Comments on: Weighty.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:07:20 +0000

Just my opinion but I get tired of feminists feeling like being feminine goes against the cause. Wanting to feel good and look attractive, for yourself, isn’t a bad thing. It doesn’t set back the movement of wanting equal rights and power for women. I like being a woman. I like being an attractive woman (if I remember correctly…I am 9 months pregnant so it has been awhile since I’ve felt attractive). Feminism isn’t about being less female…it is about putting females on even footing with males.

By: marcoda

marcoda — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:52:37 +0000

YES YES YES YES YES YES!! A thousand times YES!!! Jesus tap dancing christ, the whole “girl clothes/boy clothes” crap is all so very infuriating (being the mother of a three year old girl and pregnant with a son, I’m seeing both sides of this crap). It’s also very strange that women now have to defend the desire to either be “skinny” or “curvy”. We just can’t win, can we?

By: Helen

Helen — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:47:25 +0000

Another feminist here. I wanted to lose weight after pregnancy because I was a little tired of trying to decide if that stomach flap should go above or below the pantyline, and then spend time shifting it back and forth like a decent loaf of bread dough. It’s not because I want to be all hot for those incorrigible men, those saucy bastards, but because really? Can we not just want to lose a few pounds and not get accused of succumbing to societal pressures? Is there more cheese here?

And I do dress mine in colors, mostly because that heads off the questions of gender. I prefer to be left alone in public. The fewer questions I get, the better.

By: R

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:32:24 +0000

noo! not the bacon!!

but serieusement, ITA with everything you’ve said here on weight and gender roles. We’ve fallen into some amazingly rigid ways of thinking (in the case of weight loss, under the guise of acceptance), and it sure is unhealthy in so many ways.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:36:27 +0000

Hi! I’ve been reading your blog for awhile now, and i gotta say, you are amazing! you always have me laughing hysterically and agreeing with every single word you say! i’m going to keep reading!

you rock mama!

By: liz

liz — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:33:41 +0000

This is a great post about how difficult it can be for a feminist to deal with weight loss.
http://electrolicious.com/2006/03/fat_is_a_feminist_is

By: Star

Star — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:55:52 +0000

Yes, yes, yes to all of this!!! Especially the stuff about the disgusting way that children’s clothing and toys are relentlessly gendered. I have a boy who just turned a year, and now that he’s graduating from baby clothes to toddler clothes, I look for stuff for him and just want to cry because all the boys’ clothes are so. freaking. butch. it makes me gag. My best friend and I always joke that if we could get the capital, we would start a gender-neutral clothing line for babies and children.

By: Erin

Erin — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:34:04 +0000

Thank you for this post. That is all I want to say. Thank you.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:37:28 +0000

I truly do not understand all the hoopla about Pink…I mean I do not feel like my mother “harmed” me in the least by dressing me girly. She loved making us clothes, dresses, strawberry shortcake wrap around shirts, and yet by some aparent MIRACLE, I am not still wearing excessive ruffles, or strawberry shortcake clothes (though I must confess I saved my sheets and quilt from my childhood days)…. my point is this, whether or not you slap *gasp* pink clothes on your baby with the DREADED princess or diva words on them, doesnt mean you are going to magically turn said child into a princess or diva (though I will argue that 9 out of 10 CHILDREN–boys and girls— go through this stage all on their own, you know when the world is supposed to revolve around ONLY THEM!)

I guess I am probably a bit defensive, I have heard all kinds of remarks made to me about my choice to quit working and be a stay-at-home mom (I mean I am SOOO wasting my college education–or so I hear), and I have been made to feel like I am less of a mom because I selfishly CHOSE not to breastfeed my babies (nevermind that somehow I managed to become a productive member of society and wasn’t breastfed as a baby either–apparently I am damn near a freak of nature!)….

The bottom line is, do what is right for you, do what makes you happy… Lose weight or dont lose weight……dress your kids in every color of the rainbow….who the HELL CARES!

I have a 5 week old Daughter, yes I was given a lot of pink (i did not find out what I was having so I didnt buy any clothes for her myself), but she looks DAMN cute in pink, course she looks damn cute in blue, lime green, lavender, yellow………. you get the picture…and I don’t think I have RUINED her yet!

By: Sheri

Sheri — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:22:39 +0000

As an official member of the Fat Girls Club, I can tell you that it is far easier being thin than fat. You feel better, you look better, it is easier to find nice clothes (and far less expensive). And since you feel better and society is far more accepting of you, you will be happier and happy moms are good moms.

So don’t ever feel bad about wanting to be the best person you can be….just do it.

I’m trying too and will be thinking about you and your sweet little girl.