My Trip down the rabbit hole...I think we're "Effed"...

I accidentally fell into an online rabbit hole recently...and I believe we are well and truly "effed" in the Western World.

I was introduced to the world of Fat Acceptance?! What?? That's right, fat acceptance!! And their favorite catch-phrase -  Healthy At Every Size!!?  I guess I've been too busy having a regular old life working, playing, raising the kids, hanging out with momma, watching sports, listening to metal, etc...to know what's going on in the World at large. I now know or have at least been introduced to the words or terms:

Fat Shaming
Trigger(ing)
Thin Privilege (!!??)
Fatphobia
Healthism
Rape culture
Rape-apologists
Patriarchy
mansplaining
safe spaces
slut shaming (??)...and the coup de grace??...

trigglypuff (I dare you to just type this one word into the internet)



Shocked  
scratch

Anyhow, I don't really know what to think or say, except that I'm going to continue to raise my girls to be strong well-adjusted young ladies, push them to succeed (and to fail in the trying!!) and to model for them what a healthy normal marriage looks like. My wife will model for them how to be both strong, aggressive, determined and feminine, nurturing, beautiful and lady-like. I'm going to continue to love God, sports, fitness, being a "manly" man, complimenting women (who are well-adjusted enough to recognize and accept a respectful compliment), exercising self-control, manners, logic, and courtesy, and I'm going to expect the same from those in my life.

Thanks for reading. I've been coming to this site for nearly a decade, and I've come to appreciate bouncing things off the fine folks here.

While some things can get out of hand, a lot of what you list are just labels that should almost be unnecessary because most of them have to do with people just not being shitty as hell to each other. People should just not be shitty as hell to other people. I know it will never change across the board, especially on the internet, but one can hope, right.

Whether someone is overweight or not is nobody else's business and people most certainly should not be made to feel shitty for it. Or shameful of it.

A lot of the things on your list, like rape culture and mansplaining...if you don't think they exist and occur and actually affect people, well you are just living in denial.

Whenever I hear people talk about (or post about, more likely) how political correctness--which you didn't specifically refer to, but I inferred--is "ruining our country" and other nonsense, all I hear is "I miss being able to make shitty racist, sexist and homophobic comments without someone calling me out for being an asshole."

If you continue exercising logic and courtesy, as you mentioned, and are setting an example of same for your daughters (as I am trying to do for my sons), you don't have anything to worry about anyway...aside from the complimenting women part (most women, well adjusted or not, do't give a f*** what you or I think), everything you listed devolves from a lack of logic and courtesy. Especially on this here internet we are all inhabiting now, where people get death threats for not liking the same movies or video games as other people.

Good and thoughtful response!

Quote :

Whether someone is overweight or not is nobody else's business

Since my job is in Fire/EMS (and I'm also on our department's Fitness team) the opposite of this is exactly the case. The majority of everything I do on-duty is directly tied to people's weight and health decisions, the impact said weight has on them and their health, their mobility (which puts their family in danger), their family (obesity puts great pressure/concern/stress on family and friends), the health care system,  special equipment we use, how we train and learn special lifting techniques because of obesity, etc...

Quote :

...aside from the complimenting women part (most women, well adjusted or not, do't give a f*** what you or I think)

Brother, I don't know you from Adam, but if you think women don't like being complimented, you're doing it wrong.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

Good and thoughtful response!

Quote :

Whether someone is overweight or not is nobody else's business

Since my job is in Fire/EMS (and I'm also on our department's Fitness team) the opposite of this is exactly the case. The majority of everything I do on-duty is directly tied to people's weight and health decisions, the impact said weight has on them and their health, their mobility (which puts their family in danger), their family (obesity puts great pressure/concern/stress on family and friends), the health care system,  special equipment we use, how we train and learn special lifting techniques because of obesity, etc...

Okay, let me re-phrase or edit it, then. If someone is overweight, whether they choose to change that fact or not is nobody else's business. I agree with all of what you said, about the affects of being overweight and I am firmly pro-doing everything you can for your body and health, physically and mentally...but that does not change the fact that it the decision lies on the individual, and whatever the decision, nobody should, as said, be made to feel shitty or shameful about it. Hence, fatshaming. I would not consider family and friends trying to talk to or convince someone that they should change their unhealthy lifestyle as fatshaming, nor a doctor's concern or advise about weight gain or obesity. But people being shitty to other people on the internet or even in person...I don't think it should even take a hashtag to make people see that shit like is just...not cool, bro.

As for the complimenting part, well...keep on keepin' on.

ZombieHavoc wrote:

[ nobody should, as said, be made to feel shitty or shameful about it. Hence, fatshaming. I would not consider family and friends trying to talk to or convince someone that they should change their unhealthy lifestyle as fatshaming, nor a doctor's concern or advise about weight gain or obesity. But people being shitty to other people on the internet or even in person...I don't think it should even take a hashtag to make people see that shit like is just...not cool, bro.

