I am the problem in society? I just read two accounts of women who were abused as children and later had terrible outcomes in their lives (written by crime writers here on Medium). I’m not only a rape survivor, my former partner left my baby by himself to die and I was accused of the crime. I also really have published 50 books conventionally, and I really am a Nebula Award nominated author whose agent was the same as George R.R. Martin’s. I am also a former economic development officer and I am a current equity investment development consultant in fields ranging from biotech to New Space. In 2018 I was named “Teacher of the Year” at the community college where I taught for 20 years. I have been on many volunteer boards and I was the Treasurer of two large writers organizations for years.
Yeah, I’m the “problem in society.”
In my opinion, you’re a troglodyte who consumes right wing media or maybe you’re a Blue MAGA who believes in propaganda over action.
I know you can’t understand but you are talking to a real writer and the topic is something that not only has affected my life, it affects everyone.
If I could use a metaphor, food is a good one. The junk foods which the “Whale” character consumes which apparently have led to him being a 600 pound housebound gay guy — the film is a film version of that same thing. It’s not “real.” I do not have to see the movie to know it is exploitation, not sincere artistry. As I said, if it were sincere, the actor wouldn’t be in a “fat suit.” And from what I’ve heard of the story — it’s as exploitive of fatness and gayness as old-time movies were in the 60s about “social issues.” It’s made to make money and to make the filmmakers feel good about themselves, and probably unevolved audience members — it’s the same “entertainment” motive as the TV shows about 600 pound people struggling to lose weight, or actually gaining weight while cameras film their terrible health challenges.
I modeled the behavior that we women are exposed to and live in our entire lives. We are yelled at daily by our partners. Not one or two women — pretty much every woman. We routinely experience slurs, insults, and denigrations. I assume that the character in “The Whale” has similar problems because he is a fat gay man and they don’t go through life that easily, either.
I responded to you because you were totally tone deaf in your response to Savala’s article. How many movies are there starring FAT people, Chris? Not non-fat actors in fat suits but actual living FAT people. How many plays are written by currently 600 pound gay men estranged from their daughters? Broadway plays, where the guy gets a Tony Award and is all over every publication?
I personally responded to Savala because I am interested in holistic wellness. Everyone should be able to feel well and happy regardless of their physical size and shape. The whole premise and nature of the movie feels retrograde to me.
So, you don’t have to tell others what a “great movie” “The Whale” is when they say they don’t feel it is authentic to their experience and they would like to stop being used as objects of shame, insult, and ridicule thinly disguised as “uplifting social commentary.”
That’s common courtesy.
You did not have to respond to her as you did. You could have thought about what she said and even had the small realization, “The actor was in a fat suit …”
Aronofsky could not even be bothered to cast an actual fat actor.
75% of U.S. residents are overweight or obese, including 10% who are “super obese” (Savala uses other terms I’m not sure about but I’m using a healthcare term). Three-quarters of people.
Are all of them by themselves, trapped in an apartment, estranged from their families, eating themselves into oblivion?
Could there POSSIBLY be a story told by the 75%, not the .000001% that the filmmakers represent?
Now that I am no longer a teacher, I don’t have any problem telling others they are not using their heads. Get the hell off the right wing propaganda and stop telling yourself exploitation is “art.”
