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New York, 9:05 AM
Sat Nov 28
29 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/12/09
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[www.cintrawilson.com]
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Oh, and if anyone's curious, NY Mag's The Cut fashion blog is following all of this, and their comments seem to be as unimpressed with Ms. Wilson's article as we are.
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"Today's J.C. Penney piece in the Times has brought me more angry mail full of wounded feelings than I have ever previously received.
Take, for example, this message I received from "Kat":
"SKANKY ANOREXIC BITCH. GO EAT ANOTHER PIZZA AND THROW IT UP."
It seems that I have come off, in this article, like some skinny New York snot who is cackling and snickering at the expense of overweight persons. It is pressing a lot of painful buttons I didn't intend to press with people who struggle with weight issues.
I feel this article is in keeping with the generally irreverent spirit of Critical Shopper. It is a piece about the store itself and the clothes in it, and how they compare to other clothes in neurotic New York: what is the same/different about them, style-wise. J.C. Penney has had the foresight and genius to realize that plus-sizes are all but completely ignored in Manhattan, and because of this, they are going to make squillions of dollars.
It is actually a positive review, believe it or not.
My writing style is generally pretty scathing, even when I like something. Nothing is sacred in a Critical Shopper -- and that's why you read it.. But it's not so fun, apparently, if you happen to take something irreverent I say about a mannequin or an inventory personally.
Let me put the record straight: I don't have any negative feelings at all about extra weight -- I think fat is totally sexy and gorgeous. I saw the light on this way before I interviewed Beth Ditto, even. I'm an unregenerate chubby chaser. I didn't write the piece from an inner place of look-ist elitism or anti-fat condescension.
I have no anti-fat prejudice whatsoever... So maybe I wasn't careful enough. I wasn't trying to soft-pedal any negative feelings or pussyfoot around any unspoken revulsion.
To any overweight persons I may have unintentionally offended with today's article: I apologize anyway, because your feelings were hurt, and I honor and respect your sensitivities. The piece was definitely not aimed or intended as any kind of slight or personal attack on anyone over size 4 -- I was just addressing Penney's with the same level of savage bluntness I apply to everything and everyone else -- especially Sarah Palin.
I welcome your vents, rantings, etc.
Love,
Cintra"
08/12/09
Anyone know if there's any way to get the original comments, too? I'm really interested to see how people responded -- since I'm assuming she removed the post because she couldn't handle the reaction.
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But I also think it's interesting that she picked on illegitimate criticism of her piece, and ignored the completely valid criticism.
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I want an explanation for the slant of her topic. If you're covering new stores, fine, but what were you trying to say? Who was your audience? What were you trying to convey to them? It's called cognitive writing. And what came across, perhaps without premeditation, was disdain.
Don't 'apologize' for it. Explain it. Maybe people will listen and take it seriously. And maybe you'll understand why people were offended and it's not because 'they shop there' or are 'fat'.
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404ing your mistake doesn't really work like that, Cintra.
08/12/09
She took her ball and went home. Incredible.
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You made fun of the mannequins? Really? Really really?
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