This ain’t no bologna… or is it?

6th May 2008

This ain’t no bologna… or is it?

posted in Arts and Music, Diets, Fat Acceptance, Food News, Pop Culture |

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer Tom Naughton insists all we know about fat to be a load of bologna. In parody of and response to Morgan Spurlock’s mockumentary Supersize Me, Naughton’s Fat Head insists the so-called obesity epidemic has been wildly exaggerated by the CDC.

How does he set to disprove obesity stereotypes? He plays into them by setting out to show how one can lose weight while eating a fast food diet. You can watch the trailer below and other clips on his website.

I’m straddling the fence on this one. On one hand, it’s hilariously funny and represents a departure from the usual fat fear-mongering while also disproving tired stereotypes. But on the other, it’s still promoting weight-loss and a particular means of weight-loss, namely a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. In his effort to dispel stereotypes of fatty and fast foods while demonstrating how one can lose weight and improve health by cutting carbs and sugar, Naughton is still reinforcing the good/bad food ideology. Still, I don’t think we ought throw the baby out with the bathwater. Given the dominant socio-political clime of the day, is it better to work with people than against people, while still appropriating channels and spaces for our own means? What do you think?

Click to Bookmark

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 11:12 am and is filed under Arts and Music, Diets, Fat Acceptance, Food News, Pop Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On May 6th, 2008, bookwyrm

said:

It is a fact of life that there are things we can consume that are bad for us (check the mushrooms carefully) and things we can consume that are probably good for us (mmm, non-poisonous food). Anything anyone says about what science proves about food is going to reinforce the idea in some people’s minds that there are “good” foods and “bad” foods, and many are going to see science as a moral imperative. If you are looking at health, there are going to be ways to eat that discourage health, see mushrooms. And there are going to be ways of eating that encourage health, like getting enough food. I think you are seeing Naughton as pushing a moral imperative to health when what he is doing is attempting to portray scientific truth.

Are there going to be some ingrained cultural stereotypes that sneak in? Sure, there always are. But I don’t see that he’s attempting to dictate moral behavior, just that he’s asserting scientific reason.

Sitting on the fence because people are going to see a moral lesson in a scientific documentary is what has us in the evolution scare. People see the teaching of evolution as a moral lesson, rather than an explanation of science. That’s why some see it as absolutely imperative, and some see it as something that should be jerked out of class by any means necessary. Don’t sit on the fence because the man attempts to interject better scientific reasoning into the scene than is currently there just because others see dietary guidelines as the next set of commandments.

posted on May 6th, 2008 at 12:11 pm

2 On May 6th, 2008, Rachel

I think you are seeing Naughton as pushing a moral imperative to health when what he is doing is attempting to portray scientific truth.

Actually, I see what he is doing and I even agree with him to a point. But you and I may see this because we are specifically cognizant of this and because we have enmeshed ourselves in circles in which this is routinely pointed out. I’m speaking of the average viewer, the one who doesn’t know fat acceptance exists, the one who buys into the medical propaganda that all they have to do is eat healthier and less and exercise more, and they too can be thin and at less risk of having obesity listed on their death certificates.

I certainly hope these kinds of people watch this documentary and walk away inspired, angry and wanting to learn more. But I also fear that some may watch it and take away the message: “Wow, he lost weight so I am going to do exactly what he did so I can lose weight, too.” It’s the same worry I have sometimes in sharing my past eating disorder experiences. I always stress the physical and emotional toll of my eating disorder, but I worry that people will read my story and think, “Yeah, but she still lost weight and she turned out okay in the end. Maybe I could try it, too.”

And I don’t think straddling the fence is necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we need to sit with our feelings and learn more and debate with others before we can make an informed response.

posted on May 6th, 2008 at 12:20 pm

3 On May 6th, 2008, Shinobi

This documentary looks interesting. My opinion may change after watching the film, but it seems that the weight loss in this film is more intended to prove a point, than it is to promote weight loss. He’s communicating with people in a way they will understand. ‘I ate fast food and lost weight.” will translate to more people as fast food is not going to instantly kill me. But then, neither is being obese.

Looks interesting to me.

posted on May 6th, 2008 at 12:34 pm

4 On May 6th, 2008, bookwyrm

I do agree that sometimes clarity comes after hours (days, weeks) of thoughtful contemplation; I think everyone has the moment where they find sometime after the moment has passed, “I should have said . . .!”

But, knowing those people, I’m sure you also know that even if he managed to emphasize to your or my satisfaction that health is not a moral imperative, many of these people will either blow him off (because of course health is a moral imperative!) or they simply will not absorb the message (because of course health is a moral imperative). People have blind faith, and there is very little he can do about that in a documentary, and nothing he can do about it for people who don’t want to believe. All he can do is give facts, and he seems to be doing a pretty good job with that. I’ll give you a better opinion once I’ve watched it.

As you point out, you walk the same line. You can say, “This is more damaging than it is worth,” but there are people who will simply not believe you. You tried, but they will dismiss the downsides, embrace the upsides, and tell themselves they were weak for reacting exactly the same way as was biologically predicted. These people aren’t operating on knowledge, they’re operating on desperation. You do good work, it is valuable. It probably helps more than it will ever hurt, but you cannot desperation-proof what you do. No one can. I’m not willing to sit on the fence because he hasn’t desperation-proofed his work. Again, I’ll be perfectly happy to let you know what I really think about the whole thing when I see the whole thing. My mind may change. I may decide that it really wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and will likely do more harm than good. From what I can see, that does not appear to be the case.

I am concerned that, while he does say that you can be fat and healthy, he also mentions that we didn’t use to be so fat and our health deteriorated about the same time. That’s an ingrained cultural stereotype sneaking its way in. But those things are almost impossible to avoid, simply because we don’t think about them. He is making the effort to challenge a bucket full of them, so I’m willing to give credit for that.

posted on May 6th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

5 On May 6th, 2008, Rachel

He is making the effort to challenge a bucket full of them, so I’m willing to give credit for that.

Yeah, this is the point I made on the Fat Studies list. This film may be at odds with our position, but it certainly represents an optimistic step in a new direction and hopefully will serve as a catalyst for more to come. For this he should be highly commended.

posted on May 6th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

6 On May 6th, 2008, bookwyrm

I think I see the disconnect now. I don’t see “the film” as at odds with fat acceptance, though I do see how some individual statements raise flags. I think this film is a counter-documentary that attempts to debunk common food myths. The course it runs is roughly parallel to much of fat acceptance, but, as it really isn’t about FA itself, I don’t blame it for not making sure that FA is at the forefront of its message.

It is not about FA, yet it is more fat accepting than the usual run of food related media. It almost looks like it attempt to render the appearance of fat on a body as moot to the health question. For that, I’d call it recommended viewing.

posted on May 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

7 On May 6th, 2008, Jackie

I see it as another 1 step fowards, 2 steps back sort of progress regarding fat acceptance. At least the message that fat isn’t horrible is getting out there, but it would be nicer to have it without the weight loss message. It’s a beginning of getting more people to understand the reality of the obesity epidemic though, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was my garden in Chibi Robo Park Patrol for Nintendo DS, yes I’m obessed with that game.