Oh Happy Day Contest!

I entered this contest to win a trip for 2 to Paris!

Oh Happy Day Goes to Paris

“Huge” Hit: A Brief Overview of TV’s Hottest New Fat Camp Drama

When I first heard a few months ago that ABC Family was planning to create a series about overweight teenagers and their trials and tribulations at fat camp, I was honestly intrigued. While I was wary of how easily a show like that might dip into stereotypes, I also remained excited by the prospect of television’s first all-plus-size cast. It could offer audiences not just the single episode weight-related B-storyline of the token fat friend, but a breadth of narrative possibilities to showcase heavy people as human beings and not just “fatties.” Heck, I was even considering sending in an audition tape. Sure, the title leaves something to be desired – (Huge isn’t exactly endearing in this context) – I reasoned to myself that it’s probably also a reference to “huge” self-esteem or some other bull shit.

Back! (With a Big, Fat Vengeance!)

Hello Dear Readers,

After a three year hiatus, Calculating the Curvature (formerly known only as Fat Feminism) is back to continue taking on body image, weight, and womanhood in the pop cultural zeitgeist. I’ve had three years to grow up, reevaluate my perspective of body image, and understand my own feminism, and now I’m ready to set my sites on the current fluctuations of weight consciousness in media. In the next coming weeks I am going to tackle the recent attention the fashion world has been paying to plus-size modeling (including the controversy surrounding model Crystal Renn), television’s new focus on fat (from weight-loss reality shows to the new teen drama Huge), and spotlighting full-figured celebrities and their roles in Fighting the Good Fight. I look forward to renewing this challenge and engaging in some dialogue with all of you out there soon! In the meantime, check out my new Twitter page, CalculatingCurv.

Much love,

Robyn

Why I Love Beth Ditto, Vol. #2

Um, because she’s fab.

Well, besides that, of course.

So here’s reason number two in my ongoing series about Beth Ditto and the reasons why I adore her:

She is this month’s NME Magazine’s cover girl.

So, did I mention she’s naked on this cover?

Beth has got chutzpah!

American Idle?

Jordin Sparks is NOT obese, thank you very much.

This clip I found courtesy of The Superficial makes me absolutely sick with disgust.

Now, it is usually The Superificial that pushes my buttons, but this time, they’re right on the money. The blog reads:

“Fox News brought in the most batshit crazy woman in the world to call the American Idol winner Jordan Sparks obese. I’m all for making fun of people but this bitch is out of her mind. I defy you to sit through this without wanting to punch the woman in the throat.”

I must say, I agree! Views this segment, entitled “Skinny Over Singing? – Should Physicial Size Factor into Who Wins ‘American Idol’?”:

Courtney’s Lovely Lady Lumps (or Lack Thereof)

Courtney Love used to be fat.

And to be honest, she looked great in my opinion. I mean, she didn’t always wear the most body-appropriate clothing when she was heavy, but she still looked much healthier than she did before. She’s a very beautiful woman (I don’t care what people have to say about her antics, beauty is beauty) and the extra weight on her figure added to her good looks. Before she put on the weight, she was heavily into drugs, making her look emaciated and strung-out.

Why I Love Beth Ditto, Vol. #1

This shall be the first post in an ongoing series about Beth Ditto, or namely, the reasons why I love her.

Beth Ditto, if you are unaware, is the lead singer of the band indie queercore band, The Gossip. She is a talented singer, an advocate for gay rights, and an atypical sex symbol. The woman is just fab.

So, reason #1:

Because she does stuff like this.

Lily Allen’s Cry for Help

Breaking news courtesy of my man Perez.

According to this blog entry she posted this past weekend on her official MySpace page, it seems as though Miss Allen is in desperate need of help.

She writes:

Saturday, May 12, 2007

fat, ugly and shitter than winehouse

that is all i am, im on my own in america again. I used to pride myself on being strong minded and not being some stupid girl obsessed with the way I look. I felt like it didnt matter if I was a bit chubby cause, im not a model, I’m a singer. Im afraid I am not strong and have fallen victim to the evil machine. I write to you in a sea of tears from my hotel bed in Seattle, I have spent the past hour researching gastric bypass surgery, and laser lipo suction.

Spock Does Fat

Thanks to Ajaramillo of Girlpower + 1 for pointing out this interesting New York Times article to me about Leonard Nimoy’s

new photography collection featuring fat women posing nude.

Nimoy’s “Full Body Project” presents a little over a dozen black-and-white photographs of plus-size women prancing about in the nude (and one of them wearing sexy corsets.) It’s a tad exploitative (I mean, using any group of people for art like this is technically exploiting them for their “interesting features”), though it’s not nearly as extreme as Gaultier’s fat faux pas last October considering that the motivations behind this endeavor were so much more benevolent than the fashion designer’s.

And to be honest, I’m not even really offended by the fatsploitation. More power to it, I say! These photos are just too beautiful to take any sort of umbrage with. Take a look:

Old Navy, Old Schmavy

As many of you may have heard, Old Navy recently decided to stop carrying its Women’s Plus line in stores, instead opting to make it only available online. (Scroll down the link page for story.)

So, what to make of this?

Well, the first thing I thought was, “Ugh. That’s annoying.”

What I didn’t think, however, was that this was some defeat for the underdogs in the “War Against Fat”, or whatever certain members of Fat Acceptence movement are calling it.

In fact, I really don’t think this has anything to do with fat acceptance or fat discrimination or sizism as all.

I think it’s about, like all else in the world, money.