To be fat like me

[Athos]

I think my brother said it the best. “Why do people feel the need to discriminate against people who are overweight? I feel that in our society it's one of the last bastions where undue discrimination is allowed to thrive.”

So I was channel surfing earlier tonight and I came across a made for TV movie entitled “To be fat like me.” It stars Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco and it’s about a popular, pretty high school girl who decides to make a documentary about what it’s like to be fat. To this end, she puts on a fat suit and attends summer school while wearing a hidden camera to capture her interactions with others.  I have to say that there are a number of truly powerful moments and it asks a number of very pointed questions that I think are often overlooked in today’s society.

After a little bit of searching I was able to find the movie on youtube and I think anyone who has a spare couple of hours should go and take a look.

To be fat like me - Part 1 (search on youtube for the other parts)

To Be Fat Like Me Part 1

[Marina]

Athos,
I loved this. Thank you for sharing.
I can definitely relate to what you say about how society perceives overweight individuals.
I have shed over 70 pounds this year and I feel as if people treat me differently than they did before. Including some that I have known for an extended period of time. >.<
Thanks for getting me thinking.
- Marina

[Athos]

Not a problem, I'm glad you got something out of it. :) Good luck on your approval!

Athos

[Kiss]

I actually saw this on TV a long time ago. It's sad but true that people are treated differently depending on their weight. A family member of mine used to be overweight and slimmed down tremendously, she found all of her old bullies pursuing her and other girls treating her friendly who hadn't before. I'm thankful that she didn't befriend any of the people who were once cruel to her, instead she embraced all the different people around her and those who had been nice to her had remained her friends.

[Athos]

I'm glad to hear that she saw all the superficial people for what they are. I understand that a person may not find certain things attractive, but there's no good reason for anyone to intentionally try to hurt someone else. There's more than enough hurt in this world without people trying to add to it.

[LilyS]

Hello!

Thanks for sharing this video, it was very interesting, probably I'm going to watch the other parts as well very soon.

Nowdays being accepted in society is all about how you look and dress. Sadly if one doesn't wear the 'right kind of clothes' he/she cannot expect to be accepted soon.
There is a new phenomenon (at least to me) that I come across more and more often on campus: a group of girlfriends having the same hairdo, wearing the same kind of clothes, making similar gestures, having similar notebooks, handwriting and way of speaking are talking about clothes or about how much other people who aren't so 'cool' like them suck.
I always find it very sad that people mostly don't tell me what's their problem with me (no matter if it's a big or minor issue) instead they tell it to their friends so problems never get discussed though there are some very easy solutions to some problems.

[makizushi]

I watched less than 3 minutes, what a waste. No skinny person can endure what a fat person endures daily. So anything they do to try and see what it's like is a pathetic attempt to understand.

[Athos]

Hello!

Thanks for sharing this video, it was very interesting, probably I'm going to watch the other parts as well very soon.

Nowdays being accepted in society is all about how you look and dress. Sadly if one doesn't wear the 'right kind of clothes' he/she cannot expect to be accepted soon.
There is a new phenomenon (at least to me) that I come across more and more often on campus: a group of girlfriends having the same hairdo, wearing the same kind of clothes, making similar gestures, having similar notebooks, handwriting and way of speaking are talking about clothes or about how much other people who aren't so 'cool' like them suck.
I always find it very sad that people mostly don't tell me what's their problem with me (no matter if it's a big or minor issue) instead they tell it to their friends so problems never get discussed though there are some very easy solutions to some problems.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I watched less than 3 minutes, what a waste. No skinny person can endure what a fat person endures daily. So anything they do to try and see what it's like is a pathetic attempt to understand.

I am truly sorry if you feel like you've wasted your time. I'm even sorrier you felt the need to waste mine.

[Trieste]

The first thing I want to say is: Thank you very much, Athos, for posting this! I have actually been meaning to watch this for months now - I think I saw this post when you first made it and tried to make a mental note to come back to it when I have the time - so I'm sorry that it took me so long and I appreciate the recommendation!

I enjoyed the concept and the documentary they're discussing is a documentary I would be interested to see. (As an aside, is there a documentary of the sort they're discussing? Interested to see it if there is.)

However, I watched the movie itself and found it somewhat fluffy. It was almost satisfying, but then drifted to unbelievable and/or saccharine territory. For me, this most definitely took away from the message and the reccomendability of the movie; I don't really want to recommend a movie that I didn't enjoy no matter how interesting the message is.

It did amuse me that the 'editing chick' that was working on the project with her very clearly did not like her and felt no compunctions against showing it.

[Athos]

The first thing I want to say is: Thank you very much, Athos, for posting this! I have actually been meaning to watch this for months now - I think I saw this post when you first made it and tried to make a mental note to come back to it when I have the time - so I'm sorry that it took me so long and I appreciate the recommendation!

I enjoyed the concept and the documentary they're discussing is a documentary I would be interested to see. (As an aside, is there a documentary of the sort they're discussing? Interested to see it if there is.)

However, I watched the movie itself and found it somewhat fluffy. It was almost satisfying, but then drifted to unbelievable and/or saccharine territory. For me, this most definitely took away from the message and the reccomendability of the movie; I don't really want to recommend a movie that I didn't enjoy no matter how interesting the message is.

It did amuse me that the 'editing chick' that was working on the project with her very clearly did not like her and felt no compunctions against showing it.

Thanks for your comment Trieste! I agree that the movie itself is kind of fluffy, but it was made for t.v. so I can't really expect high cinema.

What I enjoyed about it more than the acting, or even the premise for that matter, were some of the questions that were asked in the movie. The most memorable of such being when the truly overweight girl asked something to the effect of "When did my problem become everyone else's business?"

There's nothing wrong with society wanting to encourage healthy lifestyles, but there is a problem in my opinion when it feels the need to terrorize and berate others into it. First of all, it doesn't work because bullying of any kind is ultimately self-defeating as a form of motivation. Second, there's a HUGE difference between being healthy and looking like some kind model and I think that sometimes society get the two mixed up. 

Anywho, that's where I'm coming from. Thanks again for your comment. :)