Fat News Anchor Whines About Being Called Fat, Is Celebrated

[Max]

Firstly, you can bully someone in private. You don't need an audience to accomplish that. lol

Secondly, she didn't call the author of the letter out by name. He/She maintains their anonymity. They may feel butthurt that got to use her platform to address the comments, but she didn't call him a fat slob that shouldn't be seen in public because little Tiffany may think obesity is okay (regardless of peer pressures in school saying otherwise) goes on a twinkie binge.

I, personally, didn't see it as whining. The person in the letter was being a complete asshole. "I don't watch your show, but I was channel surfing and saw your fat ass and had to say something." Who does that? She reports the news, she's not out endorsing an unhealthy body type. She also stated that she has had kids, which many people gain weight from and not everyone loses. We don't know if she has a legit medical/hormonal issue. She doesn't even look unhealthy. I'm a gay guy, but I think she's rather attractive, and very well spoken. The later I'd think would be more important that whether someone is 15 lbs over the average ideal weight. People can be slightly heavy and still be considered healthy. Shocker, I know. It's not like she's 500 lbs and unable to get out of her bed to take a shit in the toilet. People make unhealthy decisions everyday (bulimia, anorexia, etc.) in an attempt to fit the image of "healthy" and "attractive." If people are going to call her a role model, than imo she did exactly what a role model should have done.

I guarantee you if it was someone like Kate Upton were giving the news, that person wouldn't have wrote a letter complaining that little girls are going to be shoving their fingers down their throats and asking their parents for boob jobs because of how she looks.

[TheFeniX]

saying someone isn't being a good role model isn't. Or do you want to take issue with all the "bullies" telling Obama he should stop smoking, because he's not being a good role model?

Not only is "role models" a dumb argument, it's also not really the "bullying." That said, bullying is a vague concept to begin with, but it usually requires the inability to remove yourself from the asswipes saying stupid shit.

It's unusual that I see your morning show, but I did so for a very short time today. I was surprised indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn't improved for many years. Surely you don't consider yourself a suitable example for this community's young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain. I leave you this note hoping that you'll reconsider your responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a healthy lifestyle.

2 hilarious value judgements and the idiotic notion of "role-models." Props for grammar and punctuation. There's quite a bit of difference between "don't be fat/smoke because it's bad for you" and "don't be fat/smoke because you're a terrible person for doing so. Get off my TV fatty."

I'll let Livingston make my point:

I think [the obesity talk is] a good conversation to have. I think his approach is totally inappropriate. I have never gone in public and said I am the shining example of what your health should be ... My job is to come out, cover stories, deliver the news ... when you attack somebody on a level that is personal, it's not fair. I don't care that I'm in the public eye, it's not fair. ...

[Havok]

If he'd called her a fat bitch or something I could understand, but this is clearly just a fat bitch bully who doesn't like criticism, even if it's valid.

Do we get to call women bitches around here?

Yes.

Sorry, as a fatty myself, I agree with Flagg. I mean seriously, this woman gets one private letter not calling her names, or even being mean, but questioning an unhealthy life style that the woman obviously hasn't made an effort to change... and do not give me it's too fucking hard bullshit... and she gets to use public airtime to defend herself in the name of bullying? Gimme a break.

The fact that she took a stand shows she thinks she is a role model and that is someone that people in her community look up to, so maybe she should take into consideration what the letter says.

[Eleas]

• It's obvious she's not a bully. She's not attacking someone and was, in fact, attacked for daring to speak up in her own defense. That people strain to ignore this because of body image issues is regrettable, but it doesn't affect the point.
• It's a gender issue as well. She's not being attacked with such vitriol merely for being fat. She's being attacked for being a fat woman with the gall to exist on the screen. I mean, don't you know how disgusting that is? Like a Victorian-era woman with a visible pregnancy, she should be terribly ashamed of herself (I predict this statement will be attacked, but not understood).
• The fact that she took a stand does not mean she thinks she's a "role model". That's idiocy. It merely means she's got spine enough to question the oh so self-evident right of anonymous assholes to dictate what a woman should look like to dare walk about in public.

