A pig by any other name...
A few days ago, a good friend of mine and I were having some burgers served in the glorious tradition of the 1950's. This means that there was probably enough trans fat and cholesterol in our delicious meals to condemn anybody to a triple bypass operation before the end of the month, if you believe the health crusaders. Straight across the dining area there sat a girl with a rather rubenesque physique having her own oversized share of the tasty diner food. And so I couldn't help but draw my friend's attention to the "pig" at the other end of the establishment.
"That's not very nice," he said.
"But I am just noting what I see," I replied.
"Would you want to be called names like that?" he asked.
Without blinking I countered that I could care less what other people call me, especially if it's for their own damn entertainment.
However, his disapproving question stuck in my head. Is it no longer socially acceptable to call anybody's attention to what you observe around you? Are the most obvious parallels that a majority of people immediately draw in their heads forever banned from being uttered via the ubiquitous politically correct self-censorship?
Now, if I saw the same girl eating something that was a little less self-indulgent or maybe jogging around the block, such a thought wouldn't have occurred to me. But here we have somebody who is so obviously severely harming herself by committing the second of the seven deadly sins, it's a crying shame that we are not allowed to voice our observations out loud, even to our closest friends.
Everybody is talking about the "obesity epidemic" in this country, which is to say that there are a whole lot of fat people around. But here's a new and highly unconventional theory on why the US is leading the way. Perhaps nobody has ever told them that they are fat! If every magazine article they read says that it's okay to weigh 400 pounds and everybody around them thinks that as well (and weighs exactly as much), then perhaps we have a problem.
A kid playing video games all day should be told that he will amount to nothing in his life if he doesn't do his homework. Maybe then we'll have fewer functionally illiterate grown-ups who think it's the government's job to take care of them. A bum in the street should be made aware of the fact that he is a useless drag on the society. Maybe he'll feel bad about it and actually find a job for a change. And, most importantly, somebody should tell that girl that, while there is no clear scientific evidence, there still might be a link between excessive late night consumption of overcooked meat patties with extra cheese and bacon served on a thick bread bun and weight gain.
I guess in this country, if a person looks like a pig and acts like a pig, they are... just another weight challenged individual. Sorry, but I am still learning to deal with that fact.
"That's not very nice," he said.
"But I am just noting what I see," I replied.
"Would you want to be called names like that?" he asked.
Without blinking I countered that I could care less what other people call me, especially if it's for their own damn entertainment.
However, his disapproving question stuck in my head. Is it no longer socially acceptable to call anybody's attention to what you observe around you? Are the most obvious parallels that a majority of people immediately draw in their heads forever banned from being uttered via the ubiquitous politically correct self-censorship?
Now, if I saw the same girl eating something that was a little less self-indulgent or maybe jogging around the block, such a thought wouldn't have occurred to me. But here we have somebody who is so obviously severely harming herself by committing the second of the seven deadly sins, it's a crying shame that we are not allowed to voice our observations out loud, even to our closest friends.
Everybody is talking about the "obesity epidemic" in this country, which is to say that there are a whole lot of fat people around. But here's a new and highly unconventional theory on why the US is leading the way. Perhaps nobody has ever told them that they are fat! If every magazine article they read says that it's okay to weigh 400 pounds and everybody around them thinks that as well (and weighs exactly as much), then perhaps we have a problem.
A kid playing video games all day should be told that he will amount to nothing in his life if he doesn't do his homework. Maybe then we'll have fewer functionally illiterate grown-ups who think it's the government's job to take care of them. A bum in the street should be made aware of the fact that he is a useless drag on the society. Maybe he'll feel bad about it and actually find a job for a change. And, most importantly, somebody should tell that girl that, while there is no clear scientific evidence, there still might be a link between excessive late night consumption of overcooked meat patties with extra cheese and bacon served on a thick bread bun and weight gain.
I guess in this country, if a person looks like a pig and acts like a pig, they are... just another weight challenged individual. Sorry, but I am still learning to deal with that fact.