RDreamer

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,119
Of course not. banning smoking in ads and PG movies didn't stop smoking either but we still decided it was a good thing so we didn't normalize the behavior in children.
You're right, we shouldn't normalize the behavior of *checks notes* shaving.

To be more precise it's shaving before going out for a swim, which is a healthy activity.
 

Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,922
Finland
The woman in the picture isn't happy because she's at a buffet. She's happy because she's at a beach and wearing whatever she wants without shame.
No one is saying that obese people shouldn't be happy (or no one worth listening to at least). I know that I would have probably had a much easier time losing the actual weight if I were happy instead of an anxiety and depression ridden mess.

But I don't think obese people should be happy with where they're at, and that's what the ad seems to be projecting. It's all about having a healthy self-image, and I don't think forcing that healthy self-image at any and all cost (including your own actual health) is at all a positive thing.

Morbid obesity really is an issue on the level of anorexia, and it should be something you're striving to fix, not accept.
So I asked this question to another person already who didn't respond, it's not necessarily an experience you've had. But have you ever felt doubts of going to a beach wearing swimtrunks, to have your body for others to see. Have you felt shame because of it, have you feared bullying because of your size? I don't know how much overweight you are, but I'm interested about these feelings.
 

Persephone

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,684
As someone who got called "fatty" at the swimming pool by a grownass man when I was nine years old, I would have loved to see an ad like this. But what do I know, I'm just a dumb fat bitch :sips tea:
 

Heckler456

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,256
Belgium
So I asked this question to another person already who didn't respond, it's not necessarily an experience you've had. But have you ever felt doubts of going to a beach wearing swimtrunks, to have your body for others to see. Have you felt shame because of it, have you feared bullying because of your size?
I've lived that my entire life, and was severely bullied throughout almost all of my teenage years for being obese.
 

Aztechnology

Community Resettler
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
14,241
How is the ad doing that, it's just a picture of a happy woman. Are bigger people not allowed to be happy?
It's not telling people it's okay to be heavy. It's telling people it's okay to be happy and enjoy yourself and have fun even if you're heavy.

An obese person being happy and having fun isn't the same as an obese person being happy because they're obese. A lot of the comments here are conflating the two, as if the mere notion of showing an obese person in the context of having fun and enjoying themselves is expressing acceptance and enjoyment of their obesity, rather that expressing that you don't have to hide or feel ashamed like you're a grotesque monster
Ah my mistake for conflating the to two then. I'm referring more to the "accept and love your body" kind of aspect of these kinds of things even for clearly unhealthy. That I believe is a dangerous position to take.

That's what I meant I guess.
 
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Oct 27, 2017
7,466
Hulu has a really good new show called Shrill that stars Aidy Bryant. It's funny and often heart breaking in how it deals with how strangers, friends and family treat overweight women.
 

PoppaBK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,165
I think we can all agree that all those comments towards her are disgusting and no person who suffers through anything should have to deal with that. I get what they're trying to say that you can be happy no matter your weight, and I agree with that. Obesity is currently the #2 cause of preventable death in the USA and should not be glorified like this, regardless of intentions by the company.
It's a tough one for sure. How do you be accepting of the outward signs of an unhealthy lifestyle without celebrating or normalizing the unhealthy lifestyle.
 

Psamtik

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,002
You know what makes it harder to lose weight?

Being made to feel like shit for carrying extra weight.
 

Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,922
Finland
I've lived that my entire life, and was severely bullied throughout almost all of my teenage years for being obese.
Sorry to hear that. But one would assume that not having that fear and feeling, would have made it better for you to participate in things. I also know how it feels. I was bit chubby as a young kid. I went to a child psychologist over my fears. Already at the age around of 7-9. I tried to skip all the gymnastic classes, because after that was always showering. I wanted to participate, I love sports. But I wouldn't want to show my body to others, because I feared they would mock me. Of course I couldn't skip all the classes, I eventually had to participate. So then I just waited until others showered. It was extremely uncomfortable to explain why I didn't go to the showers yet, what I am waiting for. I couldn't just tell to classmates that I'm afraid. They didn't even bully me, but because I knew the sentiment existed I was still insanely afraid. These same feelings are present in adults too. Objecting to this ad sends a message that overweight people shouldn't be at beaches wearing swimsuits. That people don't want to see them. Going to a beach or going to swimming pool is really fun way to exercise and keep care of yourself. But many feel excluded from things like these, because of fear. It's similar why some say that they don't want to hit the gym. People might say "Pffft, nobody judges you! Just hit the gym, we're really helpful".But there's always judgement going on, even if it's not straight in your face. "I saw this sweaty pig at the gym today. He smelled so bad!!" The backlash to this ad brings it to people's faces.

