The Public Takes a Stand Against Marie Claire Blogger, Maura Kelly's Social Stupidity
November 2, 2010 I came across blogger Maura Kelly's article titled Should Fatties Get a Room (Even on TV?) through an online news feed that reported on the public uproar the article recently caused.
Those who read my blog know that I am not the world's most politically correct person, and those who have a close, "real life" relationship with me know that not only do I sometimes mock people and certain demographics with seething cynicism, but I am also incredibly gifted at mocking people. So much so that a few of my friends have made light comments that I should have pursued comedy or acting. My horrifically awkward experience in grade nine drama class proves that I really do suck at acting, and I really am that talented at mocking people.
However, it's one thing to take a few jabs behind closed doors with your BFFs for therapeutic relief to help you sort out your inner frustrations, and it's another thing to stand on a soapbox and share petty, poorly articulated, degrading shit with the public. It's even worse when you're a long standing, global women's magazine and you publish shallow, high school dribble on your web site for the consumption of a mass audience.
"Smile (if you're not a fattie)!"
Now please spend a moment with me while I rip apart Maura Kelly's asinine article.
First, I find it hilarious that when the boundaries of mainstream media are pushed and formerly ignored demographics are represented through mediums such as television, those representations are suddenly perceived as being socially "promoted" rather than, well, representing this amazing thing some of us call reality. Looking back at the history of television, there was a time when racial minorities were excluded from representation, as were gays, people with disabilities, etc. It's not as though television producers suddenly decided, hey, lets promote black, gay quadriplegics! Everyone should aspire to be black, gay quadriplegics! No. Society progressed and the majority of people overcame these discriminations. It's called "moving on".
Sure, obesity is becoming a problem, particularly in the States, and maybe because I am not regularly around 300 lbs people, I don't have the same, social urgency that some Americans do to jump on the obesity epidemic bandwagon and save all the "fatties" (to quote Kelly) from carbohydrate overdose. Nonetheless, it is becoming more and more irritating to hear skinny people lecture heavier ones about making appropriate nutritional decisions. I know obese people who live healthy lifestyles, seemingly "fit" people who live off of beer and McDonalds, bulimics who are chubby, and people who appear to be of a desirable weight who starve themselves.
As a society we media worship eating disorder queens, such as Lindsay Lohan, who is openly known to drink excessively, snort coke up her nose, and drive while intoxicated, and does so under the guise of being a role model for youth. But when it comes to obese people being represented on television as more than the unfuckable sub character for a more socially adorned main character to reflect their light off of, suddenly people put on their anti-obesity lobbyist uniforms and mask their prejudice under the pretense of advocating for good health.
Why stop at Lindsay? Lets take a look at Nicole a few years back.
Ready?! Here we go!
If this bandwagon was truly about bettering the health of citizens, the focus would be on promoting healthful lifestyles and the esteems of all people, not ostracisizing the "fatties", or referring to them as disgusting, or implying that they do not deserve physical affection, or, well, even to be loved. And while these anti-fat lobbyists look down at others from their high horses of health fanaticism, they evidently fail to make the connection that by degrading certain demographics and instigating self hatred among these groups, or possibly all people who struggle with body image, they are in no way, shape, or form advocating for the health or happiness of these people.
What irks me the most about Maura Kelly's article is that it not only resembles the ignorant silliness of a couple of snooty, teen girls conversing within a high school locker room (and it bares her own body image insecurities in the most embarrassing, What an Asshole way imaginable), but the painful fact that this woman was paid to write it. She was hired by an international magazine based on her writing skills and she now has a career as a writer.
She writes things and people read them.
