Fuck You Maura Kelly, Stare at this Fat

By now I'm sure you have all heard that "writer" Maura Kelly has written an incredibly hateful article about fat people on MarieClaire.com. Apparently the fat actors on Mike & Molly are so fat that the idea of watching them kiss one another makes her ill. To quote Maura Kelly, because lord knows I won't do justice to her words

"I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room."

It astounds me that Marie Claire or Maura Kelly didn't anticipate the shit storm that the post engendered. Seriously, this shit is bananas and everyone is talking about it. Eventually Maura felt the need to offer up what has to be amongst the worst apology I've ever heard where she basically says I'm sorry, except that these people are really fat so I'm not actually that sorry. Don't believe me? Here are her words

"In my post, I was talking about a TV show that features people who are not simply a little overweight, but appear to be morbidly obese."

Oh ok, so you're sorry for hating on people who are fat, but folks who are really, really Fat don't actually deserve an apology. On a personal level I find it amusing that what she hates the most about the show (the uber fatties) is to me the only redeeming thing about the show. I watch the insipid show just to watch death fatties getting it on.

Reading her words I felt as though someone had slapped me in my face. But in a way I have to thank Maura for being so bold about her hate in a way few people are. She didn't pretend to hate fat people because of concern for our health or attempt to couch it some paternalistic, I know better than you belief. She simply hates us because we're "gross" which I imagine is something that a lot of people feel, but most wouldn't say out loud. On the upside, Maura's hatred is so extreme that it has really brought attention to the issue of fat acceptance and folks all across the county are calling her out for her bullshit.

One of t

he saddest things for me about this is that it appeared on Marie Claire's website. I've been a subscriber for years, it seemed to me to be the only fashion magazine with good, progressive politics. Their editor-in-chief Joanna Coles isn't apologizing so I'll be putting my money where my mouth is and cancelling my subscription.

Yesterday I posted on Facebook that I wish that I knew where Maura Kelly vacationed so a group of me and my fatty friends could put on the smallest, string bikinis we could find and make out in front of her. Since I can't imagine she'll be getting many writing jobs anytime soon and money will be tight, perhaps I'll stage a kiss-in outside her Brooklyn apartment. Until then Maura here are some shots of me and my rolls. In a bikini. In public. Smiling. I hope I make you violently ill.

Until we meet at beach, all I have to say to you is

Day 16, Dress 106: Sisterhood of the Travelling Dress

I have dubbed this dress the sisterhood of the traveling dress, after the movie Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. I named it that after this straight sized medium dress magically fit me and two other friends with two very different bodies and still managed to look good on all of us.

I doubt you could tell it from these photos, but I was not having the best day. I had just signed my lease the day before and was having a nervous breakdown about the enormity of all of it. In typical bloomie fashion I broke down in tears in front of my friend/work wife/colleague/regular photographer Nicole and she was so worried about my well-being that she insisted that I hop on a train to Westchester for a pre-Yom Kippur fast meal. (Is it completely terrible that ate a big meal and proceeded to not fast?)

So here we are at the train station in Westchester doing our photo shoot. It wasn't however my first shoot of the day. Early in the day I headed over to Governor's Island where I was lucky enough to model for one of my very favoritest websites Adipositivity (warning, it's NSFW). All of my photos haven't been posted yet, but you'll be able to spot at least one of them very, very easily. I was hoping to get more naked than I was able to, but even just wearing my Mermaid Parade costume we got questioned by the staff and so we scurried off the island before we really ruffled any feathers. It was a wonderful experience and I hope I get to pose for the lovely Substantia Jones again sometime soon. I'm envisioning a winter photo shoot where I wear boots, hat, an open coat and nothing else. Wouldn't that be cute?

As I mentioned the dress is a medium dress from Macy's in-house brand INC that I got via my friend Mirka. My red peek-a-boo bra is from Lane Bryant (which if nothing else has cute bras), my necklace is from Peacock's, earrings are from a street fair and sunnies are from Primark. Big smile is due to the insane conversation I had with my girlfriends on the train up to Irvington. I really do believe that you're never fully dressed without a smile.

And I'm wearing my summer staple Dansko sandals, replete with my pedicure that would be more in place on an 8 year old than a 31 year old.

Photo credit goes to my friend Caitlin.

Portland Here I Come

This Thursday night I am off for a 4 day get-away to Portland, Oregon. And even though my apartment is still in total disarray and I should be unpacking, I am in desperate need for a little vacation so off to Portland I go. I went to Portland once years ago for Fat Girl Speaks and because I was considering moving there, but it has been almost 7 years since my visit, so my memories are hazy.

I know there's a lot to do and see and that there are a lot of rad fatties there and I was hoping some of you might have some suggestions for me. Obviously I plan to hit up Fat Fancy, but other than that I'm a bit of an open book.

So if you have any suggestions for me of the food, eating, drinking, shopping, sightseeing, coffee drinking, rad fatties, cute heterosexual bear watching variety please let me know what they are so I can put them on my list.

Also I'm having a bit of a packing conundrum. It's going to be a high of 59 while I'm there. It hasn't been that cold yet in NY, so I'm not sure what that means clothing wise. Would a jean jacket suffice? Is it a cashmere cardi weather? I've forgotten what 59 feels like. If it's that cold where you are please let me know how you've been dressing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Day 15, Dress 105: Fall Colors Professionalized

As you are most likely well aware of, I have a very relaxed office and for the most part am able to wear whatever I like. But when I interact with folks who aren't my work family I take pains to present myself professionally. It's the still the world of non-profit so it's not as if I have to wear a suit, but when I go out to the rest of the world it's important to me to show-up on time, cover up a bit more than I do normally and slightly restrain myself pattern wise. Sometimes when I do that I end up feeling a bit fake and un-bloomie, but not this iteration. I think part of that is because I really liked the color palette, which was inspired by the first hint of fall we were having that day.

The base of my outfit is a purple dress that I picked up at Loehmann's last year. It's exactly the sort of thing I did not need to add to my wardrobe - a fairly simple, straightforward dress that I have several of. But it was purple and I had a birthday discount, so I found it a bit hard to resist. Here's a taste of the dress sans jacket. There's some interesting ruffles below the scarf.

To professionalize the outfit a bit I put on a cropped jacket that comes from Target that I got in a Friday fats sale. I was just at another conference the last few days and noticed how almost every woman had on a blazer or jacket of some sort. Is that the secret to professionalizing an outfit - a jacket. What say you?

I wore my new Minnetonka moccasins that I can't seem to get enough of, and as you can see in the photo above my black Luvees are peeking out a bit.

For the accessories I grabbed a scarf that my friend Mirka got for me on a trip to India and I've paired it with some earrings that I picked up in the old city in Jerusalem on a trip to visit my sister. Is it completely narcissistic to tell you that I really like this photo below?

Photo credit goes to my co-worker Selene. And after we took pictures we went and got cookies at my second favorite cookie bakery in New York City. I have to work hard to maintain my girlish figure.