A game show where two families compete for a cash prize by trying to find the most popular answers to a variety of questions about a month ago, one of my sisters tagged me in a video she recorded of Family Feud. In the episode she recorded, host and comedian Steve Harvey asks the participants to resolve a rather loaded statement: “Name reasons a lady might opt to be with a chubby or fat man.”
The contestants’ answers end up supplying a humorous round in the minds for the contestants, Steve Harvey, and presumably the viewers.
But my sister did share that is n’t movie on her behalf Facebook web page to garner laughs from her family and friends. It absolutely was just the opposite: my cousin ended up being annoyed at the round’s subject as well as the responses provided. My sis penned:
“This actually bothers me! This is the reason people think you need to be skinny/fit to be gorgeous, to be desired, to be liked, and also to deserve anything…this is never OK!”
My sister tagged me on this page knowing my history in fat studies and sex studies (and also as a fat masculine person), once you understand I would personally agree along with her frustrations.
Image description: A screenshot associated with Family Feud game board utilizing the six most well known responses: “Fatty got cash” (34 away from 100 individuals surveyed), “She’s fat/digs food” (23/100), “She’ll look better” (12/100), “She’s in love” (9/100), “He’s warm/cuddly” (6/100), and “He won’t cheat” (4/100). The thing this round that is particular of Feud does correctly is summarize a number of the unfortunate fables our society perpetuates about fat individuals — specifically, fat males — and relationships.
Nevertheless, calling away fatphobic fables had been clearly perhaps not the game’s aim. Alternatively it perpetuated body terrorism against fat systems to get laughs that are cheap. Let’s proceed through each one of the top six many answers that are popular order to better understand how they’re inaccurate and damaging to males of size.
1. “Fatty Got Money!”: Fat Men Are Only Valuable With Their Cash or Energy
The myth: the truth that this misconception is considered the most popular for the six provided responses — 34 regarding the 100 people initially surveyed offered this or a similarly-worded response — is troubling by itself. This misconception is one thing we come across throughout US culture, whether or not it’s in films, politics, or popular tradition.
If a classically appealing individual of every sex has been a fat guy, the overall assumption is the fact that this fat guy should have cash or some form of energy. Why else would a person who could presumably get with anybody they desired prefer to get with a disgusting man that is fat right?
This sort of idea is incredibly damaging for a complete lot of fat guys, placing almost all their value as individuals to the cash or energy they could or might not have.
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The facts: While you will find, needless to say, many people whom just look for relationships for the money or energy, the fact is that frequently, individuals will decide to get with a fat guy because they really wish to be with him. This misconception is significantly less frequently placed on thin or “fit” males, unless of program that individual is well known to possess cash or energy. However it’s much easier for individuals to know two thin or typically appealing individuals being together because they’re drawn to one another than when a skinny or usually appealing individual chooses become with a fat guy for any other less shallow reasons.
2. “She’s Fat/Digs Food”: Fat People Just Like Other Fat People
The misconception: with this specific misconception, we come across just how individuals make an effort to just take people’s that are away fat. It signifies that fat individuals will simply be in a position to have relationships along with other fat individuals, because they only find other fat people attractive or that’s all they can “get”, in the most brutal of terms whether it’s.
Slipped into this myth is a relevant fatphobic misconception: that all fat individuals love for eating lots of meals, and all sorts of individuals who want to eat food are fat.
The facts: place clearly, the presumption that fat individuals will just look for relationships along with other fat individuals is false. Humans — fat, thin, plus in between — may be and sometimes are drawn to a variety that is wide of of all size and shapes. To assume that people that are fat just ever be with fat people are at ab muscles least ignorant, or even totally fatphobic and sizeist.
So when when it comes to basic indisputable fact that fatness is inherently correlated with (over)eating — that is another misconception too.
3. “She’ll Look Better”: Fat Guys Are Unattractive
The misconception: All 
fat guys, in accordance with this worldview, are inherently less appealing than just about any partner they might ever have. Such men’s lovers would just utilize them appearing more appealing in contrast. This misconception makes the assumption that, as previously mentioned above, nobody could conceivably take a relationship with a man that is fat they’re actually attracted to him. Fat folks are just tools to make their (presumably non-fat) lovers feel more desirable.
The facts: in the same way some individuals might pursue a fat guy for cash or power, some individuals might just pursue fat guys to appear more appealing to other people. In fact, though, this is apparently less frequent than this response will have us think.
I’ll keep saying the purpose, even in the event We appear to be a record that is broken lots of people really find fat males appealing!