The Oppression of Fat People in America
Fat does not equal lazy; fat does not equal bad; fat does not equal overeating; fat does not equal ugly. Fat oppression is something so prevalent in our society, yet Americans refuse to recognize it as a problem or even an issue. After hearing an amazing woman named Nomy Lamm speak this weekend, I could not longer let this issue be ignored. (Lamm is a fat oppression activist and has been published in Ms. magazine). Fat oppression exists in this society and we all must recognize the damage it does to everyone, especially fat people.
Fat is not a bad word. I use the word fat just as I would use the words short, tall or blonde. The only thing wrong with the word fat is the manner in which it is used by the majority of people in this society. My friends involved with fat oppression use the word fat as a means of reclamation (a la "queer") and I choose to do the same.
The central problem with fat oppression comes from the way in which we as Americans are taught to look at people. Everywhere we look - TV, movies, magazines and so on - thin people are portrayed as glamorous and cool. The encouragement of dieting is terribly prevalent and the dieting market takes in billions of dollars every year. Our society is obsessed with fat and the loss of it.
The irony is the fact that a majority of Americans are fat by national standards. Over 90 percent of women don't conform to the diet standards developed by insurance companies in the 60s. The media create a need to lose weight because they realize most Americans aren't statistically thin. By creating a standard of what is "normal" and then creating a need to achieve this normality, an industry of dependence is born - dependence upon diet pr...
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...re does this leave us to deal with the problem? First, be aware of the fact that discrimination exists and attempt to deal with it when it comes up. Don't buy into the beauty myth that is so pervasive in this society and don't patronize organizations which continue to perpetuate this (Calvin Klein, the new ASUW safe sex posters and so on.). Demand clothing stores to stock more fat-sized clothes and criticize them for price increases for fat people.
But the bottom line is to treat fat people just as you would any other person. Recognize fat people have to work incredibly hard both mentally and physically to do the same things a thin person takes for granted (i.e., going to the beach, flying on a plane). The excuses aren't going to cut it anymore. People should be judged by the actions that they take and the opinions they hold, not for the body they were born into.
Who was King Arthur? Most people would tell of a great King; a devoted circle of heroic knights; mighty castles and mightier deeds; a time of chivalry and courtly love; of Lancelot and Guinevere; of triumph and death. Historians and archaeologists, especially Leslie Alcock, point to shadowy evidence of a man who is not a king, but a commander of an army, who lived during the late fifth to early sixth century who may perhaps be the basis for Arthur. By looking at the context in which the stories of King Arthur survived, and the evidence pertaining to his castle Camelot and the Battle of Badon Hill, we can begin to see that Arthur is probably not a king as the legend holds.
The Wife of Bath's extraordinary prologue gives the reader a dose of what is sometimes missing in early male-written literature: glimpses of female subjectivity. Women in medieval literature are often silent and passive, to the extent that cuckolding is often seen as something one man (the adulterer) does to another (the husband). Eve Sedgwick argues in Between Men that in many literary representations, women are playing pieces or playing fields in struggles between male players. By default it seems, male writers cannot help but create shallow constructions of women; heroism occurs in male spheres of activity, while the wives and daughters make the background, and the female love interest becomes a trophy. Unfortunately, when women are not silent they are often monsters‹and quite often, the silent ones conceal hidden dangers. Why should women present such a threat? Why do so many pre-modern (and, unfortunately, modern) male writers approach female subjects with such trepidation, with strategies of demonization or avoidance? Analysis of the Merchant's Tale and the Manciple's Tale proves fruitful in exploring these questions. In the sphere of the written word, women have often been silent in the West; the small number of great female medieval writers combined with a value system that praises passivity and quiet in their sex has effectively muffled female subjectivity, and yet somehow in silencing women men have doomed themselves to uneasiness and fear. To silence someone is to cut off access to her subjectivity, and in an intimate world like marriage such a formidable barrier quickly becomes a source of apprehension; woman becomes the terrifying, ...
In the sixth century there was a man named King Arthur who was born. Many people around the world believe that King Arthur was only a myth. While many other people believe he was a real man telling people about his time through recorded history. The novel “The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights” by Sir James Knowles is a very notable source explaining the life of King Arthur.
