Clift Bri Clift Sue Briggs English 1010 September 24, 2013 Is Fat A Feminist Issue?

It seems that the tw main g als f e!er" w man are beaut" an# ph"si$al fitness% &hen s $iet" l 's at a fat w man, we thin' she has faile# t $ ntr l her appetite an# impulses% S $iet" ta'es n a (blame the !i$tim appr a$h) *44+,, argues Susie -rba$h, auth r f Fat Is A Feminist Issue% A w man wh has !ereaten has # ne s as a result f being a w man in ur s $iet", thin's -rba$h% She pr $laims !ereating is a s $ial #isease an# a feminist issue, n t a la$' f $ ntr l b" the w man% -rba$h belie!es w men are resp n#ing t ine.ualit" f the se/es% & men are taught their entire li!es the" nee# t be g # en ugh t fin# a man, marr" him an#

ha!e $hil#ren% 0hese are the g als set f r w men, get a man, ha!e $hil#ren% & men are persua#e# t $reate themsel!es int s mething #esirable% Ea$h w man must ($ n!e" what 'in# f w men she is,)*410, in r#er t $at$h a man, $laims -rba$h% & men are $ nstantl" $riti.uing themsel!es t be$ me better f r thers% -rba$h ba$'s up this belief with a .u te fr m 2 hn Berger, writer f Ways Of Seeing. He enlightens us, (3en a$t an# w men appear% 3en l ' at w men% & men wat$h themsel!es being l 'e# at)*410,% It is a w mans sense f ha!ing t present herself t inse$urities thus lea#ing t !ereating% thers that $reates

-rba$h als stresses that w men are essentiall" pre" f r #iet an# fashi n in#ustries, !ulnerable an# sus$eptible% 0hese in#ustries f r$e the i#eal images f what is beautiful an# #esirable, the (perfe$t w man%) & men are left s$rambling t 'eep up with an unattainable stan#ar# that is $ nstantl" $hanging -rba$h $ ntinues% 0he nl" $ nstant in these in#ustries lea!e the same is being thin, the ne thing !ereaters are n t% -rba$h is emp wering these fat w men% She en$ urages them stating a fat w man is rebelling

Clift t the stan#ar# put up b" s $iet"% An !ereater is rem !ing the p werlessness put nt her b" s $iet" telling her h w she nee#s t l ' an# a$t% -rba$h applau#s these w men f r being bese b" sa"ing, (%%%against the pressure t l ' an# a$t in a $ertain wa" an# against being e!aluate# n her abilit" t $reate an image f herself)*412,% In the e"es f -rba$h these w men are $reating a barrier t being 4u#ge# b" their image, ma'ing thers l ' #eeper t un#erstan# them% &hen it $ mes t this t pi$ f besit" in w men, m st f us will rea#il" agree that this is a seri us $hallenge we are fa$ing in Ameri$a% &here this agreement usuall" en#s, h we!er, is n the .uesti n f where # es the blame fall% &hereas s me are $ n!in$e# that ea$h in#i!i#ual is resp nsible f r their wn b #" an# weight, thers maintain that s $iet" is t blame f r besit"% &hile -rba$h is pr babl" wr ng when she $laims that bese w men are ma'ing a stan# against s $iet", she is right that the pressure fr m the #iet an# fashi n in#ustries are #amaging t h w w men see themsel!es% I agree that me#ia, #iet, an# fashi n in#ustries $reate an image f r w men% 0he" target the m st !ulnerable areas w men ha!e su$h as weight, wrin'les, fri55" hair, et$% 0hese in#ustries sen# messages that a w man6s b #" isn6t g # en ugh as it is right n w, but if " u bu" ur pr #u$t " u $an fi/ this

pr blem% Being a w man, I ha!e fa$e# this pressure #ail", it is a $ nstant stream f a#!ertisement that tea$hes w men the" nee# t l ' li'e a superm #el an# #ress with the e!er $hanging fashi n% I pers nall" li'e t a## s me tren#s t m" $l set but !erall I # n6t want t #ress li'e 7ihanna% I ha!e a m re natural st"le an# usuall" # n8t wear an" ma'e up% I still l ' at m"self an# thin' I8m prett"% I thin' a w men sh ul# l !e their b #" 4ust as it is be$ause we are all #ifferent an# uni.ue an# that ma'es ea$h pers n beautiful% I thin' that e!en bese w men, ma"be e!en espe$iall" bese w men, sh ul# l ' at themsel!es an# see their beaut"% I am $ n!in$e# this is the best wa" t fight this (perfe$t w man) image% An bese w man t me, # esn8t gi!e me the message that she is re! lting against s $iet"6s !iew an# sti$'ing it t the man, as -rba$h lea#s n% I see it as an issue with self $ ntr l% I thin' an" ne

Clift w ul# li'e t eat a # uble ba$ n $heeseburger with e/tra fries f r lun$h e!er"#a" an# ha!e n reper$ussi n but ur b #ies # n8t w r' that wa"% Alth ugh n t all bese w men thin' ali'e, s me f them will pr babl" #ispute m" $laim b" sa"ing that their besit" nl" affe$ts them s wh" sh ul# I $are% 0he fa$t is that ma"be ne bese pers n ma" nl" affe$ts themsel!es, but when 109 f w men are estimate# t be !erweight it affe$ts e!er" ne% 7a#le" Bal' , wh wr te (&hat : u Eat Is : ur Business) gi!es s me insight t h w besit" am ng Ameri$ans has the g !ernment stepping in% (;resi#ent Bush earmar'e# <200 milli n in his bu#get f r anti= besit" measures) *3+>,, Bal' inf rms us% An# where #i# that <200 milli n # llars $ me fr m? 0he ta/es f all Ameri$ans, n t 4ust bese Ameri$ans that are the pr blem% 0his is 4ust ne e/ample f h w the rise in besit" is effe$ting Ameri$a as a wh le% I firml" belie!e ea$h in#i!i#ual has a resp nsibilit" t ha!e self $ ntr l an# m nit r an# maintain a health" lifest"le% Being bese is n it% Elean r 7 ne pers ns fault but " ur wn an# n ne else $an fi/

se!elt sai# it best, (In the l ng run, we shape ur li!es, an# we shape ursel!es% 0he

pr $ess ne!er en#s until we #ie% An# the $h i$es we ma'e are ultimatel" ur wn resp nsibilit"%) I en$ urage " u t spen# s me time thin'ing ab ut this issue an# l ' at what " u put int " ur b #" an# what the ut$ mes ma" be$ me% I $ann t agree with -rba$h that an" w man w ul# get fat r sta" fat t pr !e a p int against s $iet"% I thin' her feminist stan# n the matter gi!es alrea#" bese w men an ptimisti$ !iew n where the" are but is n t s mething t be applau#e# f r% -rba$h is right that the me#ia gi!es an unrealisti$ i#ea f h w w men sh ul# l ' an# #ress% I still insist that using besit" as a wa" t stan# up against the me#ia is n nsense% 0here are man" wa"s t a! i# being 4u#ge# against this (perfe$t w man) image su$h as reali5ing that " u alrea#" are the perfe$t " u an# n anti=wrin'le $ream, #iet pill, r frill" bl use is g ing t $hange that% -n$e a w man $an l ' in the mirr r an# trul" belie!e that she is beautiful 4ust as she is $an she ma'e a stan# against a

Clift s $ial !iew f what is r isn6t beautiful% ?sing this feminist !iew gi!es a thumbs up t the bese w men, but we nee# t remember that being !erweight is n t a g an" ne else% # thing f r the in#i!i#ual r