Being against body shaming, isn't being in favor of poor health.
 
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Siggy-P

Avenger
Mar 18, 2018
11,893
As someone who used to be kinda fat, lost weight and is now pretty healthy, I'm gonna tell you, telling people they're disgusting never motivates anyone.
 

brainchild

Independent Developer
Verified
Nov 25, 2017
9,516
It's not telling people it's okay to be heavy. It's telling people it's okay to be happy and enjoy yourself and have fun even if you're heavy.

An obese person being happy and having fun isn't the same as an obese person being happy because they're obese. A lot of the comments here are conflating the two, as if the mere notion of showing an obese person in the context of having fun and enjoying themselves is expressing acceptance and enjoyment of their obesity, rather that expressing that you don't have to hide or feel ashamed like you're a grotesque monster

This is exactly it.

Depicting obese people as happy isn't saying it's good to be obese, it's humanizing people with obesity.

We have to do better about how we treat obese people and telling them them that they should feel miserable until they lose weight ain't it.
 
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Nateo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,706
Obesity isnt ok nor should it be something to be comfortable with or positive about. Gillette are smart though they knew what this ad would do.
 
Oct 27, 2017
4,432
The opposite of morbidly skinny is morbidly obese.

So no.

Secondly, it was most defiantly due to the body health issues as well as the mental ones.

Trans people and gay people aren't unhealthy nor are they a public health concern. So that's a scratch.

But your crusade is because obesity increases medical costs and reduces life span, right?

I might be wrong, but based on what I've seen (looked up 5 studies) gay men, and transgendered people, have higher mortality rates and shorter life expectancy. I couldn't find a good study, but I strongly suspect that transgendered folks spend more on medical costs (or have more associated costs) than their hetero peers. So, should they also not be shown? Dont want to promote anything if it leads to increased health care costs or increased mortality rates, right?

But of course none of that fucking matters because people living their own lives, how they want, while being accepted by society, is infinitely more important than a stranger trying to min-max a different strangers life-expectancy/medical costs while knowing literally nothing about them.

Banning anything that increases healthcare costs or mortality rates from being shown on TV ads (even with removed context) is incredibly stupid.

EDIT: didnt refresh and see you were banned. Whoops.
 
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Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,922
Finland
Obesity isnt ok nor should it be something to be comfortable with or positive about. Gillette are smart though they knew what this ad would do.
One should have concern for their health, but nobody should object to obese people showing skin. They should be just as comfortable showing their body as anyone.
 

Siggy-P

Avenger
Mar 18, 2018
11,893
The reality with anything is that regardless of what we post, people who are obese are probably an open market for this sort of product.

And in general, ignoring this particular advert for a second, are people claiming that any depiction of someone who is obese is supporting or encouraging obesity? If I create a hair product advert for example like shampoo with a model who is obese I am encouraging obesity?

The answer is no.
 

DigitalOp

Member
Nov 16, 2017
9,370
Are you all still surprised that ERA is full of self important dickheads?

Stop being surprised
 

softfocus

Member
Oct 30, 2017
903
This ad just proves that the men Gillette ad from a few months ago was actually a success despite the "boycotts". In 2019, advertising execs are thinking differently because traditional advertising isn't working (blame ad blockers and TiVo for that). So get used to this form of advertising.
Also, I personally feel the people saying "it's promoting obesity" are just using an excuse to fat shame. Yeah it's in your face that she's a bigger girl, but that's the point.
 

