A picture speaks a thousand words

19th June 2009

A picture speaks a thousand words

posted in Body Image, Fashion, Fat Bias |

The New York Times ran a fairly positive article this week on the “outpouring of fashions aimed at trend-driven, round-figured teenagers and young women.” This is, curiously, even as other news organizations report on the demise of plus-size offerings by other big name chains. I’ll leave the critiques to Feministe and Shapely Prose’s A Sarah, who have both written great write-ups about the article, which, of course, includes the obligatory naysayer who seems to think that one can’t be fat and confident. The article however, mercifully omits the likes of anti-fat zealots who seem to think that allowing fat women to wear anything but burlap sacks is somehow cheerleading obesity. One commenter at Feministe made the great analogy that the “by giving [fat women] sexy clothes, you are encouraging their fatness” argument sounds an awful lot like the ridiculous rationale that “by giving them access to free birth control, you are encouraging rampant promiscuity.” For a look at what the “othering” of fat teens really does to them, just read the sad case of Isabel Hernandez.

There are two things I want to bring to the conversation. First is the awesome Fat Fashion Bingo made by Maureen in the spirit of Brian’s Fat Hate Bingo on the excuses for why the majority of the population shouldn’t somehow have access to fashionable and flattering clothing in their sizes.

Second, what’s up with the New York Times photograph of Target’s new Pure Energy Plus line?

Target Pure Energy

Seriously? A grocery freezer aisle? A plus-size model holding a bag of food? Oh, how very original. The NY Times didn’t have to tap everyone’s favorite fat-hating zealot; as they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 10:47 am and is filed under Body Image, Fashion, Fat Bias. 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 June 19th, 2009, apricotmuffins said:

That whole photo unnerves me. She looks isolated and uncomfortable. Her posture is really slouchy and unfeminine (not that she has to look feminine, but in this context it bothers me) which just adds to her displacement. I don’t care if its an ‘edgy’ fashion pose often used with straight size models, on her it produces this really uneasy body language. The man standing in the background looking at her doesnt help either.

It did confuse me as to why they used that picture, because it really doesnt sell the clothes. chop her head off and you might as well have a ‘headless fattie’ image for some OMGOBESITYPANIC article instead of something supposedly positive. Ugh.

question: did the new york times shoot that, or target? I’d be interested to know.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

2 On June 19th, 2009, Meryt Bast said:

I do like that the man in the background is looking at the model, like, “Oooh, wow, who’s that? She’s gorgeous.” The print article’s photos are nicer.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

3 On June 19th, 2009, Meryt Bast said:

I also like that she’s shown shopping for groceries. I don’t find the acknowledgment of eating offensive. I’d prefer that the model be shown biting into a juicy green apple or something, but hey, no one asked me.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 12:27 pm

4 On June 19th, 2009, Elisa said:

Sadly, I think it was shot by Target – because it’s clearly a Target store that she’s in. I actually don’t mind the slouchiness – because at least I think it’s a sort of a fashion-y pose, but the whole “holding frozen food” thing squicks me out.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

5 On June 19th, 2009, Mary Sue said:

I see it’s Paisley Circus Tent Season again– oh, wait, I mean SUMMER. Christ, it’s like they borrowed Lane Bryant’s summer designer.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

6 On June 19th, 2009, Rachel said:

Sadly, I think it was shot by Target – because it’s clearly a Target store that she’s in.

The caption credits Robert Wright for the New York Times, but I’m sure they had to get permission from and approval by Target to shoot the photo. The article is giving Target free PR, so I’m sure they didn’t mind. I looked up the clothing line and some of it is pretty cute, but why, oh, why do they have to make most of the summer tops sleeveless? I know, I know.. I shouldn’t be self-conscious of my batwings, but I am, especially since I have loose skin from a rapid weight loss. Besides, sleeveless tops aren’t the most professional things to wear when meeting people on stories; I feel way too casual in them.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

7 On June 19th, 2009, Rachel said:

at least I think it’s a sort of a fashion-y pose, but the whole “holding frozen food” thing squicks me out.

Sigh, at least it’s frozen fruit she’s holding and not a milkshake and greasy burger.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:13 pm

8 On June 19th, 2009, Rachel said:

I also like that she’s shown shopping for groceries. I don’t find the acknowledgment of eating offensive.

