I’m going to change the format of the Sites of Interest a bit, because I like the way Anna does the Recommended Reading at FWD/Forward, and I think other people enjoy that too. So, instead of cryptic references with links to the content, I’m going to go with excerpts so you can get a better idea of what is being talked about in each link. If y’all like this format too, I’ll keep doing it.
BBC News: Why are fat people abused?
Why are many folk so intolerant of fat people? Discrimination on other grounds is widely frowned upon, so why is weight different?
It all comes down to control, says Susie Orbach, psychologist and author of Fat is a Feminist Issue. She believes the prejudice runs through our society.
Jezebel: Will anti-fat hate crimes make people take sizeism seriously?
Although the piece is extremely (and somewhat shockingly) sympathetic to fat people, one thing that contributes to fat hatred can be found before it even begins: The traditional headless fatty photo. The BBC’s is of a man’s naked, hairy torso, spilling out over his jeans, and, as headless fatty photos usually are, it is sure to evoke disgust. Further down in the article, there’s a picture of Martha Coupe‘s battered face, which is unsettling and a bit grainy, but a far more accurate depiction of the article’s subject than a disembodied gut — with a tape measure around it, no less. One evokes sympathy for an abused person, and the marginalized group she belongs to. The other dehumanizes a fat person, quite literally reducing him to nothing but a big old gut, and — given the prevalence of anti-fat sentiment outlined in this very article — is likely to make people laugh at best and recoil at worst. People responsible for choosing the images that accompany articles like this (and producing B-roll for TV reports on obesity) really need to think about the messages they’re sending — and recognize that they’re bigoted shits if that actually is the message they mean to send.
I was glad to see Kate Harding’s discussion of the BBC article, identifying some of the problems it contained. Alas, Kate’s post is on Jezebel (…so don’t read the comments).
Santa Fe Reporter: Apocalypse Soon
Here in the Land of Enchantment, environmental horrors abound. Corporations influence the government’s ability to regulate environmental emergencies, people who might otherwise be allies have faced off against one another in battle, and climate change is already punching its tentacles into the Southwestern landscape. Herein, SFR explores New Mexico’s potential, scary science fiction future—the dystopias that could be—if actions aren’t taken to address today’s environmental, economic and political realities.
I’m a huge fan of dystopian science fiction which touches upon the reality we live in and paints a picture of things which could happen, so I found this article especially interesting.
Danger Room: Airmen bomb silly safety belt rules
You’d think men and women who handle heavy weapons, fly the planet’s most advanced airplanes, and take care of multi-million dollar equipment could be trusted to go outside at night without wearing a day-glo safety belt. The United States Air Force would beg to differ.
Colorado Independent: Personhood initiative lining up friends and foes
This new version would move the legal definition of a person further back into the reproductive cycle, granting cells the full spectrum of citizen rights. Opposition groups, including Colorado genetic and fertilization researchers, say the law would have spiraling consequences, that it would put women at risk and freeze current work in medicine and reproduction.
San Francisco Bay Guardian: Sanctuary showdown
But here’s what is clear — and alarming: under Newsom’s policy, which the sanctuary legislation by Sup. David Campos would overturn, large numbers of immigrant kids are facing possible deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Virginia Kice told the Guardian that 150 juveniles from San Francisco have been referred to ICE since June 11, 2008 when Newsom began requiring that the city’s probation officials refer youth to ICE on arrest.
This story is especially relevant because Newsom may be making a run for Governor, so I’ve been following his policy decisions and actions closely. I think it’s safe to say that an anti-immigrant governor is NOT what California needs.
Los Angeles Times: Death takes no holiday at this grisly Hollywood museum
Shultz, 47, and Healy, 48, live in Hollywood. She is a painter who crafted the museum’s display rooms out of old studios and editing areas in the building at 6031 Hollywood Blvd., which once housed a recording company. He is a carpenter; he built the museum’s replica guillotine and electric chair.
Given that tomorrow is Halloween, I thought it only fair to include a morbid article. I like that the story frames the museum as a labour of love and a partnership between two people who are really interested in the macabre, rather than just going for the “ew, gross” route.
think on this.: boo at the zoo
in london, they’re giving jack o lanterns to zoo animals, and it’s adorable.
Pictures of zoo animals mauling pumpkins! What’s not to love?
