I'm all for people accepting the way they are - but this girl is way overweight. It goes beyond being "happy" with the way you are, or not wanting to conform to societal standards. Her health is a major issue because of her size.
otherwise known as brody1
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Maybe Hollywood is FINALLY viewing plus women as beautiful too...not just super, super thin women.
shareI think that if this was a case of Hollywood actually viewing her as beautiful her roles would not be solely focused on her size. She would be cast a the lead actress, not the lead fat actress. Skinny actresses are not only in movies that center around them being thin. I don't think that you can really say she's been accepted until she plays a role in which her weight is not an issue.
a single rose can be my garden
I agree... I worry that she is going to be the token fat actress... I am watchin the movie now and it looks like she has gained weight since Hairspray... I'm not saying she needs to be a size 2, but I think she should be careful. It's nice that she wants to be the voice of overweight girls, but she has her health to think about.
Damn the man, save the Empire!
I was working for the very enemy I thought I was fighting.
She probably gained weight for the role. In Hairspray, she actually had someone following her around and making sure she ate to keep the weight continuity because she was losing weight from exercising. Just because she's a certain size in the movie doesn't mean that she will always be that weight.
shareTHANK YOU!!!
shareI think she is just acting as a martyr for Fat people & I'm glad there are people smart enough out there to figure it out.
shareI heard that she was losing weight before Hairspray and they asked her to put on wieght for it and then she lost again anf they asked her to do it again for this. She is trying, people just need to stop asking her to gain more.
sharei dont think that'll ever happen.... . .
~
Career-wise, she will always be limited in her parts. Look at Ricki Lake. She started out doing "fat" movies, then lost weight in order to advance her career. It's just a fact, that a lot of parts will be out of her range.
shareOh, well. I guess she'll just have to sing, then. And since she's a *dynamite* singer...oh, what a loss </sarcasm>.
Shouldn't we also be worried about the health of skinny people? There are just as many health risks for being skinny as for being overweight/fat. Especially with all the stupid crash diets, colonics, starvation, etc. It's such a double standard.
"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music" -anonymous-
where's the double standard? I didn't say anything positive about skinny people. This subject is about overweight people, as that was what was relevant to the movie. Of course there are many health risks for skinny people. But we are talking about overweight people here, as it has to do with the movie and actress.
otherwise known as brody1
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I think the reason people openly talk about the health concerns of overweight people is the reason people voice concerns about those who are too skinny.... It is an obvious problem that they can see. Yes, I'm sure there are many many people who are less healthy, but they don't wear there health issues around all day for everyone to see. Closeted problems will never get as much attention as obvious ones. And while you can hide poor eating habits, addictions, etc., you can't conceal your body type. Too fat, too thin... its apparent.
a single rose can be my garden
Yeah, about the people voicing their opinions about skinny people's health... who are they, exactly?
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POWDERED...
TOAST...
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
HAHAHA NO ONE ANSWERED
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POWDERED...
TOAST...
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
Everyday in the tabloids there are headlines about stars being too thin. Nicole Richie, Tori Spelling, Lindsay Lohan. It's happened to me and a handful of my friends as well.
a single rose can be my garden
I agree with everything you said and wanted to give you your props in a well writen post.
Get out of my head : )
The double standard is that you assume she is unhealthy just because she is overweight. Not all overweight people are unhealthy, and not all skinny people are healthy. Skinny does not necessarily equal healthy, overweight does not necessarily equal unhealthy.
"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music" -anonymous-
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Yeppers.
I'm a good 24 years older than Ms. Blonsky, male, and, considering the difference in our heights (17 inches :-) ), I'm probably as 'fat' as she is.
Health problems? I have *one* health problem that is made worse--not caused--by my weight. I have a bad knee. Now, I've had this problem in my knee since I was 12, and I wasn't fat when I was 12, so the weight did not *cause* the problem. Does it make it worse? Probably. So I'll have the inevitable knee replacement when I'm 50 instead of 60--who cares?
A few other minor health problems I had--high blood pressure, shortness of breath--magically disappeared...when I quit *smoking*. Now, you want to talk about a real evil? Smoking's it. Trust me, as a fat guy who used to smoke. I feel a thousand times better and I haven't lost a pound. And, yes, I've had comments about my weight made by people I know to be smokers--yeah, they're *real* concerned about my health *snort*.
Energy? I work full time (and on my feet), go to school full time, and have joint custody of two daughters. I'm 43 years old, with that schedule, and I have enough energy to keep a 4.0 in school. Even with sleep deprivation because I'm doing homework after work at 3 in the morning :-).
