Morning Show on Channel 7: Video
For those of you who would like to check out what I had to say on the Marie Claire fat hate saga on the telly today, you can check it out here.
Comments welcomed!
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Themocracy
It was *perfect* how the usual ‘headless fatties’ footage played at just the right moment. How did you organise that
Really, you were considered and rational and I sincerely hope you had more than a few people reconsidering their knee-jerk parrot bigotry. Good stuff.
Great interview, and very well put. I hope people will sit and take notice.
Thank you for nailing the one thing that I kept on trying to tell people. It is not about my “attractiveness”. So what if a random would prefer someone thinner than myself? Quite frankly that’s a non-issue. But I do expect basic decency of being treated like a fellow human being, even if I am fat.
The fact that we even need to say this is telling on what our society is like.
Reply to myself because this needs to be added:
I only just realised that Meura is an ex anorexic. That changed my view significantly. Instead of being appalled, I feel bad for her. The worst thing about anorexia is it’s so hard to truly recover even if the active “practice” are gone.
Having said that, no excuses on MC for running that piece. At all.
Well done Samantha!
This absolutely is an issue of basic human decency. Some of the comments on news sites and those
made by Maura Kelly hurt because they are dehumanizing. They display the
kind of vicious disregard for people’s feelings that has made headlines recently in all those stories about
tragic deaths due to homophobic bullying. No one deserves to be treated as lesser because of difference, whether it is their gender, sexuality, race, ability status, size or anything else. Fat stigma hurts real people, including me. I am so happy that you’re getting this message out there Samantha.
Well done Sam, for working hard to get these messages out there in the community. I agree with the above comments – it comes down to basic human rights – to be treated fairly, decently, and without discrimination.
Imagine if the MC article targeted another group of people – “I can’t stand watching an Asian person cross the room”, or “I hate seeing intellectually disabled people kiss”. It would be considered highly unacceptable. Yet in our community, it seems to be a completely acceptable view that fat people are inferior, and it’s vitally important to “fix” them.
Go Sam!!!
Excellent point, Cath. Fatties are one of the few groups that society still deems “acceptable” to make fun of.
With the 3 people involved in the interview, it was interesting (and good) that they had a range. As you say, Sam, the first one seemed to think that obesity should be “tackled” but not in that way. Then you have Melinda, who is looking at it from the perspective of the harm fat hate does to young women who are not fat but worry they will be. Then finally there was you, Sam, who just stood up and said “this is wrong. We ALL deserve respect.” Like the other commenters said, the fact this message is coming from someone who is not fat makes it more powerful to the people who just don’t get it.
While I am in full agreement that people deserve the basic respect, I would be careful with the comment of “________ is the few groups that the society still deems acceptable to make fun of”.
Being in several minority groups that get plenty of crap left and right, I found it disheartening that we turn it into a “who had it worse” competition among us while ignoring the fight against the ones who are actually doing the discriminating. It is counter productive to all that’s concerned.
I’m sorry my comment upset you Shelley. I certainly wasn’t trying to turn it into a who has it worse competition or let off the discriminators.
My comment came from several encounters I’ve had recently (including the Marie Claire article) where the person doing the discriminating would certainly not have gotten away with their behaviour if they had directed it at anyone else. Certainly, there is still plenty of discrimination against other groups. However, I agree with Cath’s general point that this article would never have been published in the Marie Claire blog if it had been about nearly any other group.
As a white, cisgendered, visibly-abled, middleclass person, I have a lot of privilege so of course it can be hard for me to understand what it is like for other groups. This is something I’m always striving to improve. So I’m sorry that my comment was thoughtless and I’ll try to not make the same mistake again.
It’s an interesting point. Before hanging out with people on Twitter et al, I would often say in my talks and in my papers that Fat Stigma was one of the last acceptable forms of prejudice. I think it was Jackie over at Fatuosity who called me on it. I had actually never thought about some of the other types of discrimination that exists. That’s why I love these forums.
!!
That said, I do think that it has become really acceptable to just have a go at people who are fat. In fact, it hss become so acceptable that sometimes we don’t even know we are doing it (the headless fattie shots on the show and the reaction to them is a classic example of this).
