I’m not going to commit to posting every day quite yet, but I will commit to at least one post per week, and see how that goes. I will also try not to turn into a mommyblog. But you know. There might be more mommyblog-esque content here and there. Once again: it’s Wigburg’s fault.

TSA Agent Does Not Enjoy Searching Fat People

November 23rd, 2010

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. —Ben Franklin

I’m sure you’ve all read plenty about the TSA furor, which has been upsetting plenty of people. Friend of the blog Aych has written about her experience, and posts written by and about rape survivors have added additional layers of horror to the whole thing—and have suggested that the purpose of the pat downs is not actually to search people, but to embarrass them into choosing the scanners instead.

So I was reading this article about how the TSA agents don’t like the patdowns any more than airline passengers do, and what’s one of their complaints? Of course. Fat people.

“It is not comfortable to come to work knowing full well that my hands will be feeling another man’s private parts, their butt, their inner thigh,” wrote one male agent. Even worse is having to try and feel inside the flab rolls of obese passengers, and we seem to get a lot of obese passengers!

Well gee, I’m really sorry my “flab rolls” are making you uncomfortable while you are groping my private parts in public. Obviously I should fall in line and just go for the option where my naked body gets projected on a screen for you instead.

Posted by mo pie

Filed under: Advocacy, Fatism, Feminism, Politics | 38 Comments »

Not All Armor Is Chain Mail: Dressing Your Best For Uncomfortable Gatherings

November 22nd, 2010

Well, would you look at that, it’s suddenly the week of Thanksgiving here in the US. You know what that means, right? Parties. Dress ups. Cocktail hours. Company shindigs.

And the downside to all of that glam? The family gathering.

Some of us are lucky enough to have happy families, supportive and warm loving families that do not thrive on dysfunction and backstabbing (and to you I say: what’s that like? And also, can I pet your unicorn sometime?) but I for one do not. It’s totally the wrong response, but I find that I do much better mentally if I am wearing something that I absolutely love and that I know looks fabulous on me. Pants that pull or shirts that pucker are not allowed! To risk the chance of absent-mindedly plucking at your clothing in a way that would be misinterpreted as weakness or insecurity will certainly give some well-meaning relative an opening to corner you just to remind you that you have such a pretty face if only you’d do something about –you know. UGH!

For instance, I fell in love with this purple paisley number before it was even out and have been wearing the hell out of it for weeks*. I love it and it makes me feel like I can take on the world, even when I wear it to work with a modesty cami and a boring cardigan to deal with our unpredictable office environment. And while I was in San Francisco two weeks ago, I stopped into the Donna Corset Top hanging near their work area. Sexy and powerful and enough to give even Aunt Betty pause. I ended up being very crass and turning a social visit into a shopping one, but I was powerless to resist buying the Moda Italiana*: the wool is seriously like buttah. Clearly I’m not the only one who loves it, as they are nearly sold out but the maxi coat is exactly the same indescribably baby soft wool and also gorgeous.

I’m also keeping an eye on this cute sweater dress from wrap dress from already knows about the English score ASOS Curve but this dress is either totally rock star or tragically marred by that fat girl dress shop need to slap shiny stuff on everything. My instinct is that it’s saved by the blend of sapphire and black.

What about you? What are your power outfits? Where should we be shopping for our next It Girl dress?

*This post is totally unbiased and was not compensated. Both the SWAK dress and the Igigi coat were my purchases and neither company requested a review. Additionally, neither I nor BFD received compensation or requests from LucieLu, Kiyonna or ASOS.

Posted by Weetabix

Filed under: Fashion | 13 Comments »

Reason #87858 that the world still needs Buffy The Vampire Slayer

November 10th, 2010

There are two new Uwe Boll films coming out: one is a documentary on Auschwitz and the other? I am not making this up: “a film about an overweight half-vampire who takes her hungry vengeance out on Hitler and his band of Nazis.”

You’ll love the title.

Without further delay, I give you the official trailer for Blubberella.

(Safe for work but probably not safe for potential body image triggers)