Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
Do not, under any circumstances, miss our own James Lileks ferociously and mercilessly taking down Nanny Bloomberg. A taste, as it were, from his Lileks.com:
Let's get one thing clear: when the TV talk-show people lavish praise on the idea, it has nothing to do with some abstract notion of the costs of obesity. They just don’t like fat people. Fat people, at best, are a rebuke their own finicky vanity - I look good, why can’t you? - and at the worst, aesthetically unpleasant. If they all went away, the trim pert types woudl miss them after a while, and realize that people no longer came pre-packaged in a style that made them easy to dismiss.
A thin woman with three children by three men who can't get by is an object of concern. A fat women with two kids who can't get by is a toad, and probably a smoker.
As I said: don't miss it.
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Comments:
Aug '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
I just read it before I came here. It's absolutely perfect. One of those "I wish I'd written it" pieces.
Edited on June 5, 2012 at 9:43pmMar '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
The counter-argument is that peer pressure and ridicule are much more effective and less tyrannical tools against obesity than a soda ban.
Give the nanny-staters credit for this: they have managed to transform the party of personal responsibility into staunch defenders of those who have lost control over a good portion of their own well-being.
Sep '10
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
I await the condemnation of the cannibals in our midst for consuming unhealthy, uncooked human flesh.
Feb '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
I don’t think Lileks’ “they don’t like fat people” explanation is at all plausible.
I think the explanation is that folks like Bloomberg have developed a kind of second-nature habit of trying to fix other people. This habit is a result of politics, and I rather expect that Bloomberg would do exactly the same thing even if he were overweight.
Nov '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
As one who doesn't - and will never - fit the "body beautiful" mode: "Thank you" to James and Drew!
Jul '10
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
FREE FAT
May '10
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
There is actually another angle to this story, courtesy of Reason.
Yes, Bloomberg is a nanny fussbudget elitist. But the real story goes back to Michelle Obama's obesity campaign. Bloomberg had actually put together a plan to block food stamp (now the electronic SNAP) recipients from using our money to buy candy and soda pop instead of black beans and brown rice. The request was turned down flat by Obama's DoA because it nisn't right for us to give people free money and then tell them they can't waste it or do harm to themselves with it.
So Bloomberg went to a ban on the products instead.
Mar '12
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
My favorite part:
Mar '12
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
I don't know, maybe we're being too rigidly libertarian about this. In the spirit of hand-across the aisle, why don't we suggest that Major Bloomberg initiate weigh-ins at New York City's welfare offices? Food stamps, by definition are harmful to those already overweight, no? And taxpayer - subsidized housing almost certainly has couches, Lazy-boy chairs and other such harmful devices, no doubt designed by the Man to keep the good people down. On the other hand, I rarely see obese homeless; life on the streets could be regarded as late moderne caveman. Since Bloomberg is citing obesity costs to the welfare state, maybe this gives us the opening to get him to eliminate direct welfare; it's fattening!
Aug '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
The first lady applauds the ban. But not this specific ban in this specific way. Only generally, so as to avoid blowback. But if you like the ban, then Michelle Obama wants you to know that she does, too. But if you don't like the ban (as, apparently, 65% of us don't) then she wants you to know that she's against such laws, kind of, sort of. Wink wink.
Edited on June 5, 2012 at 11:31pmFeb '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
Am I the only member here who finds the following remark offensive?
(Just kidding!)
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
Totally inadvertent! I know better than to cross you, Mama. ;)
Feb '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
Thank you. I am mollified (I hope that doesn't upset one of our editors...)
Edited on June 6, 2012 at 1:12amJan '11
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
A: People are fat. So, the Dallas Cowboys should be empowered to take away people’s drinks.
B: No they shouldn’t.
A: But people are FAT!
- - - - - -
A: People are fat. So, the Catholic Church should be empowered to take away people’s drinks.
B: No they shouldn’t.
A: But people are FAT!
- - - - - -
A: People are fat. So, the cast of Glee! should be empowered to take away people’s drinks.
B: No they shouldn’t.
A: But people are FAT!
- - - - - -
A: People are fat. So, the United Nations should be empowered to take away people’s drinks.
B: No they shouldn’t.
A: But people are FAT!
- - - - - -
Just because there’s a problem doesn’t mean that any group can step up and assume authority.
But if you answered … “Yeah, but government is supposed to fix this problem” …
… then we’ve come to the heart of the issue.
Mar '12
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
Mama: (Mouthing words silently) "We thought you was a Toad."
Apr '12
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
There's a reason so many folks came to Ricochet because Mr. Lileks said it would be good.
Since you're here.... *waves* Thank you so much! Your site was either the first or second one I read when I got out of bootcamp and was finally able to visit web sites again!
Re: Lileks Demands the Right to be Fat
Thank you, Fox - for your service! (and the patronage.)