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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. A woman might choose to be with a chubby or fat guy. From the episode she recorded, host and comedian Steve Harvey asks the participants to respond to an extremely loaded statement: “Name reasons”

The contestants’ answers end up providing a round that is humorous the minds regarding the contestants, Steve Harvey, and presumably the viewers.

But my sister did share that is n’t video clip on the Facebook web web page to garner laughs from her relatives and buddies. It had been just the opposite: my sibling had been annoyed in the round’s subject and also the responses offered. My sis penned:

“This really bothers me personally! For this reason individuals think you need to be skinny/fit to be gorgeous, to be desired, to be liked, and also to deserve anything…this is certainly not OKAY! ”

My sister tagged me personally in this article knowing my history in fat studies and sexuality studies (so that as a fat person that is masculine, once you understand i might concur along with her frustrations.

Image description: A screenshot regarding the Family Feud game board because of the six most well known responses: “Fatty got money” (34 away from 100 people 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 single thing this specific round of Family Feud does correctly is summarize many of the unfortunate fables our society perpetuates about fat people — specifically, fat males — and relationships.

But, calling down myths that are fatphobic clearly maybe not the game’s aim. Alternatively it perpetuated body terrorism against fat figures to score cheap laughs. Let’s proceed through each one of the top six many popular responses in order to better understand how they’re inaccurate and damaging to males of size.

1. “Fatty Got Money! ”: Fat Men Are Only Valuable With Their Cash or Energy

The misconception: the truth that this myth is considered the most popular associated with the six offered responses — 34 associated with the 100 individuals initially surveyed provided this or perhaps a similarly-worded response — is troubling by itself. This misconception is one thing we come across throughout US tradition, whether or not it is in films, politics, or popular tradition.

The general assumption is that this fat man has to have money or some sort of power if a classically attractive person of any gender is with a fat man. Why else would somebody who could presumably get with anybody they desired prefer to get with a disgusting man that is fat right?

This sort of idea is extremely damaging for the large amount of fat males, putting each of their value as individuals in to the cash or energy they could or might not have.

More reads that are radical going from Healthism to Radical Self-Love: the person when you look at the picture

The truth: While you will find, needless to say, some individuals whom just seek relationships for cash or energy, the fact is that frequently, people will prefer to get having a man that is fat they really wish to be with him. This misconception is significantly less usually applied to skinny or “fit” guys, unless of program see your face is well known to possess cash or energy. Nonetheless it’s much easier for folks to know two thin or typically appealing individuals being together because they’re interested in one another than each time a thin or person that is traditionally attractive become having a fat guy for any other less shallow reasons.

2. “She’s Fat/Digs Food”: Fat People Just Like Other Fat People

The misconception: with this particular misconception, we come across just just how individuals try to simply take away fat people’s agency. It means 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 an associated fatphobic misconception: that most fat individuals love to consume lots of meals, and all sorts of individuals who like to consume food are fat.

The reality: Put clearly, the presumption that fat individuals will just look for relationships along with other people that are fat false. Humans — fat, skinny, as well as in between — could be and frequently are interested in a wide number of individuals of all of the sizes and shapes. To assume that fat individuals will just ever be with fat individuals has reached ab muscles least ignorant, if you don’t entirely fatphobic and sizeist.

And also as for the indisputable fact that fatness is inherently correlated with (over)eating — that is another misconception too.

3. “She’ll Look Better”: Fat Guys Are Unattractive

The myth: All fat males, based on this worldview, are inherently less attractive than any partner they might ever have. Such men’s lovers would just utilize them to seem more desirable in comparison. This misconception makes the assumption that, as previously mentioned above, no body could conceivably maintain a relationship with a fat guy because they’re actually interested in him. Fat folks are merely tools to presumably make their non-fat) lovers feel more desirable.

The reality: just like some individuals might pursue a fat man for cash or energy, some individuals might just pursue fat guys to appear more desirable to other people. In fact, though, this appears to be less frequent than this solution might have us think.

I’ll keep repeating the idea, just because We seem like a broken record: many people actually find fat guys appealing!

4. “She’s In Love”

This is really the only answer that is truly mocking-free in the most effective responses regarding the board. That by itself is illustrative for the fatphobia that is entrenched display when you look at the remaining portion of the responses. Moreover it will come in at 9/100, and therefore away from 100 individuals surveyed, “She’s in love” had been the solution provided by just nine people.

What exactly are fat males viewing designed to think of their health and their well worth as humans?

5. “He’s Warm/Cuddly”: Fat Men Are Great For Cuddling Although Not Intercourse

The misconception: that is those types of “positive stereotypes” many of us make an effort to used to buttress their blatant bigotry. It’s somewhat similar to statements like “all Asians are smart” or “all homosexual men are trendy and confident. ”

Fat men are stereotyped to be warm and cuddly, although not much else in the “positive” part of stereotyping. As proof of this, among the game show contestants offered a remedy that finished up not being from the board: that a female would date a fat guy because he had been proficient at intercourse. Steve Harvey, in their “comedic” fashion, responded as though it was the essential outrageous response in the planet, with all the other contestants while the audience laughing in contract. In that way, the show promoted the idea that while fat men can be hot and cuddly, they aren’t become seen as intimate beings, let alone “good” at sex.

The reality: the matter with “positive stereotypes” is they automatically alienate anybody who does not participate in those stereotypes. A whole lot worse, they alienate anybody who would like to be viewed much more than simply the caricature of themsleves painted by culture.

Truly the only quality that is redeeming tradition enables fat men — if they aren’t rich or effective, and never also 100% of that time — is that they’re like fluffy bears. Even though many fat men are indeed “warm and cuddly, for them to see this as their only positive trait” it’s harmful.

Further, just exactly what somebody perceives to be that is“good “bad” at sex can be completely subjective and situated in individual choice. Ridiculing the idea that fat guys could possibly be “good” at sex further entrenches fatphobia that is systemic.

6. “He Won’t Cheat”: Fat Men Are Too Eager For Want To Be Unfaithful

The misconception: Fat men won’t ever cheat on the lovers, the reasoning goes, because they wouldn’t do just about anything to destroy the “only sure thing” they will have within their present relationship. Or in other words, they know that no one else would like to be with them.

The reality: To bluntly put it, this will be upright incorrect. This dehumanizing survey solution assumes that fatness is inherently correlated with desperation for intimate and intimate attention.

As damning as it can be to acknowledge, fat guys are just like likely as virtually any guys to cheat to their lovers. And many more crucially, this misconception posits that fat males are so unattractive, no one will give them an opportunity to cheat on the lovers, which, once more, can be inappropriate to assume.