A game bangbros bang bus show where two families compete for a cash prize by trying to find the most popular answers to a variety of questions about a month ago, one of my sisters tagged me in a video she recorded of Family Feud. In the episode she recorded, host and comedian Steve Harvey asks the participants to respond to an extremely loaded statement: “Name grounds a girl might opt to be having a chubby or fat man.”
The contestants’ answers end up supplying a round that is humorous the minds associated with contestants, Steve Harvey, and presumably the viewers.
But my sister didn’t share this video clip on her behalf Facebook web web page to garner laughs from her relatives and buddies. It had been quite contrary: my sibling had been furious in the round’s subject and also the responses provided. My cousin penned:
“This actually bothers me personally! For this reason individuals think you need to be skinny/fit become gorgeous, to be wanted, to be liked, also to deserve anything…this is never OK!”
My sister tagged me personally in this article once you understand my back ground in fat studies and sex studies (so when a fat masculine person), once you understand I would personally concur together with her frustrations.
Image description: A screenshot for the Family Feud game board utilizing the six most well known responses: “Fatty got money” (3out of 100 people surveyed), “She’s fat/digs food” (23/100), “She’ll look better” (12/100), “She’s in love” (9/100), “He’s warm/cuddly” (6/100), and “He won’t cheat” (4/100). The single thing this round that is particular of Feud does correctly is summarize a lot of the unfortunate fables our society perpetuates about fat individuals — specifically, fat guys — and relationships.
Nevertheless, calling away fatphobic fables ended up being clearly perhaps maybe not the game’s aim. Rather it perpetuated body terrorism against fat figures to score laughs that are cheap. Let’s proceed through each one of the top six many popular responses in order to better understand how they’re inaccurate and damaging to males of size.
“Fatty Got Money!”: Fat Men Are Only Valuable With Their Cash or Energy
The misconception: the truth that this misconception is one of popular associated with the six provided answers — 3of the 100 individuals initially surveyed offered this or even a similarly-worded solution — is troubling by itself. This misconception is one thing we come across throughout US tradition, whether it is in movies, politics, or culture that is popular.
The general assumption is that this fat man has to have money or some sort of power if a classically attractive person of any gender is with a fat man. Why else would an individual who could presumably get with anybody they wanted prefer to get with a disgusting man that is fat right?
This type of idea is incredibly damaging for a complete large amount of fat guys, putting each of their value as individuals to the cash or energy they could or might not have.
The facts: While you can find, needless to say, many people whom just look for relationships for cash or energy, the fact is that frequently, individuals will prefer to get with a fat guy because they really desire to be with him. This misconception is much less usually placed on thin or “fit” guys, unless of program see your face is famous to own cash or energy. Nonetheless it’s much easier for folks to know two thin or typically appealing individuals being together because they’re drawn to one another than when a skinny or typically attractive individual chooses become by having a fat guy for any other less shallow reasons.
“She’s Fat/Digs Food”: Fat People Just Like Other Fat Individuals
The misconception: Using this misconception, we come across exactly exactly how people try to just simply just take away fat people’s agency. It shows that fat individuals will simply be able to have relationships along with other fat individuals, because they only find other fat people attractive or that’s all they can “get”, in the most brutal of terms whether it’s.
Slipped into this misconception is really a associated fatphobic misconception: that all fat individuals love for eating a large amount of meals, and all sorts of individuals who want to consume food are fat.
The facts: place clearly, the presumption that fat individuals will just look for relationships along with other fat individuals is false. Humans — fat, thin, as well as in between — could be and sometimes are interested in a wide selection of individuals of all size and shapes. To assume that fat individuals will just ever be with fat individuals are at ab muscles least ignorant, if you don’t entirely fatphobic and sizeist.
And also as for the proven fact that fatness is inherently correlated with (over)eating — that’s another myth too.
“She’ll Look Better”: Fat Males Are Ugly
The misconception: All fat males, in accordance with this worldview, are inherently less appealing than just about any partner they might ever have. Such men’s lovers would just utilize them to show up more appealing in comparison. This misconception makes the assumption that, as previously mentioned above, nobody could conceivably maintain a relationship with a fat guy because they’re actually interested in him. Fat individuals are just tools to make their (presumably non-fat) lovers feel more desirable.
The reality: in the same way some individuals might pursue a man that is fat cash or energy, some individuals might just pursue fat guys to look more desirable to others. In fact, though, this is apparently less frequent than this solution could have us think.
I’ll keep saying the purpose, regardless if We appear to be a record that is broken lots of people really find fat guys appealing!
“She’s In Love”
This is the sole truly mocking-free response included in the most truly effective answers in the board. That by itself is illustrative regarding the fatphobia that is entrenched display within the remaining portion of the responses. In addition it is available in at 9/100, which means that out of 100 people surveyed, “She’s in love” had been the clear answer provided by just nine individuals.
Exactly what are fat males viewing likely to consider their health and their well well well worth as people?
He’s Warm/Cuddly”: Fat Men Are Good For Cuddling Although Not Intercourse
The misconception: this will be one particular “positive stereotypes” many of us attempt to used to buttress their blatant bigotry. It’s somewhat similar to statements like “all Asians are smart” or “all homosexual men are trendy and confident.”
Fat men are stereotyped to be hot and cuddly, yet not much else from the side that is“positive” of. As proof of this, one of many game show contestants offered a remedy that wound up maybe not being from the board: that a lady would date a fat guy because he had been good at intercourse. Steve Harvey, in the “comedic” fashion, reacted just as if it was probably the most crazy solution in the entire world, because of the other participants as well as the audience laughing in contract. By doing this, the show promoted the idea that while fat guys can cuddly be warm and, they aren’t to be noticed as intimate beings, let alone “good” at sex.
The facts: the matter with “positive stereotypes” is they anyone that is automatically alienate does not remain in those stereotypes. Worse, they alienate whoever would like to be viewed much more than simply the caricature of themsleves painted by culture.
Truly the only redeeming quality our tradition permits fat guys — if they aren’t rich or effective, rather than also 100% regarding the time — is the fact that they’re like fluffy teddies. While many fat males are certainly “warm and cuddly,for them to see this as their only positive trait” it’s harmful.
Further, just what somebody perceives to be “good” or “bad” at intercourse is generally totally subjective and situated in individual choice. Ridiculing the notion that fat males might be “good” at sex further entrenches fatphobia that is systemic.
“He Won’t Cheat”: Fat Men Are Too Eager For Want To Be Unfaithful
The misconception: Fat men won’t ever cheat on the lovers, the reasoning goes, simply because they wouldn’t do just about anything to destroy the “only sure thing” they will have within their present relationship. This means that, they already know that no one else may wish to be using them.
The facts: To place it bluntly, it is directly incorrect. This dehumanizing survey answer assumes that fatness is inherently correlated with desperation for intimate and intimate attention.
As damning as it can be to acknowledge, fat males are in the same way likely as any kind of males to cheat on the lovers. And many more crucially, this misconception posits that fat males are incredibly ugly, no body would offer them to be able to cheat on the partners, which, once more, can also be drastically wrong to assume.
As with every fables and stereotypes about a small grouping of individuals, these five study responses on Family Feud reveal the blatant human body terrorism fat guys are put through within our tradition.
Despite just just what these fables may have you imagine, fat men’s figures are inherently worthy. They’re also attractive and desirable to a lot of other folks. This truth shouldn’t be so difficult to assume, nevertheless the proven fact that it absolutely was addressed as a result on a tv program illustrates so how profoundly fatphobia has pervaded culture.
As you’re watching this episode angered and disturbed me personally, it is a reminder that individuals have actually substantial work to do to attain any kind of across-the-board degrees of respect for fat individuals. just then will we manage to make these urban myths and any perceptions that are negative to them obsoleted modes of idea as opposed to mostly accepted norms.