WHAT WE'RE ABOUT
We are constantly redefining our own perspectives, and therefore tend to write a lot about our personal experiences. Many followers and contributors are living with anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder, depression, and a variety of other body image disorders or mental illnesses, so please be respectful and remember that health applies differently to everyone. Any and all potentially triggering content will be prefaced with a trigger warning.
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We are not health professionals. Any and all advice provided on this blog is supported only by our own research, studies, and personal experiences; nothing more.
This blog is part of the Safe Space Network.
Some of my work from the last 4 months or so.
Edit: It should also be noted that all messaging has been written by me, aside from “me-sponsible” - If anyone knows the source of that quote let me know, I never did find out where it came from.
bilt2tumble reblogged your photo: “Fat” is an adjective - not an insult. »»…
And, can we talk about the…. Obsfucation generally encountered when a fat person is trying to convay ANYTHING regarding their experience? Really? Really?!! The meaning behind the original post is SO confusing, it’s SO VERY obtuse that people just CAN NOT figure out what the OP is trying to say (or it’s just flat-out wrong).
Or is it that they don’t WANT to hear it?
I can honestly say, in my YEARS of internet experiance, that I’ve seen maybe a handful submissions / posts / entries / articles ANYWHERE regarding Fat Acceptance where some idiot hasn’t chimed in pointlessly to ask for a specific definitiion. Or to go on about how INCORRECT some granular element of a concept, statement or argument regarding Fat Acceptance, Body Acceptence, HAES, the absolute definition of ‘health’, or the absolute definition of the WORD ‘diet’ is (often with no more basis than someones opinion). So the whole thing must be invalid.
And then, of course, an explanation of no-less than 500 words MUST be submitted by the OP for minute examination so that something else wrong might be found with what they’re trying to say.
It all starts to become rather obvious that they have no interest in the actual message and are just looking for ways to distract from it or obscure it entirely. And then people wonder why, when perhaps sincere questions are asked, the Questioners are oftern met with exasperation or hardy rounds of ‘DIY’ or ‘It’s not my JOB to educate you’. Wanna blame someone? Blame the nitpickers and the electron microscope equiped, logic-go-round Folks. They don’t WANT to get it. But, rather than going on their merry way, they’d rather waste YOUR time with bullshit and psudointellectual crap. To show you how impressive they are. And how wrong YOU are. No matter how stupid their arguments actually are.
Welcome to the Internet, I guess.
Seriously. SERIOUSLY.
Thank you for saying all of this, you pretty much just described my constant life struggle.
^yes. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s a noun that people use as an adjective. Like that phrase “I’m not fat, I HAVE fat”“Fat” is an adjective - not an insult.
Erm… Words used as insults generally ARE adjectives… and just about every other type of word. Like Nouns, etc o.O It’s all in how you USE the word that MAKES it an insult. I could make PUDDING an insult if I wanted to. Or Plates, or Pants, or Cookies.
I get what you’re saying, this was just a rather illogical way to put it that doesn’t make sense to me.
A lot of people seem to be getting lost on the logistics of this message, which is in part due to the vague way in which I presented it, but I like it that way.
So okay, let’s look at the definition of the word “adjective”:
To get to the quick, an adjective is a describing word.
An insult is not a describing word.
An adjective, along with the right tone, can be spewed at someone as an insult - just as the word “fat” is most often used as an insult (ie. “stupid” “lazy” “unhealthy”) rather than a word to describe one’s body or presence.
Through this statement, I had hoped to propose that we focus on what “fat” DESCRIBES and focus less on what it may or may not IMPLY. Strip away all the negative implications of the word and what are you left with? A word that simply describes.
Yes, of course it is also a noun, bodies HAVE fat, healthy bodies have fat, fat is a thing, I KNOW THESE THINGS. But that’s not the point.
A person should feel free to DESCRIBE and DEFINE themselves as a FAT PERSON without inadvertently “putting themselves down”.
“Fat” is an adjective - not an insult.
