What is going on this week?
First, Entertainment Tonight did it.
Then, this morning, The Today Show did it.
And I found myself to be so damn irritated, I couldn’t see straight.
What did they do? Well, ET dressed Vanessa Minnillo up in a fat suit to simulate a 350 lb woman. And The Today Show dressed Rebecca Mader up in a fat suit to resemble someone “twice her normal weight.” BTW–Mader’s suit was much more believable.
Why do I have my XL panties in a wad over this? Because the way they portrayed these women. They reported that the stares were harsh and that people treated them differently. They wouldn’t wait on them in stores or give them directions. Mader went to a restaurant as herself without reservations one day and was seated immediately. She went as her Fat Self the next day and they told her it would be 30-40 minutes.
They both reported that people seemed to look through them, if they looked at them at all. At one point, Minnillo was asking perfect strangers in a park if they would help her tie her shoes. You know what? I’m pretty sure I would walk away from you, too–no matter what size you are.
My favorite thing that happened on camera was when a strung out chick at the subway came up to Mader and just yelled “You’re fat!” at her over and over again. I laughed so hard I nearly cried.
Mader just stood there–stunned. I guess The Today Show writers forgot to write a snappy little comeback in case of emergencies.
I’m a big girl and I’ve been a big girl for a while now. One time I had some frat boys “moo” at me in the grocery store. And I handled it very well, thankyouverymuch. They’ll never moo at anyone else again.
But that’s not my point. My point is, normal people don’t just approach us fatties and say, “You’re fat.” They’re either paid to do that or they haven’t put the crack pipe down.
It’s not your weight, it’s how you carry yourself. These undercover fatties were not walking with their heads held high, making eye contact, smiling. Hell, Minnillo was wearing a VELOUR JOGGING SUIT. That’s why she was being ignored. LOL
I wear clothes that fit. I have my navel pierced and occasionally, expose my soft belly. I laugh and strut and make eye contact because I’m not ashamed to be me. At 36 and overweight, I still get hit on.
So, next time you big time news shows want to do a show on fatties, how about you make it about real women instead?
And somebody PLEASE feed Minnillo and Mader a sandwich, bless their bony little hearts.
Bitchin' Fiction: Musings by author Melissa McKenzie / Melissa Francis 
Go, Mel!!And tell it to Tyra Banks while you’re at it. You know what amazes me most about these shows? It’s that the people who are dressing up are always so shocked that their feelings are hurt when people are rude to them. Never mind WHY they’re rude–though the person dressed up always automatically assumes it’s a size issue since that’s what she’s setting out to prove, even though it’s pretty clear they’re going out and saying/doing things they would NEVER do as their thin selves. But I’m getting off point. My point is: DUH, people. When someone says something hurtful to you, it hurts. And it doesn’t hurt more just because you’re fat or thin. Sheesh. BTW, Jennifer Weiner blogged about this when Tyra did it. I think you both made some very good points.
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This is one of the reasons I don’t/won’t watch TV. I rest my case…
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Doesn’t TV have something better to do than this?I came to your site looking for your Survivor post. Where is it???
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But…but Gina! Don’t you WORK in TV???Oh. Wait. Maybe that’s your point. Politics and sausage, eh? Of course, I haven’t seen public broadcasting stoop to this level. So maybe it’s just a matter of finding the good guys, which you have. Yaaay for viewer-supported programming!
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Mel-the real funny thing is that the other day, Tuesday maybe?, when Vanessa Minillo (or whatever the heck her name is) started that “quest,” I was on the phone with my friend Michelle. I told her, “I am so sick of these skinny bitches going on national TV as a fat girl to see what it feels like. You wanna know what it feels like? Ask me. I’ll tell ya but please don’t make us feel any more worse about ourselves by dressing your stupid 110 lb. body into a 350 lb fat suit and then crying b/c people were mean to you for ONE day when you “pretended” to be fat.” Seriously. You know…it was funny when Monica was fat on friends…it was even funny in Shallow Hal but come ON people. It’s a little tired. Your writers get paid HOW MUCH MONEY and all they can come up with is, “hey let’s make someone fat for the day!!! then we’ll take the fat suit off and you’ll be skinny again–fat people will LOVE us!!” yea…why don’t they dress a white person up as a black person and see how they’re treated for a day? oh it’s not politically correct? Bite me and my fat ass.
