Maher/Corden and obesity

[EgoDeath]

Then what does he consider fat shaming?

Couldn't tell you, but it seems like he's using exaggeration and sarcasm to prove a point, not literally saying we should publicly shame people. Like I said, he literally stated, "We shouldn't taunt people about it. And we shouldn't single out overeating as the only vice..." And I take his word for it. Despite his jokes, I don't think he actually thinks we should just point and laugh at fat people when we're out in public. I don't know anyone who does think that. If I did, I wouldn't hang around them anyway.

Of course people aren't healthy at every size.

Okay, I'm glad you agree... but plenty of people do believe that, and it reflects the attitudes that people have in their reaction to discussions of obesity. The whole "body positivity" movement has gotten totally out of hand. People are making completely insane claims and acting like obesity is okay. It isn't.

I don't think Corden was arguing that. My position is that these people are clearly unhealthy, but they definitely don't need us to tell them that. Their bodies are none of your business. Maher, who is often quite funny to me, has no reason to talk about it.

I never said Corden was arguing that, but his reaction seems overly sensitive. But, Corden talks like one of these "healthy at every size" people. He repeats some of their talking points word for word. And it's no surprise, Corden is a pretty heavy set guy. But the correct reaction to feeling like shit about yourself because someone talked about obesity on a tv show is not to cry about fat-shaming - he didn't target Corden after all, did he? The correct reaction would be, "Okay, I feel uncomfortable when people talk about obesity. Maybe I should do something about my body so I feel good about myself instead."

Obesity is only bad for the people suffering from it. It's generally established that other people's bodies are their business.

Correct. That's why this is an issue of personal responsibility. Don't like how you feel about yourself? Start working out. Start eating healthy foods. Not that complicated. Not necessarily easy either. I get it. But it's not complicated.

I don't care about crudity or how classy comedy is. I simply think pointing out that being fat is unhealthy isn't funny because it's obvious and over done. I also think his anger at fatness is pretty fat-shaming.

Okay, that's your opinion. I disagree. I think making fun of a fat person, or fat people in general, can be funny. It's not the highest brow comedy, obviously, but it can be funny. The only reason you think this is offensive is because you didn't find the bit funny. In reality, the joke just missed the mark for you. Or, maybe you think fat people are off-limits. I disagree: I think anyone and everyone can be made fun of.

This is an interesting thing that people do when someone doesn't agree with them.

I'm still pretty sure you didn't watch the episode, or even the bit. So, I don't know what to tell you. It's not "an interesting thing I'm doing" because you "don't agree" with me. It really doesn't seem like you even watched the bit all the way through. Your main complaint was that he said we should bring "fat-shaming back," but I don't even think that's the worse part of the video, if you're going to consider what Maher did wrong.

Listen, my conversation with you started when you said people say the word obese is fat shaming. I said no one here seems to think that, and it wasn't Corden's argument. It's simple.

Okay, and like I said, I don't think Corden's reaction is proportionate. Maher attempted to do a bit about obesity, that was also informative, because that's what Maher does, and it missed the mark for a lot of people. A lot of people didn't find it funny, which is fine. But that doesn't mean you go on national tv and bitch about it. I mean, you're free to, I suppose, but it doesn't really seem like a proportionate reaction to a very real statement that obesity is a bad thing.

In fact, I think it did exactly what Maher wanted it to do: it got people talking about him and his show. So good for him.

I ask this, do you think there's any way at all that Maher could've done this bit without people having this butt-hurt reaction?

No. There isn't. People are so fucking sensitive now that any examination of themselves that makes them uncomfortable becomes a reflection of the person who made the statements that made them uncomfortable, and not themselves.  

You know, we are all adults, and all have to manage our own minds and bodies. When you don't like something that someone says, it might, depending on the context, be worth asking, "Why does this conversation or topic make me uncomfortable?"