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Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
Obama — Not You — Is The Person Of The Year
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hippichx sez PEACE PLEASE
07/16/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
i look at that picture and i see what an average american woman looks like. wouldn't she be the right person to give the average american the health advice they need? a super skinny workout-aholic may not understand what it is like to feel pressured into yo yo dieting, or feeling like it's pointless to go to the gym because it will only make you feel fat, or name your own weight issue. i think this is a good thing. she is a real woman who has excellent experience in public health. she is the type of person i would want to get an opinion from.

note: by saying she is a real woman does not mean that skinny women are not real women. i am a skinny woman... but i find that my diet and exercise schedule is unrealistic for others. i have been doing this all my life. a surgeon general should be able to give REALISTIC advice to the people.
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Lobstersurprise
07/16/09

@hippichx sez PEACE PLEASE: I agree. Nobody wants to listen to a skinny bitch telling them what they need to do to be healthy.
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FashionShowAtLunch
07/16/09

@Lobstersurprise: Knock it off with the "skinny bitch" stuff, please.
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Edited by FashionShowAtLunch at 07/16/09 3:33 PM FashionShowAtLunch was starred

Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
You know all those people squinting and snorting and saying "I just don't see how 'fat' is a feminist issue"?

This is how. This is it right here.
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Edited by Rooo sez BISH PLZ at 07/16/09 10:14 AM Rooo sez BISH PLZ was starred

Lucille van Pelt
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
So should only good looking people be allowed to work in the fashion industry? Because if that's the case, there are quite a few people that wouldn't qualify at "the beautiful ones" that should be fired. (i know, not govt positions, but just showing the absurdity of it all)
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SomeAuthorGirl
07/15/09

@Lucille van Pelt: Ha, anyone who works in govt will tell you it is not an industry of Beautiful People. Despite what our C-I-C and the tasty Rahm Emmanuel would lead one to believe.

So, so, so absurd.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
*sigh* I believe, Megan, that you are in fact correct about the double standard.
No credential, no degree, no decoration, no already outstanding and distinguished career will ever EVER prevent such scrutiny of one half of the human race, particularly when a member of such race has the unbridled temerity to attempt to serve in some public sphere of influence.

Go to the head of the class.
Take a cookie and a double martini.
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Edited by Rooo sez BISH PLZ at 07/15/09 6:43 PM Rooo sez BISH PLZ was starred

TheExperience
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
With the amount of contributions Regina Benjamin has made, I hope she doesn't even dignify this crap with a response. I mean, seriously. After all she's done, saying her face is too fat for her to serve is the same as saying her mom dresses her funny. Give me a goddamn break.

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willwriteforfood
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
It's astounding to me that adults are so willing to sound like 12-year-old mean girls hurling insults. What are they hoping will happen, that Obama will turn to Dr. Benjamin and say, "Oh my god I didn't notice. You're too fat to serve!"?

The woman is a SAINT. She's from my state and believe me, no one in Alabama is saying that shit (and judging from the confirmation hearings, our elected officials clearly know how to insult a woman). We're too grateful to have a competent doctor willing to serve in rural areas.
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Edited by willwriteforfood at 07/15/09 6:18 PM willwriteforfood was starred willwriteforfood was unstarred

Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
To anyone that thinks public office should be denied on the basis of health I have a photo for you.
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Edited by Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny. at 07/15/09 5:55 PM

Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/15/09

@Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.: Didn't you see "The American President"?
If Roosevelt were to run for office today this country does not elect a man in a wheelchair."
I was really enjoying being a proud American again, after 8 years of global disdain, until this recent barrage of crap.
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Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.
07/15/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: It is really, really, really sad how juvenile we have become as a country. How is it that grown men and women, men and women that presumably learned in 3rd grade not to judge a book by it's cover, feel it is acceptable, nay morally sound, to deny someone something based on their perceived health?
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sarrible
07/15/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: At the 1924 DNC, Roosevelt gave a speech in support of the eventual nominee, and he actually got up and WALKED to the podium (with the help of his son) to do it, because he was concerned delegates would never support him in the future if they saw him in a wheelchair.

It's in the book Games Presidents Play.
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mattharvest
07/15/09

@Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.: So you fail to understand completely? The Surgeon General is the national advocate for health; it's entirely logical that someone who lives an unhealthy life is inappropriate for that position.

Now, the question of whether her being overweight or obese is a health problem that's her fault is a distinct issue.

