Sunday, March 14, 2010

Come One, Come All to see the Fattest Woman of All: Donna Simpson

Just like prostitutes and strippers, Donna Simpson is using her body to make money, what's the big deal? If you log onto her website you can pay to watch her eat and wash her body. The catch: Donna is the biggest woman (520lbs) to ever give birth. Wearing a size 7X dress she is married with a daughter. She recently announced her goal of becoming 1,000 lbs.

My thoughts: Donna was probably a large girl, and a large teenager, and then became a large woman. Tired of being an outsider, she decided to say 'fuck you' to societal standards and make money off of being a spectacle. She found someone she loves, found a way to profit off of her vices, and therefore doesn't have to change.

Her husband is announced as a 'chubby chaser' as if he needs an 'out' or excuse to be in love with her. If a man marries someone thin he isn't proclaimed a 'Bone-chaser'. I would compare her husband to the ringleader of the circus announcing the headliner of the 'fattest woman in the world'.

Since the start of the creation of this blog I was introduced to the concept of 'fat-feminism'. I'm slowly learning more about it, and while I support the core of the movement, to oppose all forms of fat-discrimination. I hesitate to say I am a 'fat-feminist' because I believe overweight people should seek to be healthy according to doctor's standards, yet I also believe NO ONE should ever be discriminated against based on their weight. (Sorry for the wiki-link, but it describes Fat-Feminism the best: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_feminism)

Donna Simpson stated that she was comfortable with dying if it meant reaching her ideal 1,000lb weight. I want to say I respect Donna's desire to do whatever she wants with her own life, it’s her prerogative, however my concern lies with how her choices affect her daughter's quality of life.

One of my parents had a gastric bypass, so as someone who has had experiences with having an obese parent, I argue her daughters life is severely impacted by her mother's wishes to live a larger sedentary lifestyle. While I was encouraged to be active and eat healthy, will Donna's child receive the same upbringing? Children learn the world through the actions of their parents. What will Donna's daughter have to say to her in 10, 15, 20 years about her own relationship to food? Will Donna even be around to hear it?