This simple reality makes me wonder if I am stuck in the twilight zone. Or possibly even Hell.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the art of writing to explore controversial topics-- in my eyes, that's what the power of writing is all about. But I also believe that being a gifted writer is about having something valuable to say. Not only was Maura Kelly's article disorganized in its architecture and poorly written (heroin and heroine are two very different things, Maura), but it also failed to communicate any sort of point, or even express properly conceptualized thoughts. Instead, the author threw together a collage of unsubstantiated personal prejudices, a few politically correct lines in attempt to excuse her unsubstantiated prejudices, and conflicting, hypocritical statements that painted her as nothing more than an air head. She failed to share educated or diverse view points, nor did she offer any deeper insights or wisdoms. Girlfriend "flat lined". And by flat lined, I mean sucked, which leaves me wondering how the hell she scored the writing position she currently has. If Maura Kelly has more education than a high school diploma, I'd like to know what post-secondary institutes she graduated from so I can make sure to never send my children there.
(Side note: I found this link and apparently she earned a psychology degree from Dartmouth-- evidence that even obstacles like stupidity can be overcome with persistence. Also evidence that it is possible to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree and retain absolutely no information.)
Media literacy is incredibly important in this day and age, and it's an uncomfortable notion to have media illiterate, social political dumb-dumbs assuming the role of representative experts like Maura Kelly. And while I will never weigh a woman's worth on whether or not she is in a relationship with a man, I also will never take social advice from a single, post-anorexic, Marie Claire blogger who lists the statuses of her friends' careers in her online bio and publicly refers to people as "fatties". I'd rather take relationship advice from a pug dog.
I mean a fat pug dog.
Dennis Quaid was spotted carrying his Pug into its therapist's office where it was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and a chakra realignment, a result of being exposed to Maura Kelly's shittiness.
With the uprising of blogging and self publishing in general it seems as though the standard of written works being promoted within the online sphere is eroding. I stumble across copious amounts of nonsensical, poorly written shit on the Internet every week, and the only reason Maura Kelly's article stood out is because it is so undeniably degrading towards its target audience. On a positive note, the national backlash this teeny article has earned, including the thousands of insightful and educated responses people have shared proves that there are many, and I repeat many people out there better suited to do her job, and that we, the consumers, are empowered to make choices, speak our minds, and demand a higher standard of written content on the web.
The greatest lesson to be learned by Maura Kelly's social stupidity is that there is no value in perpetrating shallow perspectives or promoting narrow, discriminatory ideals as to who and what people should be. When taking a glance at our mainstream media culture, one could conclude that being a shallow asshole and advocating for aesthetic perfection is, indeed, in vogue, but the backlash that this article ignited proves that, overall, the majority of consumers aren't buying what assholes like Maura Kelly are selling. And that, my friends, makes me want to share a round of high-fives.
Marie Claire, Maura Kelly, beauty ideals, body image in rant, review
Reader Comments (6)
"She struggled with anorexia growing up and credits the psychologists who worked with her for helping her to overcome the disorder. She was so thankful to her psychologists that she decided to major in psychology at Dartmouth so she could one day help others in the same way.
Upon graduation, Kelly reread Catcher in the Rye and decided that being a psychologist no longer appealed to her and what she really wanted to do was write a book that would "make people feel less alone in the world." "
What a flighty bitch. And you're 100% right about the situation, but I'm still not going to watch Mike and Molly. Not because they're fat, but because it looks stupid and shitty.
Amen! This blog response to Maura Kelly's article sums up exactly how I feel and expresses it far more eloquently than I ever could. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Flighty bitches exasperate me, Twitch. But at least they're super fun to mock. And haha, yeah, can't say I'll be watching it either. The only television network I am on friendly viewing terms with is AMC.
Crystal: Super glad you dug the post and could relate. HIGH-FIVES, SISTER FRIEND.
HIGH FIVE to YOU! I like what you say and I like the way you say it!
^_^
Hmmmm
Hey! I am back in the blogosphere once again. I have a new blog now. I started writing a comment on here but it got bigger and bigger and eventually I thought I'd take you up on that link 'My response is on my own website'. I hope you are well and look forward to reading your blog again. -Kat