Post: #1

Quote:There's been quite a ruckus over a series of new PSA's by the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota asking overweight parents to set a better example for their overweight children. In the ads, parents see their bad habits spilling over into their children's lives in the form of Cocoa Krispies and orange soda, basically saying, "Hey, fat mom, it's your fault that your child is fat too."

It's a shaming tactic and it's really making people upset.

The lady-centric site Jezebel has been all up in arms over the ads with a lengthy diatribe about how ineffective this type of mortification approach is. According to author Lindy West, fat people already know they are fat and telling them won't do any good. Plus, telling kids that they are over-weight is just plain mean. These poor kids already have enough to deal with, what with Pillsbury and KFC cutting out trans-fats.


I hate to be facetious, and I am not trying to be offensive, but how can one argue with the logic that parents with poor eating habits beget children with poor eating habits? Perhaps these new PSAs are just not going about it the correct way and they need to rethink their approach. However, according to an NPR report on the topic, alternate methods have been attempted.

Marc Manley, the vice president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota who assisted in the creation of the ads, had tried other approaches.

"Our intent in creating these ads was really just to show good parents having moments of realization that they needed to change their own behavior in order to send the right message to their kid," Manley says.He says the nonprofit used to put out PSAs that were more positive, like this encouraging people to get up and dance. But, he says, the problem of obesity in Minnesota and nationwide is so tough, they needed a new, more dramatic approach.

So is there an effective way to tackle this situation in a delicate and PC manner? There is no denying that there is an obesity problem in this country when it has been stated that by 2019 obesity will be the number one cause of death in the United States. But if we aren't allowed to poke the problem in its (soft) middle than what is the answer? And don't say banning sugary sodas because no one think that is a good idea at all. Check the ads out for yourself.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/...t_peop.php

Post: #2

Fatties are costing the insurance companies a fortune.

I wouldn't be surprised if this campaign was meant to purposefully get them off their insurance rolls.

Post: #3

No doubt these are driven by the fact that fat people are taking a big bite out of the insurance companies' profits--and I hate HMOs--but I'm still loving those commercials.

Made my day.

Post: #4

Insurance companies should be able to charge the fuck out of obese people unless this is a proven medical condition. You'd see obesity levels dropping very fast once one's wallet is on the line.

Also, Jezebel is not only feminist, but also fat apologist? Double whammy so they can piss us of twice? Or maybe it goes hand in hand?

Post: #5

Lindy West is the fattie Oreo eating fattie.

Post: #6

(09-27-2012 07:27 PM)SVK Wrote:  Insurance companies should be able to charge the fuck out of obese people unless this is a proven medical condition. You'd see obesity levels dropping very fast once one's wallet is on the line.

Also, Jezebel is not only feminist, but also fat apologist? Double whammy so they can piss us of twice? Or maybe it goes hand in hand?

I'm quite sure they don't care if they target obese men, but target obese ladies?!! WTF. Don't us stupid men know we are supposed to be attracted to fatties?

Post: #7

   

Post: #8

I always wonder about the conversations they have when casting for this type of ad. Do they say things like "She's too fat," or "He's not round enough?"

Post: #9

Can someone summarize that Jezebel article? I couldn't get past the first paragraph. Nothing worse than a fatty who feels sorry for themselves.

Post: #10

Lindy West goes on and on about how terrible it was being a fat kid growing up, about all the teasing she was subjected to. But she never stops to consider that the easiest solution was... stop being fat? It's like if a guy here started posting threads about how his sucky body language makes girls lose interest in him, and asked "What can I do? Besides changing my body language, because I won't." We'd unanimously tell him to fuck off, that he doesn't deserve anything because he isn't willing to put in any real work. Same to the fattie.

Sure, there may be some fatties who can't help being fat. But statistically, they're a small minority of currently fat people, at most.

Post: #11

The people have spoken:

   

Post: #12

(09-27-2012 09:00 PM)basilransom Wrote:  Lindy West goes on and on about how terrible it was being a fat kid growing up, about all the teasing she was subjected to. But she never stops to consider that the easiest solution was... stop being fat? It's like if a guy here started posting threads about how his sucky body language makes girls lose interest in him, and asked "What can I do? Besides changing my body language, because I won't." We'd unanimously tell him to fuck off, that he doesn't deserve anything because he isn't willing to put in any real work. Same to the fattie.

Sure, there may be some fatties who can't help being fat. But statistically, they're a small minority of currently fat people, at most.

I would bet my bank account that Lindy West, like many women fatties, absolutely loathes short guys. And has zero empathy. Yet she wants the world to feel sorry for her, because here easily fixable condition isn't since she just can't stop eating.

Post: #13

Those are fucking awesome. I think fat people will try to arrange the electoral college to follow a weight-based protocol. One vote for every 100 lbs.

Post: #14

Absolutely beautiful and amazing ads, watched them twice each

Post: #15

(09-27-2012 09:25 PM)HeyPete Wrote:  

(09-27-2012 09:00 PM)basilransom Wrote:  Lindy West goes on and on about how terrible it was being a fat kid growing up, about all the teasing she was subjected to. But she never stops to consider that the easiest solution was... stop being fat? It's like if a guy here started posting threads about how his sucky body language makes girls lose interest in him, and asked "What can I do? Besides changing my body language, because I won't." We'd unanimously tell him to fuck off, that he doesn't deserve anything because he isn't willing to put in any real work. Same to the fattie.

