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"Pro-Skinny" Website Body-Shames "Fatty" Kate Upton
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 9, 2012
Modified Jul 9, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 9, 2012
Modified Jul 9, 2012
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A self-declared "pro skinny" site called Skinny Gossip is body-shaming Kate Upton—the absolutely gorgeous model who graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue this year—for having what they call “huge thighs, NO waist, big fat floppy boobs.” The tags in their post include "thunder thighs" and "fatty," and their post is equally disgusting, filled with schoolyard insults and bullying, calling her both a cow and "piggie."
"She looks like a squishy brick. Is this what American women are 'striving' for now? The lazy, lardy look? Have we really gotten so fat in this country that Kate is the best we can aim for? Sorry, but: eww! Fashion is supposed to be aspirational—and the kind of people who aspire to look like this shop for clothes at Wal-Mart. She looks like she would work in the back of a motorcycle shop in Nashville and give (bad) blow jobs for $25."
The woman who runs the site remains anonymous, but maybe 4Chan can pull the curtain back on these terrible, pro-anorexic people?
UPDATE: Skinny Girl responded with a too little too late statement, in which she says, "As a thin person, I was annoyed by our double-standards around weight. For example, people think nothing of telling a thin woman—to their face, in front of an entire group of people—how skinny they are and even to suggest what they should eat." This, coming from the same person who "contributes" to society by bullying people who she deems overweight—with nasty, immature name-calling and body shaming.
UPDATE II: Skinny Gossip's "Skinny Girl" claims that she is not pro-anorexia, however, she has been posting a "Starving Tip Of The Day" for years. She has now taken them down, but they survive in cache. The tips read like a how-to guide for anorectics—a sampling:
- "Compete!! Compare your body to your friends’ and coworkers’ bodies. Are you the thinnest? If not, why not?"
- "Compete with yourself; test your willpower by making a delicious meal for your boyfriend. Serve it to him and everything—see if you can eat none of it."
- "When eating with others, cut your food up into really tiny pieces and move it around the plate. It makes it look like you ate a lot more than you really did."
- "Food JUST SITS THERE. Whenever you feel like reaching for some food, take another look at it and you’ll come to realize that it just sits there. All you have to do is NOT reach for it and you’re safe."
- "Live by the scale and the measuring tape."
Tagged
body shaming
kate upton
pro anorexia
skinny gossip
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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