Congratulations Sam. I knew you would do a great job and you did. You were very eloquent. I just wish you had been the only guest so you could have spoke more!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ginnie B, Elizabeth@Spilt Milk. Elizabeth@Spilt Milk said: Morning Show on Channel 7: Video http://www.drsamanthathomas.com/?p=252 [...]
Thanks Samantha for being a voice of reason & advocacy for people facing fat prejudice on a daily basis. I would have liked to hear more of what you have to say, but hope some viewers heard enough to start thinking about their own attitudes towards others being discriminated against, purely on the basis of their size. Fate hate and sizeist attitudes in the media, on the street and in our own circle of friends hurts real people. Every day.
Hopefully I will get more chance soon
THank you so much for the comment – and for the support 
! S xx
This was excellent. Thank you for posting it! Somehow these news people get it more so than the American ones. =0)
Samantha you did great as usual. Your comments were succint and got to the heart of the matter in the short time you were allocated. To be honest I would have liked the segment to have been a bit longer. It seems that whilst it has made big news in the media shows like the morning show don’t give the ject the time it deserves. But like I said you did well dear lady to get our message out. For that I want to thank you. Your actions in this matter help me cling onto some self worth, which is so hard when I put up with such shit from others often. I even put this up for discussion on a forum I belong too, with predictable results. But if it starts more people thinking outside the square it is good.
Thanks
Oh Sam, you were perfect. I was surprised (in a good way) at the fact that all the experts had positive things to say (I was sure Channel 7 would have snuck some fat-negative in there), but what you said was absolutely spot on.
What I love is that the message is coming from someone so eloquent and beautiful and … straight sized. I think that your message is doubly powerful for that fact, because it’s not just ‘whinging fatties’ trying to get attention.
Like everyone else, I was amused by the ‘headless fatty’ overlay exactly when you were talking about how it dehumanises people – but I was particularly surprised that the presenters commented on it – they could easily have passed it off as trying to explain what you were talking about.
Thank you so much for not only your words, but all your work. I really appreciate it. Today I feel almost ready to rejoin the cause.
Erin Marie that was what I thought too, but didn’t say. I think the message carries more weight when someone of average size delivers it.
Jan, you can say whatever you like here!!
And you are both right – I have extraordinary thin privilege don’t I. Linda Bacon talks a lot about that too I think?
You guys are fantastic! Thank you all so much for such kind words. Had I had a bit more time, I would have gone on to say that stigma (or fat hate) is not just in the media. It is everywhere. And an example of that, was the number of complete tools who posted disgraceful remarks about fat people both as a response to that article, and a bunch of others that were written.
Fat stigma is basically bullying of a group of people on a mass level. It comes from government, medical institutions, academia, school, family and friends.
How can we not make a stand against this!!???
Also, I just wanted to make another comment. Whenever we hear about fat hate and/or fat stigma, we always seem to make this a) about women; and b) about the potential damage that this might do to teenage girls who are not fat. I wonder what this says about our willingness to tackle fat stigma which is actually directed towards fat people.
Obviously these are incredibly important issues, but I guess I would like to see more emphasis placed on what stigma and discrimination do to people who actually are fat. I thought it was odd yesterday how the first person who spoke (I cant remember her name) basically said that shaming people was not the way to tackle obesity. That sentence in itself was incredibly stigmatising of fat people – to me anyway.
Finally, there are a lot of men who experience fat stigma. The Mike and Molly hate was directed towards a couple, one of whom happened to be a guy. Yesterdays program on 7 was focused towards women, but lets not forget the boys in all of this! There are some amazing men taking on this issue (like Brian at Red No. 3; Ivan at Fat in New York; Atchka; Nick over at Axis of Fat etc etc) and I am really grateful we have them on our side too!!
S xx
Thank you for this comment, Samantha.
As a diabled fat woman who is getting older and has some of those things everyone is just sure came from my being fat (and not the hundreds of pounds I lost and gained and the torturous things I did to myself in my quest for being thin), I really cringe a bit when either thinner folk or healthier folk are “allowed” to speak to this issues so personal to me, while I am relegated to the back row.