VectorPrime

Banned
Apr 4, 2018
11,781
Picture the opposite. If the woman in the ad was instead as underweight as she is overweight literally no one would be celebrating the ad and would be rightfully calling it dangerous. She isn't a plus sized model healthy at any size, she's morbidly obese.
 

Heckler456

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,256
Belgium
ResetEra and hatred towards fat people, name a more iconic duo.
RestetEra and strawmen?
Sorry to hear that. But one would assume that not having that fear and feeling, would have made it better for you to participate in things. I also know how it feels. I was bit chubby as a young kid. I went to a child psychologist over my fears. Already at the age around of 7-9. I tried to skip all the gymnastic classes, because after that was always showering. I wouldn't want to show my body to others, because I feared they would mock me. Of course I couldn't skip all the classes, I eventually had to participate. So then I just waited until others showered. It was extremely uncomfortable to explain why I didn't go to the showers yet, what I am waiting for. I couldn't just tell to classmates that I'm afraid. They didn't even bully me, but because I knew the sentiment existed I was still insanely afraid. These same feelings are present in adults too. Objecting to this ad sends a message that overweight people shouldn't be at beaches wearing swimsuits. That people don't want to see them. Going to a beach or going to swimming pool is really fun way to exercise and keep care of yourself. But many feel excluded from things like these, because of fear. It's similar why some say that they don't want to hit the gym. People might say "Pffft, nobody judges you! Just hit the gym, we're really helpful". But there's always judgement going on, even if it's not straight in your face. The backlash to this ad brings it to people's faces.

Being against body shaming, isn't being in favor of poor health.
Again, like, yeah, I would have had an easier time of it if I were actually happy. But I think you and a lot of people here are conflating a couple of things. Not being accepting of obesity doesn't mean that we should be bullying or ostracizing people who are obese. Not wanting to normalize obesity doesn't mean that obese people shouldn't be able to go to the beach without being made fun of.

Would you be alright with ads showing anorexic patients being happy with their body type?
 
Oct 25, 2017
4,864
New York City
The ad is in absolutely no way disputing the fact that a poor diet and being overweight are unhealthy. If anything, it's saying that mentally and physically being free and going outside to live life is a healthy lifestyle, regardless of who you are. It takes issue with the so-called "rules" that overweight people should be shamefully sight unseen instead of going out and being active and alive.

In fact, I would argue they're trying to break the important barrier many people have when trying losing weight - the feeling of shame that keeps many from being active and doing what they want to do, whether it's going to the beach, hitting the gym, or even just going outside in the summer (all three are things I'm personally hesitant on doing).
 

Persephone

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,684
Like. People saying "wHaT iF iT wAs An AnOreXiC mOdeL???" are completely ignoring. you know. context??? women have been told for decades that they need to be skinny to the point where anorexia has been held up as a beauty ideal. women have never been told "uhh actually sweatie you can't be hot if you don't weigh 300lbs :)))". of course an ad featuring an anorexic woman would be blasted because we're programmed to think unhealthy skinniness = ideal body as marketed. no one's gonna look at this picture and say "gosh, clearly they think i need to look like her if i want to be beautiful". critical thinking skills? era doesnt know her
 

Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,922
Finland
RestetEra and strawmen?

Again, like, yeah, I would have had an easier time of it if I were actually happy. But I think you and a lot of people here are conflating a couple of things. Not being accepting of obesity doesn't mean that we should be bullying or ostracizing people who are obese. Not wanting to normalize obesity doesn't mean that obese people shouldn't be able to go to the beach without being made fun of.

Would you be alright with ads showing anorexic patients being happy with their body type?
I'd want anorexic people to live without shaming and ridicule too yes. I want them to get healthy though just like with obese people. I want to be supportive.

I'm not sure you understood my point how shaming people for showing their body prevents them from getting better health-wise. Because this ad specifically is about overweight people being allowed to show skin. Being beautiful and confident isn't same as being healthy. There's plenty of people who look gorgeous but don't have healthy lifestyle You and many are conflating health with looks. Objecting to this is objecting to looks, not health.

River Phoenix looked healthy, he was gorgeous. But his unhealthy lifestyle still took him to an early grave. Wearing a jacket and long pants wouldn't make the woman in the picture to lose pounds.
 