The assumptions people make about us fat people are often bogus. And I believe there's a reason for that:
I'm wired a bit differently--I find fat women attractive. And that's led me to believe that a lot of this *is* appearanced-based. Any conversation about 'health' always seems to come around to "and she'd look better, too!" Especially, sadly to say, about women, though I get a bit of it. Since I do *not*, at a base level, find heavy women unattractive, I don't have that base revulsion.
I think Nikki Blonsky's just perfect the way she is...well, except for being too short! :-) And I guarantee that if you were wired my way, that you saw someone built like Nikki and went "Nice!", that you'd have a lot less concern about her 'health'. I'd bet money on it.
I certainly agree about the health issue of her being overweight. As beautiful as she is, type 2 diabetes is running rampant not only in the adult population that are overweight, but children and teens as well. The extra weight apparently puts a lot of stress on the pancreas (a gland that releases the hormone insulin into the bloodstream) in addition to the heart and blood vessels which can be a risk factor for heart attack and stroke ('brain attack').
For more info on diabetes: http://www.diabetes.org
Weight is not an indicator of health.
Repeat.
WEIGHT IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF HEALTH.
There are plenty of healthy people who are overweight. There are also TONS of skinny people who are incredibly unhealthy. But society deems them "lucky" because they can treat themselves like garbage and be skinny. If these people think they don't have to take care of themselves because they are skinny, they aren't lucky. They're stupid.
But we live in a society where fatphobia is the last socially acceptable form of bigotry.
Yes, making fun of fat people is bigotry. It's hate directed at a specific group of people. The only difference is people pretend they care and say their discriminatory drivel clouded under a shroud of "worry" or "trying to help."
It's complete crap.
I support the writers' strike!
Weight is not an indicator of health.
Repeat.
WEIGHT IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF HEALTH.
There are plenty of healthy people who are overweight. There are also TONS of skinny people who are incredibly unhealthy. But society deems them "lucky" because they can treat themselves like garbage and be skinny. If these people think they don't have to take care of themselves because they are skinny, they aren't lucky. They're stupid.
But we live in a society where fatphobia is the last socially acceptable form of bigotry.
Yes, making fun of fat people is bigotry. It's hate directed at a specific group of people. The only difference is people pretend they care and say their discriminatory drivel clouded under a shroud of "worry" or "trying to help."
It's complete crap.
shame never helped anyone lose weight OR feel good about themselves.
True. I've dealt with shame my whole life, but what's caused me to lose what weight I've lost was my own doing, not from someone else's influence.
People need to look at it. There are many indicators of health wheter you are fat, regular, or underweight whether they see or don't them. Everyone needs to take care of themselves or will have health problems of some sort.
shareThe unfortunate reality is that being overweight, namely obese or 20% over the normal weight for someone the same age and height, can cause grave health problems. I, myself, am very open-minded and don't see people's size. My mom, is in fact, too large and is thankfully going to the local gym (got a month to month membership, just fyi :) as of the start of the new year. Both extremes are certainly unhealthy, whether too thin or too overweight. Those that are too thin can be at risk for cancer as having a sufficient weight (and enough cholesterol in the system) helps the immune system. I was just referring to Nikki and her weight and health as of the movie.
shareWeight is not an indicator of health.
Repeat.
WEIGHT IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF HEALTH.
There are plenty of healthy people who are overweight. There are also TONS of skinny people who are incredibly unhealthy. But society deems them "lucky" because they can treat themselves like garbage and be skinny. If these people think they don't have to take care of themselves because they are skinny, they aren't lucky. They're stupid.
But we live in a society where fatphobia is the last socially acceptable form of bigotry.
Yes, making fun of fat people is bigotry. It's hate directed at a specific group of people. The only difference is people pretend they care and say their discriminatory drivel clouded under a shroud of "worry" or "trying to help."
It's complete crap.
I agree. It may be that she is concerned about her health, but she's afraid to do something about it. I'm overweight as well, though I'm not nearly as overweight as her. And I will admit that there have been times when I've been afraid to do something about it. I guess it has to do with a fear of failure?
shareI think she is beautiful the way she is, but she probably would be a lot healthier if she would lose some weight. When I say "lose weight," I don't mean doing it just for the sake of appearance. For instance, taking diet pills or laxatives or becoming bulimic or anorexic would do nothing positive for her health. But I'm overweight, though not obese, and I know it's because I eat too much and am not very active. I've recently lost about fifteen pounds simply through cutting back on meals/snacks and taking up mild exercise. I'm healthier (nowhere near my phsyical peak, whatever that may be, but definitely healthier), and that's reflected by my weight loss. I'm not trying to be a size 2 or 0. I don't WANT to be a size 2 or 0. I think my big hips are gorgeous and love how my now-thinner waist accentuates them. I just want to be healthy.
