The Observer has an interview today with obsessive anti-obesity campaigner MeMe Roth, and what a joy it is to read (not).
Now I realise that Roth, just like Not-Dr Gillian McKeith , is probably best off ignored with her odious fat-shaming views and her fanatical preoccupation with what other people feed their kids, but I couldn’t let this gem pass without comment:
The defence has been made in the case of sex criminals that there is pleasure on the part of the victim. The same is true with what we’re doing with food. We may abuse our bodies with food, but it’s incredibly pleasurable. From a food marketer’s point of view, when your quote unquote victim is so willing and enjoying of the process, who’s fighting back?
What? Seriously, what the fuck? Did she really just say that?
And does it sound familiar?
How about this from last year’s BNP London Assembly candidate Nicholas Eriksen:
To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting that force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence.
What the hell is it with the food and rape analogies? And what the hell is it with the rape = pleasure shtick?
A note to MeMe. The fact that some women have been known to orgasm during rape does not mean they found the rape itself pleasurable in any way, shape or form. An orgasm is a physical response to stimulation, not an emotional one. And food abuse (whatever that is) is not the same as, or even remotely comparable to, sexual abuse.
Too Much To Say For Myself 
Ah yes, I remember that chap. The BNP eh? Can’t live with ’em and can’t live with ’em.
But, going slightly off topic and getting back to MeMe (what an appropriate name). Apparently if you are obese (Body mass index of 30-39) your life expectancy is reduced by 3 years. Which isn’t a huge amount really. But being merely overweight can actually be good for you.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-492332/Being-overweight-good-say-U-S-researchers.html
So what is this woman’s motivation? Since the article says she hadn’t eaten anything by 3 in the afternoon, I doubt it’s a simple concern for health.
But she does seem to have something against people enjoying food, which makes me think we’re up against some kind of purity obsession here – which probably explains her odd analogy.
So what is it with food and rape analogies? Simple slut shaming. Women who enjoy sex “deserve” to be punished by rape. And those who enjoy food deserve to be punished by erm – MeMe. Or something like that anyway.
So what’s the analogy with sex and food?
Two of the seven cardinal sins/ capital vices: lust and gluttony.
The modern concept is translated into ‘evil thoughts’ and can be broken down into three groups, the first of which is – lustful appetite (Gluttony, Fornication, and Greed)
Me thinks MeMe is a fundamentalist at heart.
So yeah, greedy slut shaming…
I’m also intrigued by the “quote unquote victim” comment. Do you think she actually talks like that? Or did she do the stupid air quote signs and the interviewer just wrote it down like that?
Or did she do the stupid air quote signs and the interviewer just wrote it down like that?
That’s how it came across to me.
Torture. They are talking about torture.
Force feeding a person food or water until they rupture and die of it is an ancient torture practice.
So is rape, or as they ever so delicately put it the things that “sex criminals” do.
Torture is what they do.
Yeah, god forbid women have appetites for sex or food…tut, the greedy sluts etc. etc. Shame on them.
(Iirc, Naomi Wolf makes this point very well in ‘The Beauty Myth’).
Oh and fuck the BNP.
Can never be said often enough. But only figuratively.
Polly, ha!
Indeed – the thought of literally, ahem, doing that with BNP members makes me want to vomit.
Why not Butterflywings – by their reasoning it will just be the same as scarfing chocolate cake, albeit – rancid.
yours is better than shakes’ anyway Cath. especially the part about the quotes – now i’m curious too.
True Sparklematrix… there I go thinking women are human… hmmm, the thought of assaulting Mr Chocolate Cake and claiming ‘but you LIKE it! It’s impossible to not want sex! Just like chocolate cake!’ is…not untempting.
I find his comments…provocative…saying misogynist arsehole things in public, tut, these BNP men, what do they expect?
A lady who works for the FPA, once called me up for the seven deadly sins.
She was in a pub quiz and as she had my number, she called me up to ask.
A feminist pub quiz, desperate times, difficult measures. She told me she didn’t like me despite being given the correct answer.
She left that bit to the end.
Gregory