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This past week, a Montreal nightclub called “Muzique” released an invitation for one of their events with what was meant to be a jokey little sign-off. Below all of the usual event information, someone had written: NO FAT GIRLS ALLOWED!!!!!!!!!! :) — and several of the club’s “plus-sized” regulars are livid.
In an interesting turn of events, however, the night club is actually trying to distance itself from the message, saying that it was a party planner who wrote the message and that they are considering issuing an apology to anyone who was offended.
The people interviewed in the article all discuss the rather unshocking fact that nightclubs do tend to discriminate when it comes to looks, although they will never tell you that to your face, instead claiming that the club is merely “at capacity,” etc.
But I do find it somewhat encouraging that Muzique, at least, is not trying to ride this wave of publicity unlike, say, the grinning asshats at Beautiful People who so proudly staged a “no fatties” campaign.
But, regardless of who wrote that message at the bottom of the event e-mail, and why, it still drives home the fact that there is a strange kind of discrimination going on toward overweight people in North America.
Admittedly, this is hardly news. And while a “fatties only” night club might sound promising, doesn’t it sound a little like segregation? Of course I’m not comparing weight to race — I know that weight can be lost while skin color cannot. Nor am I comparing “fat discrimination” to “race discrimination.” But I am saying that it sounds as though fat people are essentially not welcome at “normal people” establishments — especially overweight women.
It seems that every time I write one of these “fat discrimination” stories, the same comments usually pop up: But isn’t being fat a choice? Couldn’t these people just be thin if they tried harder? And shouldn’t we try to encourage people to live healthier?
Sure, but there are plenty of skinny-looking people with terrible body-fat ratios, zero muscle and very little stamina. And yet I doubt very much that the majority of people are going to point to them and say, “Why can’t they just get their act together and get in better shape?”
Let’s face it: this is about modern beauty standards, not health. More importantly, this is about female beauty standards — there’s a reason it’s “No Fat Chicks” instead of “No Fat People.” And I don’t think it has to do with people’s genuine concern about heart disease.
But what I think baffles me most is this idea that somehow overweight people just smugly keep on the weight to scorn men and thin women. Believe me when I say that for most overweight people, there isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t think about dieting or exercise or hate yourself just a little bit more every time you lose a battle with will power. And making people — especially young women — feel even more guilty or shameful about their bodies is most definitely not helping anything.
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This picture of the woman could be some kind of a social project. You post a random picture of a random, normal,elderly woman at the end of each article and say nothing about it. The commenters see it, ask questions about it and maybe write something insulting about it,like “what is this ugly woman doing at the end of each post?”. At some point, most of them will lose the interest and stop commenting about it, but there will always be new commenters who see it for the first time and ask questions about it,maybe add their own opinion about who that woman might be. And since this is the internet and everyone is anonymous,nobody will feel the need to be nice or polite, they’re all just being plain honest.
Or maybe you’re just doing this to drive me nuts^^.
I don’t comment on the picture anyone because I feel like she’s judging me. Her expression is so… disapproving. I feel like she has seen the “No Fat Chicks” sign and is not amused.
*not ‘anyone’, I mean ‘anymore’
See? She makes me nervous!
It kind of looks like a mug-shot
Elderly? Really?
I’m sorry if I used the wrong word, but she seems to be in her mid-forties, and to me that means that she is an older woman. I just used the word elderly because I thought it sounded a bit more fancy.
btw, dict.cc states that both words have the same meaning.
The fact that the dictionary calls them the same does not always mean they work the same in common use. Speaking as a linguistic discussion, and not as a criticism, I would suggest that ‘elderly’ implies ‘over a certain fixed area’, while ‘older’ is more malleable and more likely to be read as ‘older than the speaker’.
I finally googled this women’s picture to see who it is. She is the women who’s daughter called 911 from the backseat of the car. She reported her mom (this Hick’s lady) for driving drunk. Google Hicks Mug Shot under images to find the picture.
Still don’t know why the writers keep posting in here though.
Bless you, V!
It was driving me fucking crazy!
How fat is “fat” as defined by these club door men? Or beautiful vs. ugly? Old vs. young? These club waiting lines are essentially cattle calls. As an “elderly” woman (mid forties) I doubt I’d pass inspection. How would models Crystal Renn or Emme be rated?
It is astounding the ways society can shame women and girls. There are people who will find ways to keep that well of insecurity deep and wide. And then they profit from it by selling products to enhance, correct, or change our natural selves.
It’s always the “fat chicks.” No one minds drunk-off-their-tits frat boys who are fat. Because fat guys are still fun, but fat girls are insecure and unattractive? Maybe that’s why chubby guys can always land the A-list actress in movies.
But this is not a normal people place. This is a nightclub. It’s a private business that can make its own rules. And whether spoken or not, it has a lot of them. They want to attract paying customers, and pretty girls do that. Fat girls, old girls, and men don’t. Therefore, when it gets hot, they start letting in only the prime candidates – hot girls, and rich-looking men.
Sure, ugly girls don’t get in, but ALL men don’t get in when it’s full.
If you don’t like it, find somewhere better. Do you really want to be in such a place?
I’ve avoided nightclubs for a long time even without this as an issue.
Jeez, I might as well gnaw a vein, I’m elderly (52) AND fat.
You’ll get use to it,every day it gets a little easier.
Wow, where to start, I must say that I ran across this blog by accident and it caught my attention. I think to be quite frank that Erin & Kai hit this problem and it is a problem right on the head so to speak. Most women think men only like flat stomachs and curvy features, and me being a man of 41 must agree that this is that case with most men. Me myself like a little to play with but I do not like overweight women, for one, I feel if they do not care enough about themselves to feel good about themselves then they sure as hell are not going to care enough about anyone else. I am a firm believer in you have to care about yourself before you can begin to care about anyone else. If you are overweight and your ok with that, then that MAY also mean that your ok with staying single and not having sex. When it comes right down to it, its all about sex and money, you may not agree with that, but i guarantee you, at least in the beginning it has everything to do with it, Physical attraction. Men like women that are physically attractive to them, usually being thin and the right amount of curves and most women like men that make them feel good and are not broke lazy bums, men that can provide them a comfortable life style according to their expectations. People that like nice cars drive nice cars unless they are comfortable enough in their laziness to drive a beater. Life is to short to deal with others insecurities and not drive the best car they can afford or work hard for the car they want.
Snapnhiss? Joey? – you did not say you were ugly, is their a reason you can not work hard for what you want? even ugly girls and even ugly older women (I AM NOT SAYING YOUR UGLY) can get what they want with a nice body. Now you can call me any names you want, say I’m A-stereotypical (if that’s how it is spelled), but deep down you know I am right. Do not blame night clubs for wanting to put people in their club that are sell-able, I have been to Places where the woman where not what I was after, and I do not go back, I can not blame a BUSINESS for not marketing something that does not sell. I am sorry if these words seem harsh, but start caring about yourself so you can feel better about what you can get.
P.S.
BTW, the only reason I do not like the above picture is because of the frown and droopy eyes like she is a drugy or alcoholic. Even with the droopy eyes, if she would just smile it would make that pic 1000 times better.
So suppose if you have a disease, a gland problem, or medication that causes you to be overweight, you’re just fucked, amirite?
I don’t think most of the commentors on this site are looking for a man to provide them the life they want just so they can be utterly co-dependent. Just sayin’.