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. Regarding the episode she recorded, host and comedian Steve Harvey asks the participants to resolve an extremely loaded statement: “Name grounds a woman might choose to be with a chubby or fat man.”
The contestants’ answers end up supplying a humorous round in the minds associated with participants, Steve Harvey, and presumably the viewers.
But my sister didn’t share this movie on her behalf Facebook page to garner laughs from her family and friends. It had been just the opposite: my cousin ended up being aggravated in the round’s subject therefore the responses provided. My sibling composed:
“This actually bothers me personally! for this reason people think you need to be skinny/fit become stunning, to be desired, to be liked, and also to deserve anything…this is never OK!”
My sister tagged me on this page once you understand my history in fat studies and sex studies (so when a fat masculine person), once you understand I would personally agree together with her frustrations.
Image description: A screenshot associated with the 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 particular round of Family Feud does correctly is summarize a number of the unfortunate myths our society perpetuates about fat individuals — specifically, fat males — and relationships.
Nonetheless, calling away fatphobic fables had been demonstrably perhaps not the game’s aim. Alternatively it perpetuated body terrorism against fat figures to get cheap laughs. Let’s undergo each one of the top six many popular responses in order to better understand how they’re inaccurate and bad for males of size.
1. “Fatty Got Money!”: Fat Men Are Only Valuable For Their Cash or Energy
The misconception: the fact this misconception is considered the most popular of this six offered responses — 34 of this 100 individuals initially surveyed provided this or a answer that is similarly-worded is troubling by itself. This misconception is one thing we come across throughout US tradition, whether or not it’s in films, politics, or popular tradition.
If a classically appealing individual of every sex is by using a fat guy, the overall presumption is the fact that this fat guy should have cash or some type of energy. Why else would an individual who could presumably get with anybody they desired prefer to get with a disgusting man that 
This sort of thought is incredibly damaging for a complete lot of fat males, putting almost all their value as individuals in to the cash or energy they might or might not have.
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The facts: While you will find, needless to say, some individuals whom just seek relationships for cash or energy, the fact is that frequently, individuals will prefer to get with a fat man because they really wish to be with him. This misconception is significantly less usually put on thin or “fit” guys, unless of program see your face is famous to own money or energy. However it’s much easier for folks to comprehend two thin or usually appealing individuals being together because they’re drawn to one another than when a skinny or person that is traditionally attractive become with a fat guy for any other less trivial reasons.
2. “She’s Fat/Digs Food”: Fat People Just Like Other Fat Individuals
The myth: with this specific misconception, we come across just how individuals try 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 misconception is a relevant myth that is fatphobic that all fat individuals love to consume a lot of meals, and all sorts of individuals who like to eat foodstuffs are fat.
The reality: place clearly, the presumption that fat individuals will just look for relationships along with other fat individuals is false. Humans — fat, thin, as well as in between — could be and frequently are interested in a variety that is wide of of all sizes and shapes. To assume that fat individuals will just ever be with fat individuals is at ab muscles least ignorant, if you don’t entirely fatphobic and sizeist.
So when for the basic indisputable fact that fatness is inherently correlated with (over)eating — that is another myth too.
3. “She’ll Look Better”: Fat Guys Are Ugly
The misconception: all men that are fat relating to this worldview, are inherently less appealing than just about any partner they might ever have. Such men’s lovers would only utilize them to look more desirable in comparison. This misconception helps make the assumption that, as stated above, no one could conceivably take a relationship with a fat man because they’re actually interested in him. Fat folks are just tools to make their (presumably non-fat) partners feel more desirable.
The facts: in the same way some individuals might pursue a man that is fat cash or energy, many people might only pursue fat men to look more desirable to other people. In fact, though, this is apparently less frequent than this solution might have us think.
I’ll keep saying the idea, even though We appear to be a broken record: lots of people really find fat males appealing!