Sure, there may be some fatties who can't help being fat. But statistically, they're a small minority of currently fat people, at most.

I would bet my bank account that Lindy West, like many women fatties, absolutely loathes short guys. And has zero empathy. Yet she wants the world to feel sorry for her, because here easily fixable condition isn't since she just can't stop eating.

You might be right, I think she's quite tall. She writes:

Quote:I was tall and athletic and big—I knocked stuff over, I blocked people's views, I was always in the way.

"Athletic" yeah right. I love it how some fat people, especially chicks think they're athletic. Every other fat girl is "training for marathon". Maybe Twinkie eating marathon...

Post: #16

Leave it to Jezebel to find something wrong with a concept that should be completely and utterly uncontroversial (discouraging children from developing life-threatening diseases is good). Next thing you know they're going to come out against taking diabetes medication because you can be "healthy at any blood sugar level" and having to take a pill every day "just for being a different size" is "shaming and degrading."

And yes, the ad campaign is absolutely all about making money (although the videos are still awesome). Insurance companies are anticipating the provisions of the Obama healthcare law coming into effect in 2014 which will prohibit them from refusing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions (which obese people are more likely to have) or dropping coverage when people develop illnesses (many of which are more common in the obese). It's definitely in the interest of insurance companies to discourage obesity going forward because they no longer have the luxury of excluding these people from their risk pools. It's definitely a major bright spot in the healthcare law because it means there's now a major financial and political interest that would benefit from curbing the obesity epidemic, which means somebody might actually do something about it.

Post: #17

These are great commercials. If they get offended, they are missing the big picture.

Post: #18

Those commercials are great. And I don't just mean the message, I mean the way in which they're done. Even if fat people don't mind eating themselves into an early grave, most people care deeply about their kids and their kids future. This is a great way to reach people. I wish both of these could appear during the superbowl.

Post: #19

Took a quick look at an obesity article on Jezebel's sister site.

The comments were a pleasant surprise. Even on Jezebel itself, I'm starting to see some pushback against the fat acceptance propaganda in the comments (they are subsequently attacked, yes, but they're still vocal and surprisingly numerous).
If we're seeing pushback in the heart of the delusional feminist covens themselves, then there is hope for the rest of society.

Post: #20

(09-27-2012 09:00 PM)basilransom Wrote:  Lindy West goes on and on about how terrible it was being a fat kid growing up, about all the teasing she was subjected to. But she never stops to consider that the easiest solution was... stop being fat? It's like if a guy here started posting threads about how his sucky body language makes girls lose interest in him, and asked "What can I do? Besides changing my body language, because I won't." We'd unanimously tell him to fuck off, that he doesn't deserve anything because he isn't willing to put in any real work. Same to the fattie.

Sure, there may be some fatties who can't help being fat. But statistically, they're a small minority of currently fat people, at most.

It seems to me that a good way to have prevented her from enduring all of the teasing of being fat would have been for her parents to help her with eating habits as a child.........

If only someone out there would start a campaign like that so children don't have to suffer the same terrible childhood she did.......

Post: #21

My buddy works for Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Haven't caught these on TV yet, but I like them. We've got a lot of fatties here in MN, so this kind of advertisement is needed.

Post: #22

(09-27-2012 09:25 PM)HeyPete Wrote:  

(09-27-2012 09:00 PM)basilransom Wrote:  Lindy West goes on and on about how terrible it was being a fat kid growing up, about all the teasing she was subjected to. But she never stops to consider that the easiest solution was... stop being fat? It's like if a guy here started posting threads about how his sucky body language makes girls lose interest in him, and asked "What can I do? Besides changing my body language, because I won't." We'd unanimously tell him to fuck off, that he doesn't deserve anything because he isn't willing to put in any real work. Same to the fattie.

Sure, there may be some fatties who can't help being fat. But statistically, they're a small minority of currently fat people, at most.

I would bet my bank account that Lindy West, like many women fatties, absolutely loathes short guys. And has zero empathy. Yet she wants the world to feel sorry for her, because here easily fixable condition isn't since she just can't stop eating.

You might enjoy this then...

The funny thing is, like you said, these fat bitches will have absolutely zero sympathy for men they deem 'disfigured' whether by baldness or lack of height, traits that are not correctable. Call them out for being fat, and fattitude siren will start [s]whaling[/i] wailing in no time. Pure solipsism.

I thought the commercials were courageous yet tasteful. The attribution of responsibility to you, the viewer, for *your* children, was moving. It's sort of like the military ads, which are effective because they make you feel responsible for the future of your country, even if that's false.

Post: #23

I really think it helps to openly and unapologetically criticize fatness. Other people will be surprised by your boldness and feel less inhibition to entertain the same thoughts more freely.

Many times everybody keeps their mouths shut because they think they're the only ones with dissenting opinion. All you need is a few decent people to have balls and be the first. I do this, and many people agree. Ways to frame it:

1. Looking good is healthy and aesthetics is important. I want someone who wants to look good for me.
2. Your body is an indication of your character: self esteem and self discipline.

Post: #24

I like how the end says "obesity affects us all," just in case fatties were in denial about the message of the commercial.