Yesterday's "Afternoon Inquiry" was about obesity and while the questions asked sort of set off little warning flags for me, what really did it was the "faceless fatty" that is traditionally used when the media tackles obesity. Because unlike just about every other demographic, being fat is so completely shameful and taboo that we dare not show a fat person with their head when we are talking about their fatness.
In the comments, someone called out Sam Ogden (the writer) for choosing a photo that reinforces the taboo and shamefulness that our society associates with obesity, and, to my surprise, Sam responded by attacking the commenter, saying that they were maybe not ready for grownup conversations and pretty much telling them to stop whining.
This, from the website that brought us elevatorgate? Niiiiice.
A few people also commented about the picture, and when I returned just now, the picture had been changed. To this:
Is that a joke? Is this meant to trivialize the very valid concerns about how obese people are portrayed in the media?
My "best case scenario" is that this was an honest mistake. There's some discussion in the blogosphere about breastfeeding lately, so maybe the picture got misfiled. But lately, life is showing me that I tend to overestimate peoples decency when I try to assume the best case scenario.
I really hope someone apologizes.
Edit: Oooookay, the clown picture is intentional, but it's meant to represent giving babies McDonalds food, not to trivialize the concerns of the commenters. I'm gonna let things lie for a little bit while I figure out if I'm still mad, and, if I am, why.
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