You Can Run, But You Can't Hide, from the Fat-Hating Monster

by Shaker Lindsey

¡Hola, Shakers! I'm a daily lurker at both Shakesville and Shapely Prose, among other feminist blogs. Though I'm a skinny gal myself, I'd definitely consider myself a (still learning) fat acceptance ally. I'm a student at Cornell University, and I was finishing my Spanish homework earlier this week when I came across a huge helping of WTF.

The workbook that my Spanish class uses is extremely common in universities across the country—it's a companion to one of the most popular Spanish textbooks available, Puntos de Partida, published by McGraw Hill. The following question is quoted from the workbook; bolding is mine.

Imagine that you are giving presents to the following people. Justify each choice of present by using one of these phrases. Add other details if you wish.

es gordo/a (he/she is fat)
necisitan comprar un televisor nuevo (they need to buy a new television)
le gusta la musica clasica (they like classical music)
tienen cuatro ninos (they have four kids)

1. programa de Weight Watchers / Rosie O'Donnell __________________
2. casa grande (large house)/ los Sres. Walker ___________________
3. dinero (money)/ mis padres (my parents)__________________
4. la sinfonias de Haydn (the symphonies of Hadyn)/ mi hermano Ramon (my brother Ramon) _____________________

One of these things is not like the others.

See what they did there?? I'm supposed to give a weight loss program to Rosie O'Donnell as a gift, because she's fat! It's funny…because she's fat!! Ha ha! This book is used in every college Spanish class I've heard of, so this message that we should be telling women to go on a diet (but it's as a gift! it's totally generous to police women's bodies!) is being spread to young women who are just trying to get their damn homework done.

What's worse is that we are asked to "justify" our answer. The use of the word "justify" says to the student, "it's okay to do this; she's a fatty who will obviously appreciate this thoughtful gift." There are a million ways to rationalize fat shaming or the hatred of women's bodies. We hear it from concern trolls all the time—but fat is unhealthy, don't they know that they're harming their bodies?! Obesity is an EPIDEMIC!!!1eleventy! I'm just trying to help! Well, now we have one more—I'm just giving the loving gift of Weight Watchers.

The prompt also gives us the freedom to "add other details" to our answer. What do they expect students to add to "Weight Watchers is for Rosie O'Donnell because she is fat"? Maybe one of the other concern troll Greatest Hits would be what they're going for.

And yes, this is but one miniscule example of how women's bodies are policed. But I was sitting alone in my room. I don't have a television; I don't listen to the radio. There was no music playing, and my roommates weren't home. I wasn't on the phone or looking in the mirror—hell, I don't even own a mirror bigger than six inches across. I wasn't reading a fashion magazine or watching a movie. I was alone in a silent room trying to finish my homework for the night, and I still got the message that FAT IS BAD and giving a diet as a gift is "justified." To me, that really drives home how ubiquitous fat-shaming is. The idea that we must hate our bodies and everyone else's—and that it's our business to get someone else on a diet—is literally inescapable.

If you'd like to do a bit of teaspooning, the contact information for the publisher is here:

General Customer Service
The McGraw-Hill Companies
P.O. Box 182604
Columbus, OH 43272
Phone: 1-877-833-5524
Fax: 1-614-759-3749
E-mail: customer.service@mcgraw-hill.com

Another way to help out? If any Spanish speakers could teach me how to say "Her body is no one's business but her own, and a diet is a terribly rude gift. I'd take her out to dinner and use the opportunity to discuss her successful career, instead" in Spanish, I'd really appreciate it.