I agree with this.

My concern/bewilderment is the heights to which the Fat Acceptance movements takes their movement. To them, everything that doesn't affirm/praise/coddle/conform to their obese lifestyle is "fat-shaming".

scottmitchell74 wrote:

My concern/bewilderment is the heights to which the Fat Acceptance movements takes their movement. To them, everything that doesn't affirm/praise/coddle/conform to their obese lifestyle is "fat-shaming".

Well, I guess anything can be taken too far, though I've never really come across much in this arena that seemed that way to me. And your initial post came across, at least to me, more as...I don't know...just negative towards the idea of someone wanting to not be called names because they are obese.

For some people, losing weight or maintaining weight is easier than other people. I don't think I know personally many people who are overweight that don't want to lose weight or be at a healthier weight, but whether they succeed or not...we live in a society that has traditionally wanted to make people feel like pieces of shit if they were overweight. You, if inclined, can go to Amazon and pick up some "No Fat Chicks" gear for your car or chest. Just weird.

We also live in a society where a lot of f***ed up shit is going on, which sucks. Something that helps a group of people feel more positive and better about themselves when most of popular culture is telling them they suck, I'm okay with.

I'm also lefty liberal pinko scum, so, you know...take what you will.

scottmitchell74 wrote:

trigglypuff (I dare you to just type this one word into the internet)

I did. And thanks for introducing me to that !

I think things are getting more screwed up on a daily basis in this world. Political correctness, everyone's a victim, respect my rights while I walk all over yours. Terrorists killing Americans but it's the guns fault. It's crazy! I know everyone has their own beliefs and opinions, and so many look for ways to divide instead of uniting.I just wish we had more compassion for our fellow man.

The internet has always been weird.

It certainly intensifies during election years, though.

Scott Mitchell has always been one of my internet favs.  I am a fat shit - wish I was not, but I drink all day, every day.  This is my choice.  Being gay or a skin that is not white or poverty-stricken [in most countries] or having freckles, etc, is not a choice.  Yet, and I am sorry SM, Christians in this country judge these people unfairly every single day, all day long.  And I say, EFF THEM.  The conservative right has chosen their path of hatred with nominating Trump.  You want political incorrectness?  Well, that piece of shit is spreading it across the country.  Or, at least, making what has already been here, acceptable.  Either way - your bed.

Speaking to no one directly here.

There's no reason for anyone to approach this topic in a political manner.

I'm pretty left and in compete agreement with Scott's perspective.

Perhaps it's because my mom, dad, and sis are obese and wreaking havoc on our family as a result.

Or maybe it's because i used to weigh 385 pounds and was completely miserable and almost lost my kids and wife. I now weigh 230 and am happier than ever.

But the Red and the Blue simply does not matter in a discussion like this. The whole reason I walked away from Facebook was because I grew so tired of practically every topic being politicized. Completely pointless.

You are wrong, corpl. Simply put - every single thing in American life has political implications. Hide behind that rock, if that is where you feel safe. Everything in our life come directly from the Reagan Trickle-down effect. Live and learn young cubby.

You obviously did not absorb the original post.

The right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

A good old fashioned American concept that should apply to ALL people. Including those whose idea of happiness include 15" pizzas, or banging dudes, or worshiping a different god or wearing a Wonder Woman outfit.................

I find that I generally avoid being called any of the listed things by not being a dick and generally minding my own business.

I find that this song works in most, if not all, internet-hostile situations.

That always makes me chuckle.   This must be a remix version.  The last time I heard this song it didn't have nearly these production values. 

Uncle Sax, I love you like a brother but You are wrong.

corplhicks wrote:

The whole reason I walked away from Facebook was because I grew so tired of practically every topic being politicized. Completely pointless.

The only thing Facebook seems to exist for is to let you know old friends from high school have become racist conspiracy theorists.

Witchfinder wrote:

Scott - I've heard/seen most of that stuff before. Trigglypuff was new to me!

I will keep my comments to myself, especially since I am not in either party and can comment and blast both parties, I will just piss everyone off!


Anyone wanna bet who long before this thread has to be locked down?

It seems that everything is offensive these days & everyone is a victim. I wonder how the kids these days pick & choose which hashtag they want to shield themselves with. So many choices.

"Triggly puff" would be an excellent name for a band.

Quote :

Anyone wanna bet who long before this thread has to be locked down?

I dunno...according to some guy on YouTube, we Admins are all drunk on power and do too much of that. So f*ck it, go nuts. (shrugs)

Yeah, I didn't want to start anything. I was just saying that I'm amazed at the way the World is heading these days. No need for a fight!

mc666 wrote:

It seems that everything is offensive these days & everyone is a victim. I wonder how the kids these days pick & choose which hashtag they want to shield themselves with. So many choices.

They go to their safe space

We're never gonna win the Super Bowl unless we're a cohesive unit.