[Terralthra]

[*] It's a gender issue as well. She's not being attacked with such vitriol merely for being fat. She's being attacked for being a fat woman with the gall to exist on the screen. I mean, don't you know how disgusting that is? Like a Victorian-era woman with a visible pregnancy, she should be terribly ashamed of herself (I predict this statement will be attacked, but not understood).

I admit to not understanding it. Where exactly do you get that she was attacked because she was a woman? Is there some hidden portion of the e-mail that said "p.s. I'm only saying this because you're not a man"?

[Eleas]

[*] It's a gender issue as well. She's not being attacked with such vitriol merely for being fat. She's being attacked for being a fat woman with the gall to exist on the screen. I mean, don't you know how disgusting that is? Like a Victorian-era woman with a visible pregnancy, she should be terribly ashamed of herself (I predict this statement will be attacked, but not understood).

I admit to not understanding it. Where exactly do you get that she was attacked because she was a woman? Is there some hidden portion of the e-mail that said "p.s. I'm only saying this because you're not a man"?

Count the number of incidences of people being attacked in this manner for not measuring up. You will find an overwhelming preponderance of these attacks being made against women and just about none against a man. When the fuck was the last time someone trotted out the tired old "role model" bullshit against a male TV anchor for a body-related issue? When was he lambasted for his lack of toned abs and for failing to wear proper makeup? It's highly gendered. People simply assume they're entitled to decide what women should look like in public.

But that wasn't the point of the Victorian-era allusion. The point of that was to note that this type of bullshit is a pattern of social control that's been around for a very long time.

[mr friendly guy]

I have a suggestion. Television personalities shouldn't be role models just because they are on television. Ta dah. Thus attacking her for not being a good role model because she is fat is bullshit.

[Eleas]

I have a suggestion. Television personalities shouldn't be role models just because they are on television. Ta dah. Thus attacking her for not being a good role model because she is fat is bullshit.

Agreed. Problem is, I think it's just a smokescreen. The sentiment seems awfully close to "think of the children!": if you shout it loudly enough, it's not necessary to justify why the children should be considered in the first place.

[Terralthra]

[*] It's a gender issue as well. She's not being attacked with such vitriol merely for being fat. She's being attacked for being a fat woman with the gall to exist on the screen. I mean, don't you know how disgusting that is? Like a Victorian-era woman with a visible pregnancy, she should be terribly ashamed of herself (I predict this statement will be attacked, but not understood).

I admit to not understanding it. Where exactly do you get that she was attacked because she was a woman? Is there some hidden portion of the e-mail that said "p.s. I'm only saying this because you're not a man"?

Count the number of incidences of people being attacked in this manner for not measuring up. You will find an overwhelming preponderance of these attacks being made against women and just about none against a man. When the fuck was the last time someone trotted out the tired old "role model" bullshit against a male TV anchor for a body-related issue? When was he lambasted for his lack of toned abs and for failing to wear proper makeup? It's highly gendered. People simply assume they're entitled to decide what women should look like in public.

Yes, that trend exists, for sure, but that doesn't imply the intention you imputed on the letter-writer's part. Also, you have no idea how many male news anchors have been rebuked in this manner because it was an anonymous private letter. Unless they reveal they've received it (as she did), you have no idea what the incidence is.

[Vendetta]

[*] It's a gender issue as well. She's not being attacked with such vitriol merely for being fat. She's being attacked for being a fat woman with the gall to exist on the screen. I mean, don't you know how disgusting that is? Like a Victorian-era woman with a visible pregnancy, she should be terribly ashamed of herself (I predict this statement will be attacked, but not understood).

I admit to not understanding it. Where exactly do you get that she was attacked because she was a woman? Is there some hidden portion of the e-mail that said "p.s. I'm only saying this because you're not a man"?

The email would much less likely be sent at all to a man.

[Eleas]

Yes, that trend exists, for sure, but that doesn't imply the intention you imputed on the letter-writer's part. Also, you have no idea how many male news anchors have been rebuked in this manner because it was an anonymous private letter. Unless they reveal they've received it (as she did), you have no idea what the incidence is.

