[HPforGrownups] Re: FAT

[Meredith Wilson]

No: HPFGUIDX 20422


>Scott wrote:
>>Ebony wrote that we all write from life's experiences, but I don't
>>think JKR is portraying Dudley as fat because her childhood bully was
>>fat. If I wrote like this all bullies in my stories would
>>incidentally be named Ebony.

>No, this is *not* what I'm saying at all.  It is annoying to me, though, to

>think that if Dudley was a rat-faced, too tall skinny kid, we wouldn't be 
>having this conversation.

That's because it would make him a totally different kind of character.  And
you can't tell me that Cindy Crawford isn't more popular than Anna Nicole
Smith.  Or any other too tall skinny supermodel.  Now I'll be the first to
say that I totally understand that very tall or skinny or whatever people
have their own problems.  We all have a cross to bear of some kind, that's
not the argument.  The argument is that JKR drives the issue into the ground
by mentioning his size as a derogatory issue in everything she says about
him.  If he was a rat-faced, too tall skinny kid, she wouldn't say anything
about Harry having to look at his skinny bottom, or his skinny face (maybe
his rat face though...).  No matter what your size, you have to see the way
society sees large people as people who have a disease, or are lazy and
unsavory people.  It is a prejudice just like many others that are
inexcusable, yet a lot of people get away with it every day.  It is illegal
to deny someone a job based on race, sex, sexual orientation, etc, but it is
perfectly fine to deny someone a job in this country because they are fat.
And to me, that is wrong.  And really, that kind of descrimination is not
the issue here.  

>Again, if you look for offense, you are liable to find it.  I really don't 
>think that heavier kids identify with Dudley.

That's true, but again, anyone who's been discriminated against because of
their size (not gotten jobs, or proper health care, just gotten teased or
beat up on the playground or whatever) is sensitive to the issue.  I will
also say that I wouldn't think that heavier kids identify with Dudley
either, but the lighter kids associate the heavier kids with Dudley.  I'm
sure that a lot of heavy kids identify with Harry or Ron or Hermione or
whomever, but it probably really hurts when the other kids call them Dudley.

>>Over all the important thing to look at in Dudley is not whether or
>>not he's fat, but *why* he's fat. If so the weight issue does't seem
>>so dire (IMO of course)

>But I do think JKR is showing reasons why he is overweight.

I agree, I just think she puts too much emphasis on his size when she could
have gotten the same picture across by mentioning it when he's being
gluttonous and dropping the references like 'waddling' or his 'fat' face,
bottom, etc.

Mer, who can't seem to let it go either...