Thursday, February 21, 2013

Utena Fic Rec + Food for Thoughts


To think I’ve almost missed this absolute gem (it’s a finished multi-part even, holy):
http://frankthefa.deviantart.com/art/Nanami-s-Curves-Part-1-138824819

To be mildly-spoilerific, the fic is a “play” on SKU TV’s Nanami’s Cowbell episode; but instead of donning a supposedly fashionable cowbell, Nanami now dons supposedly desirable “curves” via a weight-gaining diet, with predictable results.

To be mildly-spoilerific, the fic is a “play” on SKU TV’s Nanami’s Cowbell episode; but instead of donning a supposedly fashionable cowbell, Nanami now dons supposedly desirable “curves” via a weight-gaining diet, with predictable results.

One thing of interest to me is that the author had incorporated a subplot about how Akio – projector of delusions in the original series – is now using his power to delude the female students of Ohtori into thinking “fat = curvy = desirable” as part of his “grand” plan to entrap Utena.

I find the “Akio Fat Delusion” interesting, as it closely parallels some stuff I’ve recently encountered online, where people have been insisting something to the effect of “studies/numbers support that poor-in-North-America = fat-with-no-choice”.  Amidst the noises at that place, there are even those suggesting that “In-North-Amercia=fat-with-no-choice”, citing a number of support points, including survey numbers.

At last looking up the studies/survey links provided there, I find the following:

1)      These studies state the numbers of people across different backgrounds/genders/ages who are fat as facts.

2)      These studies rely mostly on “survey replies” from the above-mentioned people to determine the specifics in their diet (including the reasons behind their diet choices), then state them as facts.

As a thinking adult who has lived among people for years, I have to wonder . . . just how many people out there, when getting surveyed on fine details that are at once personal and impossible to prove/disprove, can actually reply in a way that is not clouded/distorted by personal biases/discomforts/defensiveness?

Can any survey involving large numbers of people – no matter how meticulous its execution - truly uncover just what those people have done in private that could lead to their being fat?  How much of what they did were willful, how much of it were choice-less?  How can any multiple choice question sheet get that info out of people living real, complex lives?  If a work-busy person of limited means and time spend what free hrs they have going online instead of cooking healthy food, is that the person getting fat by willful laziness, or are they desperately relieving stress thus are choice-less in their fattening lifestyles?  Only the person themselves can answer the how and why of their being fat - if they’re self-objective/honest/un-biased enough to give truthful answers at all, that is. 

For me, I find the belief that being fat in free countries can be “without choice” being no less delusional than what Akio spews in the rec-ed fic.  But then again, that’s just me: a non-rich person coming from an obese childhood, and have stayed stably thin for many busy years and on, to this very day.

3 comments:

nanamoto said...

Fat without choice my a__. Are these survey slappers completely blind to the many fit clothing salesperson and waitresses out there who are working poor?

pinkmod said...

Super funny fic.

HaveSomeSense said...

There are a lot of lazies who watches tv or surfs facebook etc for hours, then say they have no free time to cook. I never knew before that they could excuse their fattening lifestyles on studies or surveys etc though. These people have been stressing our health care system for years, and still they're trying to normalize it to excuse their own selfish ways.