I have been watching a lot of TV lately, mostly while breastfeeding my baby boy. Once I get the hang of this new and repeated activity, I can no doubt do something more productive while nursing, like reading collections of short stories. [Aside: I am currently obsessed with figuring out how to write short stories that aren’t total crap]. Back to TV: While lying prone in a hospital bed last week, recovering from surgery with a mewling newborn nestled on my chest, I began to watch random programs that I had never seen before, including one called My 600-Pound Life. My initial reaction was probably commonplace: fascination mixed with equal parts of horror and empathy. Continue reading
Tag Archives: body image
Against Tolerance
The other day I received the following comment on a post called “Love of Labour Lost,” which I published on December 25, 2013. In the original post, I nastily rant against unfit people who are afraid of becoming “too muscular” by accident: Dear FFG, I really enjoy your blog and find your posts very satisfying to read, so first off, thank you! However, on the issue of bodybuilding, I must say that there seems to be a great deal of intolerance on the part of the athletes towards anyone who doesn’t agree with the aesthetic. I fully agree that the comments by the gym-goers who fear bulking up are ignorant and uninformed (and in very poor taste), but one’s body shape is a matter of personal preference. It is possible to achieve various healthy alternatives. I understand your point that there is a lack of appreciation for the hard work and time investment in achieving a muscular physique, but I find the lack of regard for someone else’s aesthetic quite jarring. Continue reading
Ford Nation and Body Politics
In keeping with my last three posts, I am once again jumping on the media bandwagon, hoping to get more hits and comments by writing about a viral news story. You are no doubt especially tired of this one: “the crack-smoking mayor Rob Ford.” Continue reading
Vaginal Overshare
A few weeks ago I read about a group that had formed to stop parents from oversharing about their children on facebook. Some people do not like seeing pictures of kids with food smeared all over their bodies, or receiving constant updates related to barf and poo. Fair enough, but did they really need to form a protest group? Continue reading
Are the Obese an Endangered Species?
Here is a joke that my LSP recently told me. The setting is a job interview. 
Interviewer: “What would you say is your worst quality?”
Candidate: “I have to admit that I am brutally honest.”
Interviewer: “Why, I don’t think that honesty is a negative personality trait at all!”
Candidate: “I really don’t give a flying fuck what you think.” Continue reading



