February 1, 2009

Do you know? (I find this difficult, even to type. Remember when Adriana is hauled into the FBI and understands she will be made to wear a wire into the Soprano family? She vomits on the table. This is how I feel. I feel like vomiting on the table.) Because, do you know? This is what I just learned. And, in case you feel like doubting what I'm about to say, you should know that I got up before sunrise and drove to sit with the smartest woman currently writing in these United States. And she told me this. Do you know when women here in our western culture lost their curves? Do you know when skinny became fashionable? Do you know when it became unsexy to be curvy and full? (Here I must interject: Do you know what it means to be unsexy? It means to be unsuccessful at the level of species.) Do you know when looking thin became desirable? Confluently with the visual publication of The Holocaust.

And my father says to me he is relieved his son in law thought twice, about the sweat equity he has in his house, before he walked away from his marriage. And my father says to me that my little sister sure does have it together now that she's lost all that weight and is looking good. And my father accuses me of feminism. And he can hardly look me in the eye.

5 comments:

MOM #1 said...

REALLY? I had NO IDEA! My goodness!

candyn said...

I was just looking at vintage posters today and noticing all the women have figures that would be considered plus sized today, and wondering how it all changed.

Is some of it the influence because of Audrey Hepburn's success and people wanting to be like her? She had food issues due to survivor's guilt because of the war. Or did it start before her influence?

Anonymous said...

I always thought that the skinny thing came in around the 20's/flapper era when that boyish look was so popular. But why was it popular...I would love to discuss this/hear more about it...any books on that, I wonder....great food for thought! (no pun intended)

Anonymous said...

P.S. I'm thinking about people of your fathers generation...my parents..there is definately something going on their...a great deal of women are judged by their parents on their weight. And then there is culture...some cultures a little curviness is better..shows wealth..prosperity...

Amanda Enclade said...

I am under the spell of this crazy illusion...I have been since I can remember...and even though I know better...it still F's me up.