In a groundbreaking new documentary airing tonight on BBC Four, author and activist Aubrey Gordon pulls back the curtain on society’s deep-seated prejudices against “fatness.” Formerly known by the pseudonym Your Fat Friend, Gordon spent years sharing her experiences anonymously through her popular blog. In 2020, she stepped into the spotlight with the release of her book What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, which further examined the myriad ways fat people are marginalized. Now, in Storyville: Your Fat Friend, she takes viewers on an unflinchingly honest journey confronting fatphobia head-on.
Challenging the “Obesity Epidemic” Myth
At the heart of Gordon’s mission is dismantling the pervasive notion that we are in the midst of an “obesity epidemic” – a belief rooted more in moral panic than scientific reality. She argues compellingly that framing fatness as a disease to be eradicated only serves to further stigmatize fat bodies.
“The way we talk about fatness is steeped in anti-Blackness, anti-poor bias, and misogyny,” Gordon asserts. “Labeling it an ‘epidemic’ medicalizes a natural diversity in body size and pathologizes fat people.”
By uprooting these harmful assumptions, she lays bare how the crusade against obesity has become a thinly veiled assault on fat people’s humanity. What’s needed, Gordon asserts, is a radical reframing of how we understand and value body diversity.
Interrogating Weight Stigma
Drawing on her own story and those of others, Gordon exposes the full scope of weight stigma, from the interpersonal to the institutional. She recounts painful memories of fatphobic bullying by classmates, but also delves into more insidious forms of bias, such as being denied medical care or passed over for job opportunities due to one’s size.
These personal narratives paint a disturbing picture of the draconian expectations placed on fat people to shrink themselves – lest they be viewed as lazy, undisciplined, or undeserving of dignity. In a culture that so often conflates thinness with health and moral virtue, to be fat is to be marked as fundamentally flawed.
“Living in a fat body means you are seen as a problem to be solved,” Gordon explains in the film. “You’re told over and over that your body is wrong, that you have to apologize for your existence.”
The Toll of Internalized Fatphobia
Perhaps most devastatingly, Gordon lays bare how even those closest to her, including her own parents, have internalized these fatphobic messages. In one heartbreaking scene, her mother tearfully admits to putting her on diets as a child, consumed by the belief that a thinner daughter would have an easier life.
It’s a stark reminder of how early we begin absorbing the notion that thin is good, fat is bad – and how frequently those closest to fat people become unwitting enforcers of that dogma. “So many of us learn to hate our bodies before we’ve even had a chance to live in them,” Gordon reflects somberly.
Thin Privilege and Allyship
Crucially, Gordon calls upon thin people to examine their own thin privilege and how it shields them from the daily indignities and barriers fat people face. She challenges the pervasive view that thinness is a purely individual achievement, rather than something hugely influenced by factors like genetics, socioeconomic status, and environment.
“One of the hardest things for people in thin bodies to grasp is how much their lives are shaped by thin privilege,” Gordon points out. “It’s not that being thin automatically makes your life perfect. It’s that you move through the world without added obstacles due to your size.”
By naming that privilege, Gordon invites crucial reflection on what true fat allyship looks like. She urges those who don’t experience weight stigma firsthand to listen to fat people’s stories, challenge their own biases, and use their privilege to advocate for fat liberation.
Envisioning a World Beyond Diet Culture
Ultimately, in shining an uncompromising light on fatphobia, Gordon is fighting for a future free from the tyranny of diet culture and a body hierarchy that ranks human worth by the number on a scale. She dreams of a world where people of all sizes can access the respect, dignity, and equitable treatment they deserve.
“The end goal of my work isn’t to make fatness more palatable or for everyone to find fat bodies attractive,” Gordon clarifies. “It’s to get to a place where fat people can simply exist without the constant pressure to change or apologize for our bodies.”
Through Your Fat Friend, Gordon offers a stirring glimpse of that radical re-envisioning of our relationships with our bodies – and an urgent call to action. Will this be the societal reckoning needed to truly uproot fatphobia once and for all? Perhaps; perhaps not. But in her vulnerability, bravery, and unflinching candor, Gordon has undoubtedly brought us one step closer to that liberated future.
Key Takeaways
- Fatness is not a disease to be cured, but a natural diversity in body size
- Weight stigma is pervasive, manifesting in interpersonal, medical, and professional discrimination
- Internalized fatphobia often starts early and is reinforced by those closest to us
- Recognizing thin privilege is crucial for practicing true fat allyship
- The goal is not to make fatness palatable, but to achieve liberation from judgment and inequity
Storyville: Your Fat Friend airs tonight, January 28, 2025 at 10:00pm on BBC Four. For more from Aubrey Gordon, visit her blog or pick up her books wherever you buy your reads.
