate fat people period but the others just feel it is an equal opportunity offender and he can sink no lower…than t be FAT? O.K.
Yeah, and as a fat person, knowing that being fat is considered worse than racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, isolationism, etc. just really, really hurts. I dieted for 30 years, trying to please these people, but I never did those things that donald does, and yet, he’s so horrible (and so am I), because of FAT.
Wrong, on so many levels.
Same here. Let’s be horrible together.
Yes
Amen.
Great article! I want to add that it is not just fat shaming going on here, there is also food shaming and exercise shaming. It is obviously a great moral sin to eat at McDonalds or not engage in a regular exercise program. Hello, many people eat at McDonalds and for many, this might be some of the only affordable dining out food they have access to. Fat people and thin people eat at McDonalds, and many fat and thin people do not. Not everyone has an exercise program. Some people are physically unable to, are in pain, work all day at physically demanding jobs or housework, have more important ways to spend their time, or just don’t want to. People are not evil or worthless because they eat McDonalds or don’t have personal trainers waiting for them at their posh gyms. Sorry Dems, but I feel really let down about how this was handled. People claim this is not fat shaming, but when I read through comments about Trump’s weight or “nonexistent” exercise routine and speculated heart disease, as a fat woman, it really hurts my feelings and makes ME feel fat shamed too.
I couldn’t agree more. Further, the doctor’s report pokes holes in the fat = unhealthy theory. I think that’s one reason why so many people are trying to call the doctor a liar. Here is a man who is clearly fat (no matter what his reported weight) who has pretty minor health problems for a man in his 70s. We should all be so lucky! And when questioned about that, the doctor says that he has good genes. That’s a really important point. Sometimes good health and bad health is just luck of the genetic draw.
Fat shaming relies on the premise that fat is shameful to work. If you do something to reinforce that premise, you are reinforcing it for every fat person on the planet. It doesn’t matter if you only *meant* to hurt one fat person (or one thin person who doesn’t like being called fat). The stigma fat shame and fat jokes rely on to work, the stigma you are reinforcing, will linger in the culture for decades, if not lifetimes, creating long-term difficulties for every fat person. That is wrong.
To me the fat shaming is counterproductive as well because it just makes me feel sorry for him, and I don’t want to feel sorry for such a horrible person!
Thank you! I’ve called people out on this repeatedly. Same with Chris Christie. Their behavior is what counts, and there is a LOT to criticize there.