November 14, 2010

Thoughts on joking

I've always hated that it's ok to make fun of fat people in the media. A fat person falls, it's hilarious. Now, in my own defense, ANYONE who falls is fair game for me to laugh at. I don't care what color, sex or size you are. I'm just mean.
Seriously. If you pick on any other social group, race or political group, it's an apparent no-no. Fat people are the last joke frontier.
Now, this is coming from a media standpoint. There are comedians that joke about themselves being fat, I think it's fine. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don't think so. I love when people can laugh at themselves. Fat, skinny, special needs, what have you. I don't think it's funny to have whole websites dedicated to fat people being humiliated.

That being said, and like I stated earlier, I don't agree with skinny hate either. It's counter productive to bash people based on size. This is why this topic is my quest. I'll come out and say it now. I've laughed at people. Yes. From my guts, I've laughed at people falling down, dressing stupid and people who *gasp*  fall. I try to be the best fat girl I can be, but I'm still a cynic deep inside.

I think, unless someone is making fun of themselves, or purposely putting themselves out there TO be made fun of, we, as human beings, should back off. There are times when laughing is ok, as long as no one is hurt, and you show a little compassion for your fellow human, but I think seeing things through another's eyes is the best medicine.

Now, my image for the day makes me bipolar. Not medically, but emotionally. I think it's hilarious, but on the other hand SO amazingly offensive. Am I glad that advertisers are a little more subtle nowadays?

1 comment:

  1. I think it's dangerous, that they are more subtle. I was shocked at my son's attitude towards big women when he was little - he had such sneering disgust for them. I am a reasonable weight now, but spent much of my life as a very big girl. I had never really talked to him about it, so he took his cues from the media. He's not like that now, and we have talked about it quite a bit since then! - but if not for that moment of unguarded, innocent prejudice, I would not have understood how powerful this shit is. Slicker is not weaker.

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