So. I designed and impulsively posted this message last night within a 2 hour span, then promptly fell into a fabulous fatty slumber.
I had no idea upon waking this morning that it would have spawned nearly 1,000 notes overnight, but I anticipated a clear divide between those who see the truth in the message and those who reblog it simply to refute it - or to give me what they probably felt was a welcome lesson on the finer points of grammar.
As with my past viral messaging experiments, I made a bold statement and left the message up to the viewer to project their own perspective and experiences onto.
But at the same time, the design is evocative of what I believe. It is my personal perspective. It is my experience.
The image I used is a photo of my own body. My fat belly. My stretch marks. Me.
Yes, I am aware is is not SIMPLY an adjective.
Yes, I am aware that the word “fat” is multidimensional.
Let’s take a closer look at the dictionary definition of the word, to reiterate the fact that I am not fucking illiterate.
Bottom line - Fat is many things.
I choose to use it as a word to define and describe my body in a positive way.
I aim to strip the negative connotations that continually weigh the word down as a descriptor.
That was my purpose behind this message.
If you don’t understand this purpose, then consider it.
If you don’t agree with this purpose, then this message is clearly not for you.
If you agree with this purpose, then please spread it - and explain why you agree.
——
I’d like to address some initial responses I’ve found in the notes that I find either intriguing or amusing. Reading into the feedback that stems from putting my messages out there like this is always such a learning experience.
THIS IS THE MOST STUPID THING I’VE EVER READ.
“Adjecive” and “insult” are not mutually exclusive, god damn it.
In fact, insults are usually adjectives. Occasionally a noun. But mostly adjectives.
Learn grammar. It helps.
Thank you for the grammar lesson and for missing the point entirely.
What? NO!
Fat is a noun. It is a substance. It is something you HAVE, not something you ARE.
It does not define you.
It is something that defines you if you choose to use it that way - and I do. Not as an insult, but as a positive descriptor. I have an abundance of fat on my body. I am fat. This word empowers me. When it is used as an insult against me, it no longer has any effect on me. That is the power we have over owning words, our bodies, and ourselves.
SERIOUSLY!!!! THIS!!! SO MUCH!!!
I hate it when I call myself fat and people are like “don’t be so hard on yourself”. I’M SERIOUSLY NOT! I’M FAT! I DON’T GIVE A FUCK! Guess why? BECAUSE I KNOW I’M FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!!! I JUST WEIGH MORE THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON OF MY HEIGHT, AND I’D RATHER SAY THE WORD ‘FAT’ THAN THAT WHOLE SENTENCE. SO FUCK YOU.
Thank you for sharing an experience that aligns with my intent.
the why do i feel akward and search for another word everytime i think about it?
Because the word carries with it a lot of negative baggage. It makes people feel uncomfortable. It’s time to consider the fact that the negative baggage can be removed, the more we use the word within a positive context.
I would even go so far as to say it is a noun, not an adjective :)
You HAVE fat, YOU are not fat.
Yes, a body contains fat. When a body contains a certain amount of fat, a person may consider defining themselves as fat. We have the power to describe and define ourselves.
This word lose its “power” when we realize that our weight can’t define us…
In my experience, the moment I stopped letting my weight define me in a NEGATIVE way was the moment I decided to use the word “fat” to define my weight and my body in a POSITIVE way. My weight does not define me, my health, or my worth - but it is a part of my identity, an external aspect of my character, and I find nothing wrong with using it in that way.
——
Sometimes I think perhaps I should include a description of my intent along with these things - but then, where is the fun in that? :3
Thank you, all.
Haley
“Weight does not dictate…” poster was featured on the Hips and Curves facebook wall! Am a huge H&C fan, have bought plenty of their lovely lingerie and am quite honored. Just wish the health trolls would gtfo.
Working on a mini-poster series to go along with my digital installation. This one features a bit of Miss Natalie’s body narrative.
They’re meant to be viewed side by side, in a line. Still needs some work. Hoping to do 3 more.