This is an interesting standpoint. Do “plus size” magazines, shows, websites, etc. do more to help body acceptance, or to hurt it. Is compartmentalizing people based on body-size beneficial, or should we look for a more inclusive approach? Or a blend? These are great issues, and I think Holesintheground makes some great points. I do think though, it’s nice to celebrate the beauty of being big, as often fat people are considered to only ever be ugly, but does this work against an idea of inclusion?
I hate this shit.
Creating a magazine purely for ‘plus size’ (hate the phrase too) women is just like saying that ‘plus size’ women have no place in ‘normal’ magazines.
It completely misses the point. The issue is that magazines as a whole don’t cater to women of all sizes. I can’t imagine that there are many women who will now be happy that they have a ‘plus size’ magazine to read, they want to be able to read the same magazines as everyone, but just to be included and represented within them.
It also promotes the annoying hate that different groups of women have for each other. As someone who is relatively slim (I’m a size 10-12) I really hate all this anti skinny nonsense. SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST SKINNY. All this ‘you’re not a real woman unless you have curves’. We’re not all blessed with buxom breasts and bountiful booties; we are all different shapes and sizes, and the sooner we learn to live with that, the happier we will all be.
Magazines need to change. This is not the right way to do it.
End rant.
If we wait for magazines to change enough that fat women (not just marginally fat women, but death fatz as well) are represented frequently and fairly in the mainstream media, then we will be holding our breath forever. There is nothing wrong with carving out a niche to provide fat people with representation that reflects them.
Yes, magazines need to change, but until our fatty wallets speak loud enough for them to hear (and these magazines provide us an opportunity to demonstrate our purchasing power), then they won’t make any significant or lasting changes.
Just as there are plus-sized clubs to give fat people a comfortable place to party before they are emotionally ready to venture out into the “normal” clubs, these magazine may give a much-needed boost to our self-esteem before venturing out into the “normal” magazines, and I fully support them.
