Food and body image in the series

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 68247

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "tigerpatronus" 
<tigerpatronus at y...> wrote:
> I have noted that most of the chubby people in JKR's 
> world do tend to be selfish and mean, self-involved, if not ESE. 
> Umbridge is noted as chubby, at least frog-shaped. Frogs are not 
> svelte. Ditto for Ludo Bagman, formerly a DE. Hmmm. Crabbe and 
Goyle 
> are described as being cubic. Molly Weasley, of course, is an 
example 
> of someone who is good, kind, etc, and chubby. (Though the 
terrible 
> thing she said to Sirius! Oh, my!)

Annemehr:
Quibbling here: Ludo is the picture of the former athlete who can no 
longer keep up the physical regime that once made him so fit, and 
anyway, we don't really *know* what he thought he was doing during 
VWI.  He is really thick, though, so I'll concede a point to you.  
Crabbe and Goyle (Draco's sidekicks, you mean?) were described as 
being "stocky" and "big" which does not necessarily equate to "fat" 
to me.  I always believed them to be heavily muscled, and I know 
plenty of real people who are naturally like that without being 
overweight or working out particularly.  There are two types of 
muscle fibers: long thin ones good for lighter work and stamina, and 
shorter, thicker ones more suited for shorter bursts of strength.  
People vary in what proportions they have these, and Crabbe and 
Goyle may just have more of the latter. 

Besides Molly Weasley, don't we have Professor Sprout also on the 
plump side?  And what about Neville (round face, chubby hands)?  Or 
Hagrid?

Tigerpatronus:
> 
> Of course, there are many ESE people who are thin as a rail, like 
> Draco's mom Narcissa Black-Malfoy and Aunt Petunia Evans-Dursley, 
and 
> Quirrel, and Tom Riddle. 
> 
> Obviously JKR doesn't have a fat-phobia, but she isn't being too 
PC, 
> either.

Annemehr: Good!

Back to Tiger: 
> 
> I lament the few female role models in Potterland. I'm not saying 
> there are none, but women do tend to fall into the 
> virgin/mother/crone stereotypes. There seem to be very few adult 
> women who are shown as having both children and careers, while men 
> who have both abound. 
> 
> TK -- TigerPatronus

Annemehr:
A ray of hope: the nameless, near-nonentity Mrs. Longbottom turns 
out to be Alice the Auror!  And I just know she's going to do 
something big.  And she at least had a round face like Neville's, 
too.  And I should stop beginning sentences with "And".

Annemehr

"I am /not/ going to be murdered," Harry said aloud.
"That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Lord Thingy!