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Oct 27, 2017
4,432
As said before, I rarely see obese men promoted in the same manner as the OP.

Well, gilette (or another razor/means beauty company?) just had an ad with a very overweight, younger man in front of a bathroom mirror. I cant find it, which might itself speak volumes.

Anyone remember this? It's not old, and might even still be showing. Pretty sure it was a young, obese black man in front of a bathroom mirror.
 

Nateo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,706
So obese people should never be happy or positive. Imagine being a person who thinks this.
I probably could have phrased it better. But the way I see it the body positivity movement to include morbidly obese people is not a good idea. Its a massive health concern in developed countries. Spinning it into a positive thing to be advertised is not a good move unless you are looking to create controversy.


Isn't it funny that calls for not promoting unhealthy only happens when a fat woman isn't shown negatively? Never when it's a fat guy.

HMMMMMMMMMMM

I cant think of a single time where a man has been advertised in this manner so I have no idea what you are trying to say here. But I dont believe it works like you think it does.
 

Deleted member 888

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,361
some people in here want the only media depiction of fat people to be a morbidly obese woman kneeling naked in the middle of a mcdonalds and flagellating herself while screaming "fat is bad" over and over again

Like. People saying "wHaT iF iT wAs An AnOreXiC mOdeL???" are completely ignoring. you know. context??? women have been told for decades that they need to be skinny to the point where anorexia has been held up as a beauty ideal. women have never been told "uhh actually sweatie you can't be hot if you don't weigh 300lbs :)))". of course an ad featuring an anorexic woman would be blasted because we're programmed to think unhealthy skinniness = ideal body as marketed. no one's gonna look at this picture and say "gosh, clearly they think i need to look like her if i want to be beautiful". critical thinking skills? era doesnt know her

Not at all. One or two posters in a whole topic have responded with mean comments.

Most people would see it constructive if overweight wasn't correlated with morbidly obese in order to shift towards a cultural trend of accepting overweight is simply overweight. It's not. We've even seen the word skinny replacing anorexia in here, you're even kind of doing that yourself. People are not being honest with definitions and medical language.

The hostility yourself and others respond with probably in part exacerbates the statistics that show nearly half of America is obese.
 

Tigress

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,324
Washington
So torn on this sort of promotion. On one hand yes, people should be allowed to be happy and enjoy life even if they're overweight. On the other hand, I can't really support ads or campaigns that promote extremely unhealthy lifestyles.

This is where I'm at, kinda. Except I'm not sure how I feel about this ad. I like that it tries to encourage people not looking down on her but at the same time I agree with obesity shouldn't be normalized. But, here is a question, how do you get more people to be accepting of something that you don't want them ok with being without normalizing it?
 

Josh378

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,545
I am ok with loving the person for who they are, I am NOT onk with loving a body sickness such as obesity. You should NOT be abusive to anyone at ALL regardless of weight, size, color..etc. However, I don't support obesity in itself. This shouldn't be a 10 page argument. I would think our fellow humankind would know that those are two separate subjects in itself.
 

RedMercury

Blue Venus
Member
Dec 24, 2017
17,852
. Not wanting to normalize obesity doesn't mean that obese people shouldn't be able to go to the beach without being made fun of.
The goddamn ad doesn't "normalize" obesity, it's just a picture of a woman who is seemingly happy and having fun. If it normalizes anything, it's that bigger people can be happy and have fun, but for some reason when you look at it that isn't what you see, you attach some whole dehumanizing agenda to it.

You people need to understand, the ad doesn't "support obesity" any more than an ad with a thinner person. That has shit all to do with it, all it's showing is bigger people can be happy and have fun. And need to buy razors. If you see it that way, it's because instead of you seeing a happy woman, you see an overweight woman and want to start pointing out all the problems you see with it. Stop it. Let people live and be happy FFS
 

Etrian Oddity

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,429
I think gillets intent(as they have been on a progressive PR campaign recently) is to glorify the woman as a person and show that she is a human being and has dignity despite not being our societies typical definition of beauty. I get that and its commendable message on an empowerment level.

