Debbie and Laurie say:
We really liked Zuzu’s comments on Josh Max’s piece on loving fat women in Salon. (It’s Salon: you have to watch an ad or subscribe.)
Although we agree with Zuzu that he is a little too pleased with himself, we’re always glad to see opinions like his in the world.
In our experience with Women En Large, many people who love fat women (or fat men) have an intense and overwhelming need to believe that other people see the beauty they see. When we did the work, we were thinking much more about the models and women who could relate to the models; we had no idea how many lovers, partners, brothers, sisters, and spouses of fat women were hungering for someone else who believed the people they loved were beautiful. The grateful mail we get sixteen years later still reflects this, as do the books people buy for their lovers and family members.
Zuzu goes on to talk about her dilemma as a fat woman, with fetishists on one side and fat-haters on the other, and how hard it can be to find the “normal guys.” Every fat woman, including Debbie, can relate to this one. What it brings up for us, though, is that the fat-haters and the fetishists are also making it hard for the fine folks who just appreciate what they see. Like Josh Max, they have to gird their loins to argue with the bigots. Meanwhile, fascinating and attractive women like Zuzu take themselves out of the game because the fat-haters are far too cruel and the fetishists are just too irritating.