What I really hate, though, is how some people (NOT the OP--I'm not talking about you, Alachua, okay?) put up a front about being concerned for someone's health when that concern is only there to mask more superficial motives. I've heard a lot of guys say they only date thin girls because they like girls who "take care of themselves/keep healthy," when the reality is, as long as they're thin, the girls can be smoking (sometimes just to make sure their weight doesn't spike) or surviving on sugary snacks for all the guys care. You know what I mean: the girl who has a fast metabolism and actually eats as much and gets less exercise than the overweight girl next to her is "healthier" in his eyes when, really, she's just "prettier." He just wants a thin, traditionally pretty girl, not necessarily a healthy one. I wish guys (or girls, don't want to be sexist) like that could just admit that, rather than try to hide the shallowness that they're secretly ashamed of.
Anyway, back on topic--as I said, I still think Nikki is a very pretty woman. She looks like someone I might like to draw or paint. There's so little to shade on skinny women, you know?
Sir, your hair! It's defying both gravity and logic!
She should be...it isn't healthy. Not to mention it annoys me how people act like she's a role model when she isn't setting a good example. She's never going to be the leading lady. All her roles will be the "best friend" or the "awky fat girl"
shareActually she lost a lot of weight working on Hairspray, she said it herself and they made her eat to keep the weight up. For her movies she actually has to keep her weight up and be heavy for the parts, then when she is not working she loses the extra weight that was put on for the part but is still healthy and curvy. Nikki has said in many interviews that she is heavy by Hollywood standards (who isn't unless your a size 00) but she is not unhealthy and is managing her weight in an appropriate way.
share"The double standard is that you assume she is unhealthy just because she is overweight. Not all overweight people are unhealthy, and not all skinny people are healthy. Skinny does not necessarily equal healthy, overweight does not necessarily equal unhealthy."
AMEN !!!!!!!!
SEE IT, BELIEVE IT, CLAIM IT, RECEIVE IT !!!
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"All she did was eat. Then expect people to feel sorry for her...and they made a movie about THIS being the lead character?? If I ate like that I'd be fat too!"
In this case, eating was not done for pleasure, it was a way of coping with all the HELL that she was put through. Just like drinking and drugs, food can also be an addiction. If you noticed, near the end of the movie, she threw away her snacks, which indicated to me that she was making changes.
SEE IT, BELIEVE IT, CLAIM IT, RECEIVE IT !!!
who isn't unless your a size 00
Right, Shiza. People just love being big and deserve mockery, right?
shareRight, whitespirit, and I said that.........WHERE???
Ingrid Bergman had Paris, my pussycat has crabs
You act as though weight is always, without exception, a choice and imply that people should just put up with any abuse that comes their way. You sound very ignorant of such matters.
shareI said that you have a choice day-to-day of what to eat, what to do, how much activity to get. I never stated or implied that abuse is deserved. I do wonder, though, how people can be so happy to eat such unhealthy garbage, fat or not.
And yet another reason not to make stupid assumptions about people just b/c they disagree with you...I grew up as "the fat kid", I got the abuse and the insults and the nastiness and looks that came with it. And then a year or so ago I got sick of it and began making healthier CHOICES. I stopped eating 2 sticks of butter worth of calories in a sitting, I stopped ordering things that said "monster/giant/humongous etc." In the name, I stopped hitting up buffets left and right, and I dragged my tired fat ass to the gym 5 days a week and got used to being surrounded by shiny pretty people while I sweated gallons and looked like a damn fool. And lo and behold....its working!
If an overwwight person honestly tells me that they sre eating a suitable amount of calories and getting activity regularly and still can't lose weight/have it "in their genes"/has a thyroid problem, then that's different. I don't have a right to say they're lying b/c I wouldn't see any reason to and if they are they know it anyway. But when I see a larger person eating garbage and complaining about their weight, I have no sympathy. There are easy choices to make that can at least help with health even if the weight proves harder than it does for others.
Ingrid Bergman had Paris, my pussycat has crabs
Yeah yeah, I heard your sad fat story; did you think I missed it? That's why it amazes me that you have no sympathy or understanding for people still in that situation. You used to be big once so you can say whatever you want, right?
shareI have no sympathy for people who choose to do absolutely nothing about the situation they are in yet constantly complain about it anyway. That would apply to fat people, smokers, people failing school, etc.
Ingrid Bergman had Paris, my pussycat has crabs
That doesn't entitle you or anyone else to mock them or expect, of all nonsense things, that they should put up with it.
shareI wouldn't frank of kicking anyone for something like that...I just personally don't feel bad about people having to deal with the consequences of their own choices. Unless it's someone I know I have enough class not to say that to them in a million years. I try to be encouraging but the first step towards changing is wanting to change. The hardest part four me to get started was admitting that I was the one who gout myself there in the first place.
When you're 17 a cow can seem dangerous and forbidden...am I alone here?
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