Body Image + More! --Blog 6

 

Body image is something that has been painfully present in my life since I was young. I found a lot of what we read this week to be applicable to my experiences in life, especially the excerpt “You’re So Brave For Wearing Clothes and Not Hating Yourself!”, which details the very common internal journey that fat people go on seemingly every day. First and foremost, Lindy West encapsulates a lot of what I have experienced throughout life as a fat person—The internal hatred of yourself, the voice in your head when you eat, the feelings of isolation and sadness growing up and not getting to experiment with love in the same way that your peers do. Hell, even what she said about the almonds is true. It has been validating for me to read this work and to know that I’m not the only person in the world who has to deal with this; And yes, I know that other fat people exist however, it’s easy to feel isolated and separate from people who are like you when what connects you is something you’d rather hide or get rid of rather than something you’re proud of. Addressing these topics is imperative for me as an individual and even more-so as a society in order to destigmatize the crime of walking, talking, eating, and existing as a fat person. What is the best part about this work for me is the language—Not only is West very humorous throughout this entire piece, but her jokes are phrased in a relatable way instead of a mean way.

 When it comes to Bad Feminist, I think Roxane Gay does a good job of breaking down what feminism is into a more digestible explanation for those who have not encountered (at least positively) it before. It’s really humanizing to know that even those who identify as feminists struggle with getting everything right. At the same time, I find her explanation of feminism as a topic versus capital F “Feminism” as a brand or virtue signal to be really important. Although one doesn’t need to be extremely into feminist theory to be a feminist, Gay highlights that there are people who use the movement as a way to gain support and recognition without necessarily putting in the work or abiding by feminist morals.

Lastly, the Un/Tied Shoes project is one that hits really close to home for me. Getting a perspective on personal perception and how society views you from a queer person is fulfilling. In a lot of ways, I relate to sometimes existing outside of normative gender expectations and I know how difficult it can be to simply dress the way you want without unwarranted attention. I myself have the issue of finding shoes that fit me well. A lot of the shoes I like are men’s shoes, and you can’t find a lot of affordable queer chic Oxford’s in a men’s size 7 (a size that middle school age boys wear—I can attest from having a younger brother). Ultimately, this project touched a soft spot in my heart and I am really appreciative of getting to see this story. I’m also really proud to see a masculine queer non-binary person succeeding in a world that tends to pit itself against us. This unit has been interesting and really topical for me.