I have been stopping myself of writing about this but... today was enough. Why did I try to censor myself, against all WAS rules and regulations? It comes too close to home but... fuck it.
I was notified of a billboard/mesh somewhere hot and sunny which is pissing me off in a very interesting way. I find it truly offensive and I would like for someone to take it down. Trust me, there is almost nothing that offends me. But this piece sure does. It is for a brand of a diet soda. It has a huge picture of an overweight woman, not wearing enough makeup and a bit undone. The header is this: Listen to the fat chick. She will be hot in 10 years.
WHAT THE FUCK?
For a woman that battled her weight for quite a while and actually took the pounds off, I find this really disturbing. Yes, I was overweight back in the day. Yes, it took some time and I finally did something about it. You know what? It was hard. It took every energy of my being to concentrate on losing the weight and keeping it off. Losing weight is a hard job. It drains you mentally and emotionally. You really need to want the change, deep in your heart to achieve weightloss.
Add to that the fact that all overweight women have it hard. People are not nice. Tyra Banks once put on a "fat suit" and walked around in it for a day. She complained that all people were mean to her. BULLSHIT, Tyra. Try living with the "suit" for years and years, seeing it become bigger, then a bit smaller, then bigger again. Try going to shop with your "suit" and look how you feel when nothing fits like the mannequin. Try going to a bar and seeing all the men treat you differently for more than a day. Try listening to people tell you: damn, are you getting heavier? Why don't you lose the pounds already? (Like it was that easy) Then, you will know how damn fucking hard it is.
The thing that bugs me the most is the fact that there are hundreds, thousands of women who drive each day by that mesh and get reminded of their weight problem. Yeah, great. A woman is driving without a care in the world and someone reminds her how she still hasn't lost those 20 pounds. That will sure make her drink your stupid soda? If this tactic is to make you start a diet... then dammit it is the wrong way.
I'll tell you a story and I will leave it like that: one of my best friends once told me that I was too strong with men. In fact, he said that I was... unreachable to men. Why was I so difficult, he asked? Why men tried to talk or make a connection and I shot them down so fast? I got a damn good reason. When I had a little more weight in me, the world was different. Yes, I had my usual suspects roaming around and I always had someone to hook up with. But the truth is, when I lost the weight, the men-world opened up to me in a totally different way. Suddenly I started to get more calls. Suddenly I got more people interested in getting my number. Something had changed. It was outside. Superficial. Inside? I was and still am the same chick.
When this sort of bullshit comes into play, you become a little... guarded. You think... why this fucker suddenly wants to see me next Friday night but years ago I was just his cool friend? When the fuck did the friendship line suddenly become the booty call line? Oh, yeah. When I lost the weight you finally noticed that I maybe have something to offer? Screw you. You had your chance with me and my 15 more pounds. Now, no way man. This ship has sailed and you missed the boarding process. You cannot love someone just by the way she looks, and if you do, you are not the one for me.
That is a horrible mesh because of all that it signifies. Hold your horses, I am not saying that being overweight is bad. No way. I lived it and I would not change it for the world. With all the extra baggage that my little ass carried for quite a while, I still considered myself to be a beautiful chick with loads to offer and even some lucky men got to enjoy it. More so, I was happy just the way I was. I just found that being overweight, for me, was hurting my well being and my health was in jeopardy, so I did something about it.
Maybe for some ad agency and the stupid client that approved this piece of shit ad is a joke. Hey. Let's make a fat joke to sell more diet soda. Yeah. Let's not go the encouragement route. Let's not inspire people to make a change for the better and including our stupid soda in the equation. Let's not say... you are beautiful the way you are, enjoy our product and maybe you will start developing a healthier body. No. Let's make a fat joke.
Well, to those wonderful and idiotic people who approved this ad, I say, munch on this: beauty comes from within, not from your stupid Diet Sprite.
There. I said it.
5 comments:
I'm with you...I despise that fucking mesh. I know exactly what you say because I live with it everyday. I'm the still the fat girl but I am an awesome woman.
Every single day is a struggling. Should I eat that? I better take the stairs. Hell I want chocolate!!!!!
It's an inside discussion everyday. Some people even make you feel like a "handicap". "Ohhh you are a great dancer and can sure move even thou...nevermind!!!!!" Why is so surprising that I can move??? because My ass is bigger than yours? Ugh!
I know that billboard very well. When I first saw it, I said to myself: Why will she be considered hot ten years from now? She can be hot right now, with the extra meat and everything.
I’ve yet to meet a “plus-sized” woman who doesn’t get as much out of life as skinny girls. In fact, I would even dare to say the big girls get more, because they can have their cake and eat it too, so to speak. Meaning, they get it all without having to sacrifice anything. Some of the most confident people I’ve known have been big girls, women who don’t bow down to ignorant standards. They simply know they’re the shit and they prove it.
And as for that onslaught of booty calls after the weight loss, What the fuck? Guys (or people in general) who only give you the time of day when you’re skinny simply aren’t worth anybody’s time. They’re shallow and ignorant. Those dudes simply don’t deserve the gifts you have to offer.
Think I’m crazy? Check out the lyrics to Mika’s “Big Girls” and Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls”.
At the end of the day, the pleasures of a woman remain the pleasures of a woman, regardless.
The thing that got to me the most? Not the new men who met me and called me. Those were ok. Besides, there were, always, new people interested. In fact, I dated one guy who was so amazingly handsome I was always in awe of the fact that he could have any hot chick he wanted, Playboy material, and he loved me.
Jesus, if that man would appear at Facebook I would be a happy camper.
Anyway, it was all the other guys that made me angry, the "friends" who didn't want a relationship and just wanted to be friends... suddenly wanted to give it a try.
What balls, right????????
I totally agree with you.
I know so many intelligent women who are completely obsessed with their weight. And they all admit that it’s because of how women are portrayed in the media.
Dumb advertising is one thing. But when it does shit like this, it’s downright evil.
That's just another reason why advertising sucks. Will post during the day.
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