Intellectual, mysterious, extraordinary. The qualities of a romantic hero influence an Arthurian Legend. An Arthurian legend is the tale of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Because these are pieces of Romantic literature, Arthurian Legends contain romantic heroes. The Crowning of Arthur, Arthur Becomes King, and Sir Launcelot du Lake are all Arthurian Legends that contain romantic heroes. The Crowning of Arthur refers to what happened before King Arthur was conceived, after he was delivered, and how he legitimately became King Arthur. While Arthur Becomes King is about what he did to become ruler, Sir Launcelot du Lake is about an adventure with one of the knights of the round table, Sir Launcelot du Lake. These three Arthurian Legends have a theme in common. White and Malory uses the protagonist’s chivalry in order to show that when someone has bravery, they will overcome many situations.
Everyday Americans die from the diseases they carry from obesity. Many Americans over eat because their social problems or because they are hereditary. Many plans have been discussed but finding the solution is the problem. Junk foods and unhealthy beverages have corrupted children’s minds all over the nation and putting a stop on it could lead to other benefits. Unhealthy foods and drinks should be taxed and healthy foods should be advertised more to help prevent American obesity.
Because of gender, women are objectified, sexualized, and therefore blamed for the crimes committed against them by men. While men are lightly punished and sometimes even awarded for such an atrocity, the voices of women are drowned as they openly triumph. In The Wife of Bath’s Tale, Chaucer hoped to give voice to silent oppressed, stating that their one, true desire is that of “‘the self-same sovereignty / Over her husband as over her lover, / And master him; he must not be above her (Chaucer,
Orbach, Susie. “Fat as a Feminist Issue.” They Say I Say. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York. W.W. Norton, 2009. 200-205. Print.
The article “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance” is written by Mary Ray Worley, a member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. She writes of her firsthand experience as a “fat person” in society. Throughout the article, Worley explains what it is like to be obese and describes the way society treats those who have a weight problem. She attacks the idea of dieting, criticizes medical professionals for displaying an obscured view of health risks, and defends the idea of exercising to feel good rather than exercising to lose weight. Unfortunately, her article seems to reflect only own opinions and emotions rather than actual facts and statistics.
Neely, Carol Thomas. "Shakespeare's Women: Historical Facts and Dramatic Representations." In Holland, Norman N., Sidney Homan, and Bernard J. Paris, eds. Shakespeare's Personality. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989.
Traditional female characteristics and female unrest are underscored in literary works of the Middle Ages. Although patriarchal views were firmly established back then, traces of female contempt for such beliefs could be found in several popular literary works. Female characters’ opposition to societal norms serves to create humor and wish- fulfillment for female and male audiences to enjoy. “Lanval” by Marie De France and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer both show subversion of patriarchal attitudes by displaying the women in the text as superior or equal to the men. However, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” also incorporates conventional societal ideas by including degradation of women and mistreatment of a wife by her husband.
Orgel, Stephen, and Sean Keilen. Shakespeare and Gender. New York: Garland Pub., 1999. Online text.
Huppé, Bernard F. "Rape and Woman's Sovereignty in the Wife of Bath's Tale." Modern Language Notes 63.6 (1948): 378-81. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
As a man fascinated with the role of women during the 14th Century, or most commonly known as the Middle Ages, Chaucer makes conclusive evaluations and remarks concerning how women were viewed during this time period. Determined to show that women were not weak and humble because of the male dominance surrounding them, Chaucer sets out to prove that women were a powerful and strong-willed gender. In order to defend this argument, the following characters and their tales will be examined: Griselda from the Clerk's Tale, and the Wife of Bath, narrator to the Wife of Bath's Tale. Using the role of gender within the genres of the Canterbury Tales, exploring each woman's participation in the outcomes of their tales, and comparing and contrasting these two heroines, we will find out how Chaucer broke the mold on medievalist attitudes toward women.
To establish any sort of idea that there was, in fact, a "real" Arthur, it is imperative to look over the legendary Arthur and his impact on different cultures. Arthur's beginnings are shrouded in mystery, though it is generally accepted that he is the bastard child of Uther Pendragon and Ygerna. Ygerna was not married to Uther, but to Gorlois at the time of Arthur's conception. His childhood is generally considered a happy one, and it is even suggested that Uther thought too highly of Arthur and therefore the boy did not have to work. However, Jean d'Outremeuse stated that Arthur "was a promising trainee knight," which suggests that Arthur worked hard in his childhood to prove that he was capable of achieving knighthood. Since it was difficult to be a knight, he would have had to work very hard, especially if he was Uther's son. An older knight who took him under his wing wouldn't let him get away with being lazy simply because of his lineage. (Morris, p. 34)
The American culture/media consistently promotes weight loss; the idea of being thin is associated with success, while being over-weight is associated with being weak and lazy. Individuals who suffer with issues of obesity are often discriminated in areas of educational and workforce environments.