I just have to share this video:
I am currently reading Marilyn’s book, Fat! So? and loving every single page. What an amazing, inspirational woman. Marilyn is a prime example of living with fattitude if I ever found one.
I will blog more about the book when I’ve finished reading it, but until then, check out her website www.fatso.com There are photos of butts as the icons to each section of the website people!! BUTTS!!
Fat Heffalump 
Thank you so much for posting this. I bought and read Marilyn’s book when it came out, but I don’t think I was ready to accept that I was really worth what she was telling me I was worth. I decided instead to try and combine ‘acceptance’ with ‘secretly actually trying to be something else’ for a few more years. One of the gifts of turning forty was the ability to see the insanity of the attempt and to begin to believe that I DO have worth now, and its high time to stop waiting on tiptoe to really live my life.
Oh, my God that is amazing!! She is amazing. I want to be like her when I grow up!! Thanks for posting that!
Thanks for sharing. I have known Marilyn (long distance) since she started publishing her ‘zine in ’94, have talked to her on the phone a few times, exchanged emails, & I posted regularly on the Fat!So? Gabcafe bbs for close to ten years. We may not agree about all things & sometimes she doesn’t seem radical & aggressive enough to me, but her approach is refreshing & energetic & her methods do open some minds. She is doing & has done a lot of good work & her book, her website, & the ‘zine, which I dearly loved & wish could have been published longer, made a big difference in my own progress along the path to self-acceptance & unapologetic fat activism.
Your work is important, Marilyn, & appreciated. Thanks for the help & the example you provide. However, as Marilyn herself would be the first to tell you, she is NOT, contrary to what someone else said a few weeks ago in a blog post, the founding mother of fat acceptance, though she has been a huge voice & driving force for 16 years or more. The founding mothers were the members of the Fat Underground 40 years ago. We all owe a great deal to all of them, as well as to Marilyn. The Fat Underground brought courage,anger, passion..Marilyn has brought energy, fun, self-confidence, & a spirit of playfulness.
Patsy I just want to clarify that I have not said anywhere that Marilyn is the “founding mother of Fat Acceptance”. I’m just sharing an awesome lady who is inspiring me just at the moment.
And I need to clarify that you were not the person whom I saw calling her thought. I am sure that to some people, Marilyn was their first introduction to the idea of fat acceptance, so they think of her that way, & she does wonderful work. Our differences have been that I want to demand human rights for all of us & put an end to fat discrimination, dammit!, while Marilyn favors trying to win people over by being cute & playful. I am sure that our aim is pretty much the same, but Marilyn tries most of the time to catch flies with honey, while I often want to aim a flamethrower at them!
No, you didn’t call her a ‘founding mother’, I think it was Atchka I saw use that term somewhere. I just wanted to remind people that, energetic & inspiring & dedicated as Marilyn is & as much good as she does, there were people trying to win rights & access for fat people when she was a toddler. I myself have been part of FA for over 30 years, & it sometimes is very discouraging to have seen things not only not improve, but in many ways get worse, to see the world more fatphobic & now much more dedicated to removing fat people from the face of the earth. I find myself wondering at times, “How can we have accomplished so little in over 40 years?” & then I remember that probably no more than 2% of the world as we know it has any inkling that fat is not bad, awful, something we must get rid of.
I was reminded of that yesterday in an online game I play. We have friends, visit & rate each other’s rooms, leave notes. I have a lot of nice people on my list. However, in one note yesterday, along with my room rating, a lady included the information that her exercise program is working & she is down a dress size & she is so thrilled to see a slimmer woman in the mirror. Despite our efforts, this is the way 98% or more of the world sees things. It is remarkable & praiseworthy that people like Marilyn are willing to keep trying.
You know, I really don’t dig there being any kind of hierarchy, the whole “who came first” and “who’s methods are better”. Personally I don’t care if someone started 50 years ago or last year – if they’re doing fantastic, inspirational stuff, I’m going to celebrate them.
I’m not entirely sure why you had to bring up the whole “she’s not a founding mother” thing on my post when it was never suggested here (if someone else said it, then there’s the place to bring it up) and holds no relevance to this post.
Great!! Thanks for sharing 😀
Well, I am very sorry to offend you. And you can be assured that I will not bother you with my comments ever again. IN fact, I think I am just plain leaving the online so called ‘fat acceptance’ community, as we do not seem to be making any progress or even able to cooperate with each other. i wish you you well on your own journey. I am very sorry that I get so discouraged that fat acceptance makes no progress & even seems to go backwards, but I applaud those who can still be positive & hopeful.
Take care.
It’s ironic that the only person I’ve seen here raising criticism or issue with anyone else’s work is yourself Patsy. The only person who has said anything about a lack of progress in Fat Acceptance here, again, is yourself.
So if you feel that way, and if you seriously think that Fat Acceptance is not good enough for you any more and that those of us who are working in FA are not making any difference, then I question how much attention you are paying to just how many people are participating, and how much progress is being made.
Thank you for this post! I hadn’t seen this video before. Very touching, moving, funny…Marilyn! I just recently met her and still can’t believe it! She even signed my copy of the book. She is just the coolest lady around! I’ll be linking to this post for sure! =0)