I don’t find it offensive either, except for when it seems to be deliberate because the photo is of a plus-size model. The other photo accompanying the article shows a model standing in front of rows of coolers, holding a beverage in her hand. However if you look at Target’s website, the misses and juniors models are all shown cavorting playfully and being athletic.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:16 pm

9 On June 19th, 2009, apricotmuffins said:

ah, forgive me, Im in the UK so I didnt know that target sold food too! It makes a little more sense now.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

10 On June 19th, 2009, Charlotte said:

I really like this picture; it’s the article that’s awful. I ranted about that over at Shapely Prose, so I won’t go there again.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

11 On June 19th, 2009, ani said:

i believe there were also other pictures in which the model is in different aisles of Target. so for that reason, i like that she’d pictured with food. it’s like she knows she has no reason to feel shame about it just because she’s not thin. but the mood and aesthetic of the photo is really…mundane, blahh.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 2:43 pm

12 On June 19th, 2009, Maureen at IslandRoar said:

You know? Screw them; that photo makes me so mad. How about the new “Bachelor” type show for fat girls. Like they can’t find love because they’re not bone thin. The whole thing makes me sick.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

13 On June 19th, 2009, Misty said:

[quote]why, oh, why do they have to make most of the summer tops sleeveless? I know, I know.. I shouldn’t be self-conscious of my batwings, but I am,[/quote]

That’s a pity that you feel that way. But you have admit, it’s wonderful that many young full-figured girls don’t.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

14 On June 19th, 2009, Rachel2 said:

Okay, seriously?! A “fat” girl in a food aisle? Original.

How about the “fat” girl out in nature, smiling? Or being edgy and original outside, or in a spa, or anywhere else but the damn FOOD aisle! Yogurt or not, THAT’S AN OFFENSIVE IMAGE!!!

It’s a very uncomfortable photo, and if it leaked any sort of shred of an inkling of being comfortable in the food aisle, fat, and at peace w/ oneself, I think I’d have far less of a problem with it. This photo screams: “I’m a compulsive overeater and I’m miserable so I’m worthless and am wearing a large, patterned mu-mu!!” That’s my humble opinion, anyway.

posted on June 19th, 2009 at 9:26 pm

15 On June 20th, 2009, Lexie Di said:

I don’t care who does it, fat girls need more clothes! And well-priced clothes too! I shop at Torrid but they’re extremely expensive. ((My family is higher-middle class but I’m frugal by nature.))

I don’t really like the picture either. She’s a beautiful girl but she doesn’t look very happy. She looks more… stunned. Her stance (not posture) is a little off-putting to me too.

I wonder if they mean actual plus sizes or “plus sizes,” meaning sizes that have an X in front of the L but are really just slightly bigger than what they usually sell or actual sizes for actual plus-size girls.

posted on June 20th, 2009 at 3:11 am

16 On June 20th, 2009, Jackie said:

When I read that she was holding food, I felt like, “That’s it! I give up!” not on fat acceptance, but in trying to make any rational sense why people think fat people are so other. It’s like when my mom and I were watching Sesame Street, and they had a song that went “Everybody eats..” and my mom was like, “Those people who hate fat people, should seriously watch this” lol.

posted on June 20th, 2009 at 8:46 am

17 On June 20th, 2009, jb said:

The model doesn’t even look happy. And what are those, Target brand frozen chicken nuggets? They couldn’t even give the girl good food?! The man in the back is weird. I hate to bash like this, but it could’ve been done so much better.

posted on June 20th, 2009 at 12:38 pm

18 On June 21st, 2009, Marlayna said:

I hate to say this because I usually agree with what is posted on this site, but it seems like some of you are just looking to get offended. I find nothing offensive about this photo. I actually think its cool and relatively high fashion. Yeah, she is in the food aisle while Target ads show girls who are “normal” sized are shown “cavorting playfully and being athletic”, but, as previously mentioned, this is not a Target ad. It was shot by a NY Times photographer, so the purpose of this picture is not to sell the clothes to the masses, but to create and edgy, artistic image to get a reader’s attention and give them an idea of what the accompanying article will be about. What better way to do that then to put a high-fashion girl in a setting that can be immediately recognized as a Target store?

posted on June 21st, 2009 at 4:17 pm