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Oh and PS… you rock for going up to those frat guys and saying that stuff….seriously. I don’t know if I would ever have the balls to do that but you’re a genius. In fact, I’m writing it down so if it happens to me I’ll know exactly what to say!! LOL!!
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The frat guys were young and stupid. I thought I was the center of the universe once, too. LOLI think those news shows would have a whole different story if they took someone like me or you, put us in something other than ill-fitting velour, and let us cruise around as US. Honestly. We’re babes. We’re just big babes.
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Okay, on the flipside of the “let’s pretend we’re fat, but neener neener, we’re NOT” issue, what about all the exposes on anorexics?? I have an anorexic friend, and she said that it does NOT wake them up and make them think “OMG, I should eat!” Secretly the anorexics are cheering on those pathetic bonebags. Nobody in media really gets it. Fat = fat, rail = rail. There is not pity, no empathy, nothing. Kids are mean, and for the most part, as with the frat boys, they grow up to be mean adults.We big girls just need to love ourselves (and each other!) and tell the rest of the world to f*ck off.
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Mel, you are a beautiful confident woman-periodand do you remember who got all the attention in Reno? Not me but youYou rockseriouslykate
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Kate you are right on!
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*sigh of fresh air*Great post, Mel.Since having 2 kids, I’m not the “little flower’ I once was.Now I’m more like a Giant Sunflower.Which, when I think of it, is pretty good. I’m bright, I stand taller than most corn, birds and the bees love me and when I go to seed, everyone wants to eat from me.!!Dang, its great to be big!Of course, this all depends on me turning into a REAL sunflower, LOL.
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I like your sunflower analogy a lot. i may have to steal it…
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Oh, I blush from your praise!LOLFeel free to use it.My motto: A good idea is made great only when something is done with it.
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An ET correspondent into a fat suit is super cute Vanessa Minnillo, former Miss Teen USA beauty.There is a same feature on the “Entertainmet Tonight” about “super cute Vanessa Minnillo in an hilarious fat suit!”I wonder Vanessa Minnillo underwent a startling transformation for our cameras and went undercover on the streets of New York City as a 350-pound woman to get a reality check on the every day prejudices facing America’s weight-challenged women.Then, with the help of more than one person, Vanessa Minnillo donned the fat suit over a pair of jeans and T-shirt to disguise as a 350-pound woman and needed assistance to get dressed, not to mention the effort required to tie her shoes. (When Vanessa tries on her fat suit, she arrival has worn her cap of the same color as her T-shirt which has been packed in the fat suit. Right-pictured fat Vanessa wears a fat suit which has been packed in fat Vanessa’s red sweatsuit.)Vanessa Minnillo was wearing a VELOUR JOGGING SUITover her FAT SUIT which has packed her pair of jeans and her gray T-shirt.You can watch video Vanessa makes the transformation [http://et.tv.yahoo.com/mf/frame?mfurl=lid=wmv-100-s.19414723,wmv-300-s.19414724,wmv-56-s.19414725&p=tv&c=p3&.skin=et&f=96141170&dist=Paramount%20Pictures,%20TM%20and%20c%20Paramount%20Pictures,%20All%20Rights%20Reserved.&fn=empty.html].
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One exreme to another. The truth for most is somewhere inbetween. Try a chubby suit on instead of a fat suit . . . and experience the everyday experience of not being perfect. The outrageous reactions were due to the outrageous size of their fat suits, which looked totally unreal to me.
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I have seen a lot of attractive big women . . . and I would never think of making fun of them. The fat suits should be what are in question here. They did not look real or attractive.
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