topic Re: What is this fascination with... in Community Chat

What is this fascination with...

madzonie — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:17:40 GMT

... FAT people and LITTLE people? As a fat person, I don't get it.

Re: What is this fascination with...

SnowPink — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:20:30 GMT

People love watching the extremes - it's entertaining, or something.

Re: What is this fascination with...

June Lands — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:22:50 GMT

The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.

Re: What is this fascination with...

Free2be — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:23:50 GMT

A need to feel normal? Worry or fear? Seeing "different" people in non-threatening ways makes people more comfortable with their own lives?

Maybe like opening the closet door to ensure there are no monsters hiding. The little and fat people are real, they have real lives and real worries of their own. It tugs at hearts and are comfortably far removed from the "normal". And cute. And sad. And the normal keep on doing whatever it is they do, smiling or sighing.

Re: What is this fascination with...

NoelSeven — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:24:06 GMT

On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.

Neither are ""freaks.""

Re: What is this fascination with...

minkbunny — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:26:34 GMT

While I am neither a "fat" person or a "little" person, I find many of their stories very inspirational. The struggles they face and overcome, often with triumph, are inspiring to watch.

Re: What is this fascination with...

June Lands — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:27:49 GMT

On 2/7/2015 NoelSeven said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.
Neither are "freaks."

You are correct. But, the type of people who get off on watching these shows see them this way.

Re: What is this fascination with...

minkbunny — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:29:10 GMT

On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 NoelSeven said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.
Neither are "freaks."
You are correct. But, the type of people who get off on watching these shows see them this way.

I take offense at that characterization.

Re: What is this fascination with...

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:30:59 GMT

On 2/7/2015 Free2be said:
A need to feel normal? Worry or fear? Seeing "different" people in non-threatening ways makes people more comfortable with their own lives?

Maybe like opening the closet door to ensure there are no monsters hiding. The little and fat people are real, they have real lives and real worries of their own. It tugs at hearts and are comfortably far removed from the "normal". And cute. And sad. And the normal keep on doing whatever it is they do, smiling or sighing.

I think there is some truth to this.

Re: What is this fascination with...

June Lands — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:31:29 GMT

On 2/7/2015 minkbunny said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 NoelSeven said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.
Neither are "freaks."
You are correct. But, the type of people who get off on watching these shows see them this way.

I take offense at that characterization.

Then take it up with the producers of these reality shows.

Re: What is this fascination with...

minkbunny — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 02:35:31 GMT

I think Jen Arnold on the Little Couple (and the entire family) very inspirational. I don't find them freakish at all. Nor do I find others that I have watched now and then.

Re: What is this fascination with...

NoelSeven — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:20:39 GMT

On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 NoelSeven said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.
Neither are "freaks."
You are correct. But, the type of people who get off on watching these shows see them this way.

I don't think that's true. I doubt many people think that way anymore. Hopefully most of us are used to diversity now. Size doesn't matter when it comes to being a good person, a friend, a doctor, etc.

Re: What is this fascination with...

colliemom4 — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:22:43 GMT

I think TLC exploits many of these people. You can learn from some of the shows but definitely not all of them.

Re: What is this fascination with...

NoelSeven — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:24:16 GMT

On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 minkbunny said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 NoelSeven said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.
Neither are "freaks."
You are correct. But, the type of people who get off on watching these shows see them this way.

I take offense at that characterization.

Then take it up with the producers of these reality shows.

You're missing the point. Minky watches some of those shows and you are characterizing her in a negative way that is also untrue.

Re: What is this fascination with...

June Lands — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:26:27 GMT

On 2/7/2015 colliemom3 said:
I think TLC exploits many of these people. You can learn from some of the shows but definitely not all of them.

I remember the show a few years ago called Dance Your Fat As**s Off. They had these very obese people stuffed into tight belly exposing outfits,dancing. It was awful and hard to watch. It was not inspiring all. Anyone who enjoyed it had to just get off on it.

Re: What is this fascination with...

colliemom4 — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:30:33 GMT

On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 colliemom3 said:
I think TLC exploits many of these people. You can learn from some of the shows but definitely not all of them.

I remember the show a few years ago called Dance Your Fat As**s Off. They had these very obese people stuffed into tight belly exposing outfits,dancing. It was awful and hard to watch. It was not inspiring all. Anyone who enjoyed it had to just get off on it.

I don't think I saw that but they don't seem too selective about what they air. I used to love that channel and they took so many of their good programs off the air.

Re: What is this fascination with...

OC FRESH — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:30:48 GMT

I've been watching Little Women of LA and it's pretty entertaining following their lives and they explain a lot about their physical problems and how they deal with them plus they go out, date and although they do argue; they get over it unlike the h/w's shows.

They're all obsessed with getting pregnant though.

Re: What is this fascination with...

kdgn — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:36:46 GMT

On 2/7/2015 annabella said:
On 2/7/2015 NoelSeven said:
On 2/7/2015 annabella said: The little people thing and the fat people kind of bothers me. It seems exploitative. I think in the long run it does not help their plight to fit in and be accepted. People just enjoy watching like a freak show.
Neither are "freaks."
You are correct. But, the type of people who get off on watching these shows see them this way.

I have to question the part I underlined. I watch Jen Arnold and her husband Bill on their show. I don't "get off on watching" the episodes, I learn from them. That was their intent from the beginning.

Re: What is this fascination with...

colliemom4 — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:37:10 GMT

I saw the Little Woman show once. They are all entertainers correct?

Re: What is this fascination with...

Free2be — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 03:41:44 GMT

There was a little person in my extended family. He married a normal size woman and they had two normal size children. They lived what was for them a normal life in the traveling circus where he performed stand up and dance numbers. His wife was beautiful and was what would be considered, for that time, an exotic dancer. Three generations have followed his with out the gene expressing itself. The family has a number of photographs and circus ads plus family photos. They had a long and happy, as far as is known, marriage.