Do you laugh when the movies make fun of fat people?

I was watching Dodgeball over the weekend, and I LOVE that movie. But, every time I see the fat cheerleader who falls on the skinny guy I close my eyes out of embarassment for her. The movie adds in blubbery sound effects, and I just cringe. I HATE it when movies do that kind of stuff, and I was wondering if I'm alone, or too sensitive?

Readysteadygo,

You are wise beyond your years and that's a compliment! Some people will never reach that level of understanding no matter how old they are. Your parents raised you well and that's important because being raised by fat haters raises children who hate themselves if they are fat and even if they aren't they can still hate their bodies. Unfortunately I was raised by a fat hating mother. Loving your body no matter what size will make for a happier life no matter if you are thin or fat! brandyII.

Gloucester,

Just curious, when did America go through the "fat is beautiful" phase, I must have missed it! Seriously though, brandyII.

Readysteadygo,

You have to see the original Hairspray by John Waters with Divine and Ricki Lake, it was pretty crazy. John Waters has always had fat people in his movies and they're considered cult films. I still don't like John Travolta in the movie Hairspray, he just seemed so weird to me, they should have used a real fat man! Not that John is a twig but I guess I just like the original movie better.

Anyway I agree with you whether or not people with WLS or considering having WLS agree with that point of view of loving oneself no matter what size they are is so important. Trust me this is coming from someone who thought her world would begin when she lost weight when she was 20 and then gained it all back again. It can be quite detrimental to your health, sanity-wise! brandyII

Gloucoster (sorry spelling) I see what your saying. I gues I find that defiant look in her eye beautiful because I idenify with it. I have had to fight for acceptance for so long for being bigger, for being gay, for being different in a town full of cowboys and gossips that I guess it's become a way of thinking.

Being Healthy is very important or I wouldn't be here on this website because I wouldn't have ever considered WLS.

BrandyII- thanks for your comments. I appreciate you. I did see the original Hairspray when I was much younger before I ever knew who John Waters or Ricki Lake were. I love musicals. I was in Minnie Faye in Hello Dolly once. hehe.

Readysgo,

Sorry I didn't mean to assume you weren't aware of John Waters I guess I was dating myself and figured you might not have seen his movies. My daughters have because of me. My favorite is "Polyester" with Divine. I think he did "Cry Baby" too with Johnny Depp, that was pretty good, did you see that one? I'm one of those great moms who introduced my kids to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" because I was a teen when it came back into theaters and became such a big deal in the late 70s.

I saw Hello Dolly on stage when I was pretty young so I really only remember it by the movie. but my eldest daughter is about 2 years younger than you and she did community theater for a while and really enjoyed that. It wasn't as political as high school theater, do you know what I mean? I'm sure you do. She's very into musicals still and always has the latest soundtrack to whatever is out! It's good to have passions like that.

I also know that through "drama club" kids tend to fit in where they may have not before. I was like that when I was in high school and that's when I made my best friends and felt the best about myself. I was pretty lucky then. Those were the good ole days!

Anyway keep your strong spirit, you are influencing younger and hopefully older people with your voice in many ways! brandyII.

I have seen crybaby. Thats the cutest.

Have you had a chance to see Sweeney Todd then. It was interesting. Helena Bohem Carter was amazing and Johnny Depp has a really cool voice.

Oh and its ok. I was young enough when I watched the original to have no idea what I was watching. I had never heard of it. It was on some cable network one day when I was home sick from school.

Gloucester,

Just curious, when did America go through the "fat is beautiful" phase, I must have missed it! Seriously though, brandyII.

:redface: I really don't even remember the decade! Yikes...I'm losing it.

But, I remember for one brief period - perhaps early 90's???? - that there was a lot of hubbub about how "fat is beautiful". I think some place in CA had rallies...that kind of thing.

It fizzled pretty quickly, though. :hurt:

Actually, all this talking about fit vs. fat got me remembering a girl from high school. She was about my size, but she was on every sports team high school offered. I remember seeing her at a grocery store and she had on her swim team swimming suit and a pair of shorts. I thought, "why can't I do that?" I was never comfy in my skin until after my daughter was born, and then I just didn't care about other people's opinions anymore.

I really do wish that I had the kind of confidence that other girl did back in high school. I certainly do see the need to tell people to love yourself - no matter what.

Ready,

I have not seen Sweeney Todd but of course my daughters were at the midnight showing when it first came out. I'll see it when it's on DVD or when my daughter downloads it, lol. They love Johnny, he's so French and he smokes and he's wicked cool! I was really impressed with him in Cry Baby, I liked his voice a lot. He and Helena B.C. look like they could be brother/sister in Sweeney Todd. She's a great actor too and was good in Howards End, I love my Brit movies.

Oh took my 19 year old to her first weigh in today after a week on the liquid diet and she lost 12 pounds! I can tell she's really happy even though she's not a jumping up and down type of person. She's doing the Gastric bypass so won't be able to join our group but I had to give her a little cheer anyway!!! And we listened to the soundtrack of Hairspray on the way home.

