It’s not the best rage-filled letter I’ve ever sent, but I think it gets the point across…
I emailed Kate Schweitzer, web editor for Marie Claire, the following:
Hi Ms. Schweitzer,
I was very upset to read on the Marie Claire website the article by Ms. Kelly about fat characters on television. As a PhD student in Communication whose research interests include representations of fat bodies on television (and in magazines like Marie Claire), I’ve learned to develop a thick skin so that all the rampant fat hate out there doesn’t get to me. This article, however, struck a nerve. In her article, Ms. Kelly wrote: “I think I’d be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other … because I’d be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room.” The level of not just hate but DEHUMANIZATION in this article is appalling, and the fact that you continue to let this article be displayed on your website is evidence of Marie Claire’s sheer hypocrisy. You LOVED getting all that attention when “the girl on page 194” caused a (positive, happy) stir last year… you even immediately allowed a fat writer to run a fashion blog for your mag and started to include even more plus-size models than ever before in your pages. Although I am not an avid reader of Marie Claire, when I was younger I had a subscription, and your recent efforts to better portray fat women did not go unnoticed. However, all of that great work you did to win over a potentially HUGE readership could be undone if something is not done IMMEDIATELY to rectify this situation. I hope that the article will be taken down, and that both the author AND THE MAGAZINE will issue apologies. I and many others have already taken to Twitter and blogs to spread the word about this hateful incident. It is in Marie Claire’s best interest to take care of this matter promptly and with sincerity.
Thank you for your time.
Margitte(You can email her, too! kschweitzer@hearst.com)
P.S. Uh-oh! Fat people kissing!!! <3
I think everyone should send Kate Schweitzer photos of their fat selves kissing other fat people to pass on the author of that article.
Here’s mine:
