In a talk titled “Enough with the Fear of Fat” at TEDxSydney in May, artist and fat activist Kelli Jean Drinkwater examined people’s perceptions of bigger bodies by calling out a number of truths about fatness. The “unapologetic fat woman” certainly made me rethink what I thought I knew; keep scrolling and see if she does the same for you, too. But why not? Why can’t a fat woman just be content to be who she is? Why do we — other people, society, etc. — feel the need to put words in their mouth and say, “because you’re fat, you must be unhappy”? Here’s why… “We may even blame fat people themselves for the discrimination they face because, after all, if we don’t like it, we should just lose weight,” Drinkwater says. But the thing is, no one asks to be bullied or discriminated against, and no one deserves it — least of all for how they look. Frustrating and isolating? That’s only the beginning. “I’ve been openly laughed at, abused from passing cars, and been told that I’m delusional,” Drinkwater said. “[But] I also receive smiles from strangers who recognize what it takes to walk down the street with a spring in your step and your head held high. “There are fat-shionistas who reclaim their bodies and their beauty by wearing fat-kinis and crop tops, exposing the flesh that we’re all taught to hide,” she said. “There are fat athletes who run marathons, teach yoga or do kickboxing, all done with a middle finger firmly held up to the status quo.” “I’m not saying that people shouldn’t change their bodies if that’s what they want to do,” she clarified. It can be anything “from hairstyles to tattoos to body contouring to hormones to surgery and yes, even weight loss. “It’s simple: It’s your body, and you decide what’s best to do with it.” Watch Drinkwater’s full TEDx Talk here.
title: “Lessons I Learned From Kelli Jean Drinkwater S Ted Talk” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-04” author: “Eddie King”
In a talk titled “Enough with the Fear of Fat” at TEDxSydney in May, artist and fat activist Kelli Jean Drinkwater examined people’s perceptions of bigger bodies by calling out a number of truths about fatness. The “unapologetic fat woman” certainly made me rethink what I thought I knew; keep scrolling and see if she does the same for you, too. But why not? Why can’t a fat woman just be content to be who she is? Why do we — other people, society, etc. — feel the need to put words in their mouth and say, “because you’re fat, you must be unhappy”? Here’s why… “We may even blame fat people themselves for the discrimination they face because, after all, if we don’t like it, we should just lose weight,” Drinkwater says. But the thing is, no one asks to be bullied or discriminated against, and no one deserves it — least of all for how they look. Frustrating and isolating? That’s only the beginning. “I’ve been openly laughed at, abused from passing cars, and been told that I’m delusional,” Drinkwater said. “[But] I also receive smiles from strangers who recognize what it takes to walk down the street with a spring in your step and your head held high. “There are fat-shionistas who reclaim their bodies and their beauty by wearing fat-kinis and crop tops, exposing the flesh that we’re all taught to hide,” she said. “There are fat athletes who run marathons, teach yoga or do kickboxing, all done with a middle finger firmly held up to the status quo.” “I’m not saying that people shouldn’t change their bodies if that’s what they want to do,” she clarified. It can be anything “from hairstyles to tattoos to body contouring to hormones to surgery and yes, even weight loss. “It’s simple: It’s your body, and you decide what’s best to do with it.” Watch Drinkwater’s full TEDx Talk here.
title: “Lessons I Learned From Kelli Jean Drinkwater S Ted Talk” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-05” author: “Tamara Olson”
In a talk titled “Enough with the Fear of Fat” at TEDxSydney in May, artist and fat activist Kelli Jean Drinkwater examined people’s perceptions of bigger bodies by calling out a number of truths about fatness. The “unapologetic fat woman” certainly made me rethink what I thought I knew; keep scrolling and see if she does the same for you, too. But why not? Why can’t a fat woman just be content to be who she is? Why do we — other people, society, etc. — feel the need to put words in their mouth and say, “because you’re fat, you must be unhappy”? Here’s why… “We may even blame fat people themselves for the discrimination they face because, after all, if we don’t like it, we should just lose weight,” Drinkwater says. But the thing is, no one asks to be bullied or discriminated against, and no one deserves it — least of all for how they look. Frustrating and isolating? That’s only the beginning. “I’ve been openly laughed at, abused from passing cars, and been told that I’m delusional,” Drinkwater said. “[But] I also receive smiles from strangers who recognize what it takes to walk down the street with a spring in your step and your head held high. “There are fat-shionistas who reclaim their bodies and their beauty by wearing fat-kinis and crop tops, exposing the flesh that we’re all taught to hide,” she said. “There are fat athletes who run marathons, teach yoga or do kickboxing, all done with a middle finger firmly held up to the status quo.” “I’m not saying that people shouldn’t change their bodies if that’s what they want to do,” she clarified. It can be anything “from hairstyles to tattoos to body contouring to hormones to surgery and yes, even weight loss. “It’s simple: It’s your body, and you decide what’s best to do with it.” Watch Drinkwater’s full TEDx Talk here.