In your rush to be funny and "insightful" you said something rather foolish.
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margareita metermaid
07/15/09

@mattharvest: HAve you seen her medical files? Do you know if she is unhealthy? The problem here is not that fact that Dr. Benjamin might be 'unhealthy'; it's the juvenile and ignorant ways people are discussing it and speculating about her health based PURELy on her appearance. I think you are the one who has failed to understand the problem here.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@mattharvest: So did you.
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hippichx sez PEACE PLEASE
07/16/09

@mattharvest: comment fail.
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Elizabth_Bennet
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
This just shows once again you can be a brilliant and talented woman but it doesn't matter unless you are also beautiful and a size 2. And even if you are beautiful and a size 2 you still lose because people feel the need to comment on your appearance BEFORE your accomplishments
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Edited by Elizabth_Bennet at 07/15/09 5:58 PM Elizabth_Bennet was starred Elizabth_Bennet was unstarred

mrsdracomalfoy
07/15/09

@Elizabth_Bennet: In my experience (not personal experience being beautiful and talented, I'm still struggling with the grad school/entry level job thing) being a brilliant and talented woman almost never matters on the public stage. Women either seem to get mocked for being too fat, ugly, old, pimply, or any other insult of the day, or mocked for being a Barbie, pretty girl, bimbo. There is no happy middle ground.

Of course, sometimes women get recognition for their achievements, especially from organizations and things, but just generally in the media/public circus, it's one or the other. It's really sad.

It's kind of the same thing as women's temperaments in the work place. You're either too timid and unassertive, thereby unable to get anything done, or you're straight bitch.
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Edited by mrsdracomalfoy at 07/15/09 7:28 PM mrsdracomalfoy was starred mrsdracomalfoy was unstarred

Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@mrsdracomalfoy: *sigh* Those being the choices, I'll take "straight bitch" for a thousand, Alex.
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Scout
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
duh! dont' you all know that the only food "fat" people eat are cheetos, twinkies, coca cola and sticks of butter??!!

sniff sniff double standard in the house!
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drinkyrose
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
Funny, I don't recall C. Everett Koop being extremely skinny. Perhaps I'm wrong?

One of the most prominent obesity experts at my university (and in the country, I might add) is obese.

God forbid an expert should have personal experience in what they are working on. Then they might have that most horrible of charcter traits: EMPATHY!

Dun dun DUUHHH!!!!!
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Megan
07/15/09

@drinkyrose: But they're men, so it doesn't count.
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SanFranLefty
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
Or Dick Cheney! That man was not exactly the picture of health, and he was running assassin death squads.

Thanks for writing this, Megan. I was banging my head on the wall about this yesterday (when I wasn't head-banging on Sotomayor questions).
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Megan
07/15/09

@SanFranLefty: I still am! Are you watching or reading my live blog? They just now got to same sex marriage.
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SanFranLefty
07/15/09

@Megan: Yes of course - can't watch the hearings live at work so I'm relying on you and NYT to keep me posted on this.
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SaturdaysChild
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
This is soooome bullshit. It really feels like sexism in the media has bumped up quite a bit since the Sotomayer nomination... ridiculous. It's like they can't think of anything else to throw at her, so they're resorting to being the schoolyard bully. "You're fat". Suck it, jerks. She's awesome, and you're just jealous.
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thegogglesdonothing
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
Having read the linked article, apparently the accusers consist of "various online comments sections," which for me, makes this a bit less outrageous, because we all know that Internet commenting is one of the quickest methods of reaching the lowest common intellectual denominator (I know, irony).
I'm sure that Krauthammer or someone on NRO will probably pick this up and run with it before too long, though, so it's probably good we're having this discussion now.
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SarahMC
07/15/09

@thegogglesdonothing: And by "various online comments sections" they mean "conservative blogs."
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thegogglesdonothing
07/15/09

@SarahMC: I'm doing this!: Actually, the links in her article go to the Post, NYT, and WSJ. Not that it means anything - I don't frequent the comments sections on MSM news sources, but whenever I hazard a peek, I'm always struck by how vitriolic and reactionary some of the posters are.
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Edited by thegogglesdonothing at 07/15/09 5:37 PM

SarahMC
07/15/09

@thegogglesdonothing: Oh, weird. Though not, because you are right about the vitriol in the MSM comments. But I was reading another story about conservative blog reactions too.
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Nora Bombay
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
Clearly fuckability is the new standard for all women who hold government offices. Rather than years of work experience or advanced degrees, why don't we pick people the classy way.

Like they do on Reality TV. Just imagine "The Biggest Loser: Supreme Court Edition" in which 15 female judges with extensive credentials and experience are forced to live on a ranch and exercise 7 hours a day while eating a starvation diet. Woman who loses the most weight gets the chance to be on the Supreme Court.

MeMe Roth could be the host.
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Eric Northman is mine
07/15/09

In reply to Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight
The moment i saw her photo i knew heads were going to roll. How can a "fat" (really?)woman be the surgeon general. The fact that people think they can overlook her experience, credentials and service because of her appearance speaks volumes of this type of discrimination.
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Yahtzii
07/15/09

@Eric Northman is mine: I very naively thought that her amazing credentials and laundry list of accomplishments would make her immune to criticism.
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NellMood
07/15/09

@Yahtzii: Hahaha. Who cares about "credentials"- I need to know her exact dress size, BMI, and the amount of money she spends on make-up every year before I can even think about professional accomplishments.
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