Isn't cable great, what would we do without it! talk to you later Nancy.

Gloucester,

I know exactly what you mean about confidence, that's why I like having plus size roll models in TV etc... it brings us out in the open and says hey world we have lives too and we're not perfect but still we want to enjoy life like everyone else!

I was envious and almost confused when I was younger and saw girls who were my size but they HAD confidence and I felt like it was all drained out of my body. I don't know what it was that gave those girls confidence when we didn't have it. Do you think it was parenting? I think if my mom accepted my weight, and trust me when I look at pictures of myself when I was about 12 I wasn't that big, or not as big as I felt in my "head". It just seemed like I was the odd ball in the family because everyone else was thin except for me and my father but he wasn't overweight until his 30s or 40s. He was pretty ripped as a teen life guard.

Even now when I go home for holidays etc... I'm faced with the fact that everyone is thin and their husbands/wives are thin and beautiful and I'm like "was I born into the right family, maybe switched at birth" or something. I hope one day it gets easier because it causes a lot of head stress even now!

Ready,

I have not seen Sweeney Todd but of course my daughters were at the midnight showing when it first came out. I'll see it when it's on DVD or when my daughter downloads it, lol. They love Johnny, he's so French and he smokes and he's wicked cool! I was really impressed with him in Cry Baby, I liked his voice a lot. He and Helena B.C. look like they could be brother/sister in Sweeney Todd. She's a great actor too and was good in Howards End, I love my Brit movies.

Oh took my 19 year old to her first weigh in today after a week on the liquid diet and she lost 12 pounds! I can tell she's really happy even though she's not a jumping up and down type of person. She's doing the Gastric bypass so won't be able to join our group but I had to give her a little cheer anyway!!! And we listened to the soundtrack of Hairspray on the way home.

Isn't cable great, what would we do without it! talk to you later Nancy.

Well after the Gastric Bypass she won't be ABLE to jump around for awhile so maybe she should do it now:smile2: Tell her that this complete, but caring, stranger wishes her the best on her diffrent journey. My partner had The gastric Bypass 10 yrs ago and she is still 100 lbs lighter. It saved her life definately.

I don't think I've seen Howard End's. What is that movie about? You should watch Sweeney Todd when you get a chance. Its very entertaining.

Brandy...Actually my home life was the opposite. My mother has been fat my whole life. I piss her off because I'll see her college pictures and say, that was YOU? (She gained weight right after college and never went back to that size.)

But, my obesity was ignored. No, honey, you're not fat. I got that all the time from mom, but I sure was made fun of at school.

So, that's where my insecurities came from - other kids.

I asked my daughter if she was ever teased for being overweight and she said: No way! So, a lot has changed, and for that I'm happy.

I just hope I don't become the weight nazi for my daughter.

Ready,

Unless you like Brit movies, you might find Howards End a bit boring. It's stars Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and Helena B.C. It takes place in the Edwardian era, I think. Let's just say if my husband is watching it with me he's snoring within seconds! Did you like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility those kinds of films. It's a bit different, different author, not Jane Austin and different time period but still very British and an interesting story. It's hard to explain but see if you can rent it and if you do let me know what you think. I love Emma Thompson so maybe that's why I liked the film, she's one of my favs.

Gloucester,

It's hard to deal with overweight kids, it's not that I wanted mine to be overweight but they are. A lot of my thin sibs ended up having overweight kids too. I know that my kids had it rough at school also, especially my youngest as she's also 6 feet tall so it was twice as hard. I don't remember being teased that much by other kids, I went to Catholic School so that was pretty much frowned upon back then.

I mainly felt it from relatives like I was the black sheep of the familily or something. I've been very up front with my daughter's issues at school though and believe it or not I'm usually a pretty laid back and shy person but if an instance were to happen like all kids getting weighed in front of each other at school and I knew my daughter was freaking about it I'd talk to the teacher. I may have contributed to her problems but I really tried to do the best I could and be supportive and help her with whatever she wanted, needed. We can only do the best we can for our kids and loving them is the first thing. I'm far from perfect but I didn't want them to get that bad feeling from me as I did from my mother you know. I can't change the rest of the world I can only change myself, Nancy.

Pride and Prejudice is my all time fav movie. Love it, love it, love it...the A&E version.

Ready,

Unless you like Brit movies, you might find Howards End a bit boring. It's stars Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and Helena B.C. It takes place in the Edwardian era, I think. Let's just say if my husband is watching it with me he's snoring within seconds! Did you like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility those kinds of films. It's a bit different, different author, not Jane Austin and different time period but still very British and an interesting story. It's hard to explain but see if you can rent it and if you do let me know what you think. I love Emma Thompson so maybe that's why I liked the film, she's one of my favs.

Gloucester,

Colin Firth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But then again he's no Dr. Phil, lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1