(no subject)

[jademermaid]

Just read an article about myself where I described myself as “chubby” and I think that it is a fairly unacceptable description, and I want to apologize to myself for saying it, because that is just wrong. I am not chubby – and to call myself that is to endanger the lives of millions of young girls who look to the media to define who they are, who are constantly checking themselves for fear of wrecking themselves, who are afraid to be thought of as “chubby,” who don’t realize that they are perfect as they are, and it is irresponsible. I fear they will read this article and look at my body and be scared because it is like theirs, and they will then think of themselves as “chubby” and learn to hate themselves more. To call me “chubby” is to call a billion women “chubby” who shouldn’t think of themselves as anything less than hot and sexy and curvy and built. I am not “chubby.” I am a real live perfectly beautiful woman, and just because I may be larger than the mostly anorexic female population in Hollywood, it doesn’t make me any less desirable or gorgeous because I like food. I take it back, as I must take back all the millions of insults that I hurl at myself without knowing it. I would never, ever say any of the horrible things I say to myself about myself to anyone else, not even someone I hated, because there is no one I could possibly hate that much. We must stop fighting the war against ourselves before we can truly start to love ourselves. We are not “chubby,” we are perfect. We are beautiful. We are so very very beautiful.

--Margaret Cho

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I wish I'd written this. I wish I really, really were able to apologize to myself for all the bad things I call myself sometimes. I really do love who I am, despite what I say sometimes. I use the word chubby quite a bit, it seems nicer than fat, but really, it's not so nice. It's okay for babies and penises, but not for women. So Ms. Cho, I am also going to stop using that word to describe me. I'm just not sure if I should search for another word (thick? no, that's just as bad, makes me think of burgers. Mmmm, burgers!) Maybe I should just not define my size with words, maybe I should just make curvy hand motions.

Comments

[alexisyael.livejournal.com]

Well, I've always been partial to "va va va VOOM" myself :D

And the yiddish phrase zaftig (the german means "juicy") is particularly evocative :D

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

I like the word zaftig, but sometimes it makes me think of those cartoon opera singers with the cow horn helmets.

[alare.livejournal.com]

AS I mentioned before I'M A BIG FAN OF MS.CHO
and i am not what people would consider the perfect size.SO THANK YOU BOTH.

[cottonmouthdn.livejournal.com]

Shit... I am a man, and I describe myself as "voluptuous" or "Ruebenesque" all the time. The bigger of a joke I can make it, the better. All of these terms we use to describe ourselves are only as important as we allow them to be.

[ex-lady-pand461.livejournal.com]

Oh just face it you are hot - just call yourself hot :)

Best thing we can do is just love ourselves for who we are and know that we are beautiful. I try to picture Cleopatra or Livia worrying about their weight and I laugh. Like Livia would have cared about her weight right?

Ms. Cho rocks - I can't WAIT for her new show!

[saachi.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! So much.
I have been struggling with body image since I had my baby 21 months ago. While others seem to be able to get all svelte right away post-baby, I have not been able to lose the so-called baby weight, no matter what I've tried. And I have been beating myself up about it for 21 months now, and counting. Instead, I need to own that my body did something incredible and is perhaps forever changed as a result of it. It isn't bad, it's beautiful. I'm still struggling to learn to accept that. And articles like this make me really stop and think.
So thanks for sharing.
I am going to copy and repost this, if you don't mind.

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

Heck no, Cho posts should be shared freely!

Funny, someone had this on their LJ today as well!

[gentledaddy.livejournal.com]

[athena777.livejournal.com]

Ms.Cho article is a good read. The only time I get concern with my body is when people start pointing at my body parts. Then I feel ackward and start thinking I need to correct. I love food and will endulge.

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

I'm going to describe you.

Beautiful.

That's the only adjective you need in this case.

Remember that.

*HUGS*

Glad I could be of assistance.

[arovd.livejournal.com]

I've been re-learning to use 'fat' as a descriptor rather than an insult. sort of like gay.

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

i like the idea, I'm not sure I can do it though. When I feel poofy and say my belly is fat, I'm lighthearted about it, but I think I'm taking the blow inside.

[arovd.livejournal.com]

yeah it's not easy. and i think i'd still be pretty hurt if someone else called me fat. :/

[anarawd.livejournal.com]

"Buxom" works well as does "bodacious"
how about "curvacious" and "lucious"
"statuesque", reubenesque, odalesque,

thick is fine too as is solid

"she's a brick ... house, she's mighty, mighty ..."etc. thats no barbie they are describing in the song.

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

Well, I think the hard part is actually describing myself in a positive way. I would never use Rubenesque, because as much as I love Ruben's works, the word is code for fat these days, and that's a shame. Curvacious is nice, but will I actually use it? I don't know.

I love that song though, it always made me feel good!

[the-ground-zero.livejournal.com]

uh ???? just when is it ok to refer to a penis as chubby??? from a man's point of view i cannot think of a single time when one of us would like to hear our other brain we think with refered to as chubby.

[myrrhdusa.livejournal.com]

You've never heard the term 'he's got a chubby' before? maybe it's an old thing, I don't know.