Couch potato joke offensive!

[Guest guest]

Now its my turn to get offended. Nothing irritates me more than vegetarians and

vegans who make ignorant references about larger people. As if anybody who is

fat is automatically lazy, greedy and a meat eater. This happens quite often in

stuff I read from animal rights groups like Peta and Viva, to individuals. The

little joke about couch potatoes getting bigger and bigger is not funny! Some

people are larger than others for many reasons, not just because they eat a lot

or do not exercise. I have been a vegan or vegetarian for most of my life. I

have also always been bigger than the socially acceptable norm for our fat

hating culture. I also know many vegans who are larger, many of them spend their

lives working very hard to make the world a better place for animals. They are

not couch potatoes, greedy or lazy. We need to teach our children to accept and

love people of all types and sizes, to do anything less is to perpetuate hatred

of themselves if they happen to be larger, and all other people and creatures

who don't fit the narrow confines of acceptability. Susan

 

 

[Guest guest]

I must have missed something, because I don't know what this is in reference

to, but, I have a comment anyway.

 

My vision of a couch potato is someone who just sits blankly at the tv all

day, small or large. I think of the term, and have used it to describe

people who are not overweight whatsoever. For instance, it's a beautiful

day outside and my brother/friend/whoever doesn't want to go out and do

anything; they just want to sit in front of the tv all day.

 

Lori

 

 

Message: 7

Tue, 2 Dec 2003 15:37:22 -0700

" Susan Strain " <susanjune

Couch potato joke offensive!

 

Now its my turn to get offended. Nothing irritates me more than vegetarians

and vegans who make ignorant references about larger people. As if anybody

who is fat is automatically lazy, greedy and a meat eater. This happens

quite often in stuff I read from animal rights groups like Peta and Viva, to

individuals. The little joke about couch potatoes getting bigger and bigger

is not funny! Some people are larger than others for many reasons, not just

because they eat a lot or do not exercise. I have been a vegan or vegetarian

for most of my life. I have also always been bigger than the socially

acceptable norm for our fat hating culture. I also know many vegans who are

larger, many of them spend their lives working very hard to make the world a

better place for animals. They are not couch potatoes, greedy or lazy. We

need to teach our children to accept and love people of all types and sizes,

to do anything less is to perpetuate hatred of themselves if they happen to

be larger,

and all other people and creatures who don't fit the narrow confines of

acceptability. Susan