I have a standard in the back of my brain that basically draws the line of progress at the point where the media actually put someone like me on television and ask a fat person about stuff like this and then take it seriously. When that day arrives, I will feel more confident the tide is turning.
Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate people like you and Linda Bacon and Paul Campos and Marilyn Wann (who is the “healthy” fat poster person,though I’m sure she’d rather not be) who stand up and say “This is wrong!”
AND I think this really is an issue about social control of ALL people because this is surveillance of bodies along with blaming-the-victim for health issues
I write in my book that I’m a reluctant warrior in a war on fat people and that as that warrior I’m really on the front lines for all people who would be controlled by powerful interests (government, healthcare, corporations, etc.).
So thank you for going on TV and speaking out and thank you for recognizing that fat people really are being hurt by this global war on fatness.
But seriously, what the hell was Marie Clare even thinking when they allowed that blog to be posted? The person who wrote that article has not one air of professionalism about them — even if that’s how they truly felt, then why not keep it to your friggin’ self.
I’m not fat. Sometimes I feel fat, but I know if I’m not being a stupid ‘girl’ about it, I’m actually not fat. I look like I am a healthy, curvy young woman… but honestly, I often fall victim to these feelings of not wanting to go out because I feel like I look fat in my clothes and don’t want anyone to be repulsed by me. And I’m healthy too – I eat healthily and I exercise and go to the gym often (not to lose weight, but I have a heart condition to take care of) but still…
In saying that, I have a couple of friends who are fat — but I don’t ever look at them with that label. I love them and I think they are beautiful no matter their size… If they are happy then I am happy… but these stupid blogs, ads, magazines, tv shows — whatever, they all cater to conditioning young women (and older) in to thinking that we HAVE to look like the size 6-10 that they only stock in Supre….
I am quite frankly tired of going shopping, coming home and wanting to cry because no one caters clothes for girls who are petite but also very curvacious. Doesnt matter how many Kms I ride the exercise bike for, or how many weights I lift, my breasts and my backside and hips are not going to go away. And if I have trouble with this, I can’t imagine how it must feel for someone bigger than me.
You spoke really well Samantha and so did Melinda as always
You also looked gorgeous!
x
You’re just BRILLIANT!!!! I love you dearly!!!!
Right back at ya baby
!
this is amazing to see! What a great news clip and I totally agree what everyone has said about this whole situation. What is surprising to me is that these news reporters seem to get it more than American ones which is sad, but hopefully that will change in the near future!
All in all a Fantastic post! thank you!
Thanks Amber!! And welcome to Discourse!!! Hope to see you back here again soon
!
I thought it was fantastic that we got such airtime. We have had some amazing press about fat stigma in the past…. I really hope the Aussie media starts to lead the way in starting to change press reporting about fat issues and that other countries follow too
!!
I have waited a few days to reply to this, as I’ve only had my phone to access the net and its terribly cumbersome to use when typing a reply on a blog, but – FANTASTIC. I am so happy to see someone standing up and talking so eloquently about this subject, and other than the obligatory, demeaning headless fatty images they continued to show, Channel 7 seemed to report on this issue really well. The female presenter even seemed to visibly cringe when she realised they were playing the headless fatty images as you were speaking, so I’m hoping that that message got through, at least a little bit.
I really hope that we get to see more of you on the TV in the future, talking about issues like this. Its sad to think that talking about being nice and respectful to one another has to WORK to become mainstream thinking, but I’m glad you’re here to fight to make that happen. It is very inspiring!
Aww thank you
!!! I thought it was such a great step forward Emma! And Im so happy it made you feel a little bit better!!
Oh Samantha. Beautiful, wonderful Samantha. I still do a lot of fist punching when I get to the moment when you inadvertantly expose their bias with the headless fatties. No matter how many times I watch this.
Well done. And thank you so much.
Aww thanks
. I’m just one person though. Its all of you guys who are living this and who are really starting to change attitudes and opinions. Most of my opinions come from you all too 
! I was full of the same assumptions, but it was listening to you that completely changed my attitudes and opinions.
Love ya!