firecat: statuette of sumo wrestler crouching (sumo)
[personal profile] firecat
I posted here about the letter I sent in response to Al Lewis's column in the Denver Post where he whinges about sitting next to fat people in airplanes. The Denver Post published my letter here:

http://www.denverpost.com/letters/ci_4302766

Date: 10 Sep 2006 04:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jb98.livejournal.com
Yay! It just gets better every time I read it.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:05 pm (UTC)
ext_26933: (Default)
From: [identity profile] apis-mellifera.livejournal.com
You rock like a totally rocking thing! :)

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spiderdust.livejournal.com
Well done!

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:11 pm (UTC)

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:18 pm (UTC)
From: [personal profile] cheshyre
Woo-hoo! Go you!

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] queensheba.livejournal.com
Not only that, but the author of the original column expresses awe that the larger man fits his "20 or 30 inch diameter" into a 17-inch wide seat. Who DOESN'T have a 20-30 inch diameter? I think he's getting his terms mixed up.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 08:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jinian.livejournal.com
Most people don't have a 20- or 30-inch diameter, which is the relevant measurement for seat width. A 20-inch diameter (2r) multiplied by pi (2*pi*r) gives a 62.8-inch circumference, i.e., hip measurement as seen in 36-24-36. It's not outrageously big, but it's well on the larger side of average.

(Stef, you continue to rock.)

Date: 10 Sep 2006 08:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] queensheba.livejournal.com
Ooops, you're right. I got *my* terms mixed up. I was thinking of a 20-30 inch waist (e.g. circumference, not diameter, as you said) - which wouldn't be particularly large at all.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] porcinea.livejournal.com
Go you!!! W00t!!!

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kightp.livejournal.com
Outstanding!

Date: 10 Sep 2006 05:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] clawfoot.livejournal.com
*wild applause*

Yay!!!!!!

Date: 10 Sep 2006 06:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] loracs.livejournal.com
Now all the readers (at least of the "letters to the editor" section) can hear a sane side to this fatphobic argument by this columnist and the airline industry.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 06:17 pm (UTC)
snippy: Lego me holding book (Default)
From: [personal profile] snippy
Keen. I hope it makes that arrogant f*ck rethink his self-centered attitude. Or lots of other self-centered jerks, that would be even better.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 06:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] waterowl.livejournal.com
You go girl!

Thank gods, you said it better than I did

Date: 10 Sep 2006 07:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gimpedoutwidow.livejournal.com
I got labled a "babbler" on the author's blog, for zeroing in on just what you said so forcefully in your letter--the key thing is that only one third of us are 17.2 inches wide or less...and that the airlines have been using the "people are sardines" theory for decades now.

Loved your letter, thank you for it

Jean

Date: 10 Sep 2006 08:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liveavatar.livejournal.com
As someone else said, this looks better every time I read it!

Date: 10 Sep 2006 10:30 pm (UTC)
boxofdelights: (Default)
From: [personal profile] boxofdelights
Brava.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 10:31 pm (UTC)
ext_6279: (Default)
From: [identity profile] submarine-bells.livejournal.com
Bravo! It's lovely to see such a well-written and obviously sensible rebuttal to this rather prevalent flavour of bullshit.

Date: 10 Sep 2006 11:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blue-sky-48220.livejournal.com
I think your response is wonderful. I enjoyed reading it when you posted it, and I'm thrilled to see that the Denver Post printed it.

Good for you!

Date: 11 Sep 2006 12:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pure-agnostic.livejournal.com
Stef, as long as we're on the subject of attitudes towards fat people ...

you may want to take a look at this article:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003250510_nudephoto08.html

I think the article needlessly points out the weight of the police chief's wife. The police chief's own comments about his wife's size, and his attempts to control her are worthy of feedback. (The kind of feedback you've given to the Denver Post.)

Date: 11 Sep 2006 02:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lizw.livejournal.com
*boggle* Why on earth did anyone think he should resign over something his wife did?

Date: 12 Sep 2006 04:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pure-agnostic.livejournal.com
Well actually, he didn't resign over something his partner did. He resigned because he didn't want to be hassled by a few dozen town residents. They didn't want him as police chief just because they think it's a Big Deal (tm) that his partner posted a nude photo of herself.

Is it fair? No. Is it his reality? Sadly, yes.

I was touched to see two others resign in protest over how the police chief was hassled.

Date: 11 Sep 2006 09:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] figmo.livejournal.com
One of my comedian-friends who isn't particularly large makes the following joke in her act:

"In China they used to bind women's feet so they wouldn't grow. I'm trying the same thing with my butt. I'm flying coach."

Date: 11 Sep 2006 01:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thegreencall.livejournal.com
I was pointed to this by [livejournal.com profile] blue_sky_48220. Great letter!

Date: 11 Sep 2006 02:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com
Yippee!

You rawk :-)

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firecat: red panda, winking (Default)
firecat (attention machine in need of calibration)

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