However, it also has the potential send a different more damaging message inadvertently regarding the realities regarding health and the danger of glorifying unhealthy lifestyles. In America especially which has this issue regarding excess or obsession due to various issues such as depression or what not, it should be looked at more carefully to not be seen as glorifying that message as opposed to the original intent.

TLDR : Everyone who is insulting this woman due to her body type should fuck off. But having pride in being slightly overweight is different from being unhealthily obese and that should be distinguished as a health issue rather than an image issue.
This is a very good post from the first page that needs more exposure.
 

Kyuuji

The Favonius Fox
Member
Nov 8, 2017
32,990
Well, gilette (or another razor/means beauty company?) just had an ad with a very overweight, younger man in front of a bathroom mirror. I cant find it, which might itself speak volumes.

Anyone remember this? It's not old, and might even still be showing. Pretty sure it was a young, obese black man in front of a bathroom mirror.
I don't use social media much, read magazines or watch TV, and skip any advert I can, so my awareness of advertising campaigns is limited in general. So most of these campaigns I see are through posts like this, typically on this forum. To that extent I think the question of that bias is a good one to raise, though the thread (and thus my awareness of the advert) was brought about by someone defending the tweets.

I just don't think it's accurate to cast aspertions on people as though their primary issue isn't obesity as they say, rather that it's a woman. I'm sure some have that as an issue but see no sense in painting the entire other side of the argument with that same brush.
 

Jamiaro

Member
Jan 8, 2018
482
Finland
Omg some of you people. :/

The ad is fine for what it is and what it advertises. Stop seeing issues where there isn't any!
 
Oct 25, 2017
3,428
It's a good ad in my book. Yes obesity is bad, but that's beside the point. Many overweight feel ashamed of exercising outside or going to the beach, because they think people are judging them. This "fat shaming" makes the obesity epidemic worse, not better. If people can be less ashamed of their bodies and go outside and get some physical activity, that will reduce obesity, not promote it.
 

Rivenblade

Member
Nov 1, 2017
37,225
Are you all still surprised that ERA is full of self important dickheads?

Stop being surprised

But you need to understand how -I- feel about this issue and how -I- feel about obese people. They shouldn't be happy with where they're at. They should want to get better so they don't disgust me. And it's also better for THEM! See? Win-win! They look a way that's acceptable to ME and the rest of society AND they get to live longer! Why is that a bad thing, friend DigitalOp? Surely, you see I'm just trying to help from a point of benevolence. Btw, how much you bench? Spot me, bro.
 

Deleted member 888

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,361
But you need to understand how -I- feel about this issue and how -I- feel about obese people. They shouldn't be happy with where they're at. They should want to get better so they don't disgust me. And it's also better for THEM! See? Win-win! They look a way that's acceptable to ME and the rest of society AND they get to live longer! Why is that a bad thing, friend DigitalOp? Surely, you see I'm just trying to help from a point of benevolence. Btw, how much you bench? Spot me, bro.

Like literally no one in this topic is saying that apart from one or two who were banned. The trend of posters using strawman argumentation on this forum to attack other posters is getting tiresome.

That doesn't make anyone "win" an internet argument, it just makes you dishonest.

Quote the posts that speak like that, or report them, don't just come into a topic to try and poison the well.
 

Endaeias

Member
Jan 11, 2018
308
I honestly think that some people have a misconstrued understanding of being obese/overweight. I'm technically overweight (6'5", 280-286lbs) but I'm healthier than a friend of mine that is the same height but weighs less (6'5", 160-165lbs). Just because someone is overweight doesn't mean that they don't always take care of themselves. Weight alone isn't the defining factor when it comes down to health.

That's not to say that someone who's 600lbs is healthy - they've clearly let themselves go and aren't trying to remain active/healthy. But just being overweight doesn't necessarily mean someone should be "guilted" into being more healthy.
 

Deleted member 11626

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,199
I wish the people complaining about health conditions actually cared about her well being, or that of others. Nobody in this thread or the one on twitter, that is complaining about "glorifying" obesity, actually gives two flying fucks about the woman in the ad or any number of other obese people they come across. So honestly, why say anything at all? Why bother, if not to shame someone for their weight? None of you are doing this out of concern for anyone else.