I imputed no conscious intention of the letter-writer at all. What I'm talking of is an assumption, a pattern that is well-established throughout Western culture: we see it with women in televised sports (where body shape/attractiveness takes precedence over actual ability), in politics ("so you're a politician? wow, that sweater looks so nice on you"), in nerd culture ("wow, a girl gamer, I'd fuck her!"), and in a thousand other places. That was what I was talking about when I mentioned incidence: this cultural entitlement for males to dictate to females how their bodies should be shaped, something you already agreed on at the beginning of your post. You then base your objection on a need for omniscience, i.e. "we don't know there's not an invisible pink unicorn dictating these things, which must mean there could be thousands", and that's frankly unreasonable.

[Broomstick]

Yes, that trend exists, for sure, but that doesn't imply the intention you imputed on the letter-writer's part. Also, you have no idea how many male news anchors have been rebuked in this manner because it was an anonymous private letter. Unless they reveal they've received it (as she did), you have no idea what the incidence is.

Funny, though - a nationally known male news anchor who for years was obese to morbidly obese on air stated he had never received any such letter/e-mail/communication from a viewer.

This goes along with people who assume she only received just this letter... she never stated it was the only one. For all you know she receives such things on a regular basis. Or maybe she doesn't.

The mere fact people struggle so hard to second guess and dismiss any alternative to the notion she's being unreasonable just further illustrates that their minds are set and nothing will dissuade them. How dare the fatty speak up!

[Tiriol]

My gut instinct tells me that the news anchor reveived this letter due to her gender, since for some reason it is worse for a woman to be overweight than for a man. However, are there statistics or studies about people's reactions to weight in different genders? This might help in determining whether her gender was a likely factor.

[Eleas]

My gut instinct tells me that the news anchor reveived this letter due to her gender, since for some reason it is worse for a woman to be overweight than for a man. However, are there statistics or studies about people's reactions to weight in different genders? This might help in determining whether her gender was a likely factor.

It's a good question, but I'd modify it slightly: it's not that it's worse for women to be overweight, it's that it's worse for women to be considered ugly. Men's sexiness aren't judged by their bodies to the extent that this is true for women, and the acceptable variation in appearance to be considered attractive is wider for men than it is for women. So the question becomes, are there statistics or studies about people's reaction to perceived attractiveness in different genders (in the context of public appearance)?

And I'm going to have to check on that.

[chitoryu12]

There's a difference between "being human" and letting kids think it's ok to be a walking cetacean.

Because kids are going to see an overweight news anchor and think "Hm, I want to be just like her! Better go pork up so I can look like my role model, a minor newscaster from Wisconsin!"

If you're using random local news anchors as the role model for your life just because "They're on TV, therefore they're important", you have a bigger problem than worrying about them being fat.

[Havok]

As I said, obviously this woman thinks that her television appearances have some influence and effect on her local community as she took the airtime to do what she did.

Sorry society doesn't work the way you want it to Chity, but for the most part 'TV Personality=Role model'. News anchors even more so because they are trusted.

Now the question is, how many little girls are sitting around watching the news anymore? Probably not many, but the point still stands.

And honestly, you are all making assumptions of why this person wrote this letter. For all we know she has a daughter or a friend has a daughter who was gaining weight or didn't want to run in gym class or whatever and when someone said you don't want to get fat or unhealthy she pointed out the newslady as an example of it being OK.

[Havok]

Also, why is everyone assuming that it was a male that wrote this letter? I haven't seen or read anything that indicates it was.

And rereading what Flagg quoted in the OP... man... "scolding" "cruel" I don't think the person writing the article has ever seen proper bullyinng.

[D.Turtle]

Do we get to call women bitches around here?

Cut the back-seat moderating.

[TheFeniX]

Sorry society doesn't work the way you want it to Chity, but for the most part 'TV Personality=Role model'. News anchors even more so because they are trusted.

Oh man. The Hilarity. The hilarity burns. No one (rightfully) gives a shit about news anchors which are little more than breathing "text-to-speech" programs. It says something when a (albeit awesome) comedian is one of the most trusted "news persons."

Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but you seem to be implying that being overweight would make her unfit to be a role-model at all because she needs to be trustworthy. Fat people can't be trustworthy?

Now the question is, how many little girls are sitting around watching the news anymore? Probably not many, but the point still stands.

Even if your whole "role-model" idea held any weight, you also make the assumption that someone who has issues in one area of their life can't be a role-model. After-all, Tiger Woods would be a great role-model to help get black children interested in Golf or even any sport that society somehow deems "white." But he likely wouldn't be a good spokesperson for fidelity.

[Simon_Jester]

Which is more damaging, the sight of a fat woman, or the routine practice of it being socially accepted for people to randomly mail women letters making fun of their weight and telling them they should resign in disgrace for being fat?

The former sounds like a pretty bullshit type of 'harm.' The latter sounds creepy and stalkerish.

[Havok]

Sorry society doesn't work the way you want it to Chity, but for the most part 'TV Personality=Role model'. News anchors even more so because they are trusted.

Oh man. The Hilarity. The hilarity burns. No one (rightfully) gives a shit about news anchors which are little more than breathing "text-to-speech" programs. It says something when a (albeit awesome) comedian is one of the most trusted "news persons."

Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but you seem to be implying that being overweight would make her unfit to be a role-model at all because she needs to be trustworthy. Fat people can't be trustworthy?

Now the question is, how many little girls are sitting around watching the news anymore? Probably not many, but the point still stands.

Even if your whole "role-model" idea held any weight, you also make the assumption that someone who has issues in one area of their life can't be a role-model. After-all, Tiger Woods would be a great role-model to help get black children interested in Golf or even any sport that society somehow deems "white." But he likely wouldn't be a good spokesperson for fidelity.

People don't trust Geraldo Rivera? WHAT?!
Fine, they aren't trusted anymore. How does that disprove the main point that "TV Personalities=Role models" whether we like it or not?

And you aren't just reading too much into it, you are a complete idiot for even trying to make that connection.

And newsflash dickweed, I didn't say she was a role model. Why don't you try reading what I wrote before jumping in with both inept halves of your brain. I said that she clearly views herself as someone people listen to as she took the time to do what she did in the name of something. She obviously considers herself a role-model and that the reality is that people in general consider TV personalities role models.

[Havok]

Which is more damaging, the sight of a fat woman, or the routine practice of it being socially accepted for people to randomly mail women letters making fun of their weight and telling them they should resign in disgrace for being fat?

The former sounds like a pretty bullshit type of 'harm.' The latter sounds creepy and stalkerish.

PLEASE point out where this person 'makes fun' of the newsanchor's weight. PLEASE show where she was asked to resign. PLEASE show where this was a ROUTINE letter.

If you can't, and you can't, then kindly shut the fuck up and concede the bullshit argument you are trying to make.

[spaceviking]

I think it is worth noting that the very fact that she was able to go on camera and bash the letter writer is a sign of fat acceptance. Was the writer being a douche bag? Probably. However, if we replace seen on television being fat with seen in public smoking, she would be going on camera to apologize for her behavior.

[Jub]

I'd be willing to bet that a male news anchor getting this same letter would bin it with all the other stupid mail he gets if he didn't flat out make fun of the person who sent it to him. This woman took it as a personal affront and made it an issue. You insult a man, he deals with your directly or he ignores it; you insult a woman and all of a sudden her whole clique is henpecking you.

EDIT: YMMV with this, but when I work in places where the majority of the staff are women I find the politics tend to be worse than in a shop full of guys.

[Havok]

Don't be a sexist douche Jub. I mean, obviously too late, but at least try. Fucking idiot.

The issue to me isn't man/woman, it's fat. Being overweight is BAD it is bad for your health, physically and mentally, it causes society to have to change for something it shouldn't have to, it adds to our medical burdens.

People are fat for only a few reasons, medical, lazy or overeating. Outside of the medical issues, which can range from a fucked up ankle to completely psychological issues, the other two are life choices that you have to actively maintain to stay fat.

Am I going to punch someone in the face if they give me shit about being fat? Yes. At the end of the day do I know it is 100% my fault? Absolutely.