Lately I've been reading a lot of chick lit. Mostly because I went through a phase where I read a lot of depressing family lit and I was looking for something light and fun that doesn't require a lot of thought. Plus I'll be taking a test later this year that does require a lot of thought and preparation so light and fun is good. I've run into, though, a massive stereotyping that is starting to annoy the crap out of me. I've been reading 'fat chick lit' which interestingly enough is its own catagory under the chick lit label. Originally I was bugged by that fact, but then Michelle pointed out it does make it much easier for me to find books that are NOT about size 2 girls who work in New York City or London in publications or PR. Instead I can find size 12 girls who work in New York City or London in publications or PR.
This brings me to a bunch of questions. Why do many of the women in chick lit work in publishing (magazine or book) or PR? Are women unable to be astrophysicists or is it that astrophysics doesn't create a compelling backdrop? (I know that probably the thing is that the girls who are writing these books all are coming out of the publishing/pr fields but still... it's called research.)
So lately I've been reading fat chick lit because after awhile it is gross to keep reading about the size 2 who obsesses about her thighs and tit size. Now I'm offended by fat chick lit. Why is it impossible for a fat chick to be happy in her size in a novel? Why is it that every main character I've read so far has to go on a drastic diet to discover that really she's great at whatever size she is? How is it romantic for a guy to say to you 'you'd be really pretty if you lost a few pounds'? If a guy said that to me I'd kick him to the curb so fast. Why do all fat chick novels have to have at least 2 scenes where the fat chick binges so much that it would make a trucker sick? I've never eaten an entire bag of chips. I don't even eat an entire pint of ice cream, let alone an entire quart. And I certainly have never eaten both in one self pitying life defining moment. I started reading one book and got so disgusted I returned it after 2 chapters. I looked toward fat chick lit because I wanted at least a little bit of relatability, but not every fat chick is a sad sack. Yes, there is some anxiety the first time the guy sees you naked, that I can relate to. Buying clothes from Lane Bryant and then tucking the bags into bags from the Express or Limited so no one knows I bought from Lane I can't. That's just pathetic at a whole other level and frankly I can't stomach it any more.
4 comments:
I've never even considered there was a genre of 'fat chic lit.'
I've wanted to do the bag thing after shopping at LB...but I never have.
My sister used to hate Grease b/c the chic totally changes herself just for a guy. I always felt Grease 2 evened the score.
Hiding the bag doesn't even make sense. It isn't like someone is going to think you aren't fat just because you are carrying a bag from Express instead of Lane Bryant. Same goes for bathing suits. It isn't like putting on a cover-up is going to make me look like a size 8 instead of the size that I am. It might hide the cottage cheese, but my thighs still look just as big.
I recognize I'm fat, but I don't think I necessarily look fat enough to shop at LB.
The ironic thing about it is, that most 'thinner' shoppers don't realize that LB is an exclusively Plus Size store.
Sure they realize they sell it, but they assume they have regular sizing as well.
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