[HPFGU-OTChatter] Oppression and MMI

[- Joy -]

That's really interesting, Jenny.  *My* suburban Jewish family tends to
idealize bigger bodies... food=comfort and all that.  Maybe it's because my
parents are only second-generation Americans.

I just started going to school in the city, and dealing with all of those
tanned, blonde, out of Cosmo bodies has been rough on me.  I'm 5'1, a size
12/14, and 18 years old (plus I use a wheelchair, to boot).  So, I'm trying
to get over my intimidation at being surrounded by all of these "beautiful"
people, and trying to shake myself out of the mind set that "I'm not good
enough" to be friends with them.

This discussion came at a perfect time for me.  It makes me feel better that
all of you "rubenesque" ladies survived the college period.  Sorry if I'm
sharing too much teen angst here...

~Joy~



Jenny wrote:
> MMI - Ebony, I posted something very similar about body image a few
> months back.  I am caught between two worlds: the you-must-be-skinny
> world of my suburban Jewish family and the I-like-your-fat-ass world
> of my students and boyfriend, who are all either African American or
> Latino.  It's sometimes painful to be with my family because I want to
> scarf down three pieces of cake but they'll stare.  However, many of
> my students have health problems that are related to their diet and
> weight.  My boyfriend likes my curves, though, and that is very nice
> for me.  :-)