What's your excuse
October 15, 2013 2:32 PM Subscribe
A photo posted by California fitness guru and mother of three Maria Kang, showing off her incredibly toned body and three young children, with the caption, "What's your excuse?", has stirred debate in many online communities about fitness, motherhood and body shape.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Eh, "people are baited by bait, internet drama ensues" isn't really super interesting on its own. -- cortex
Not every recent mother is a "fitness guru," perhaps?
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013
What's my excuse? I don't talk unironically about resonating with images in a negative way.
Living with that amount of pure evil inside you must burn a SHITTON of calories.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Living with that amount of pure evil inside you must burn a SHITTON of calories.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
That apology crosses the line from non-apology all the way over to anti-apology.
posted by burnmp3s at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by burnmp3s at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Does "I can do this because exercise is a crucial part of my job?" count as an excuse?
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013
I believe real women have curves...
...she's missing the hips, which means she's missing the ass, too
ugh, not this crap again
posted by dsfan at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
...she's missing the hips, which means she's missing the ass, too
ugh, not this crap again
posted by dsfan at 2:40 PM on October 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
The easy response to Kang's question is that "I am not a professional fitness personality." People shouldn't get wrapped up in her inane hectoring.
It's like Neil Armstrong saying "I'm walking on the moon--what's your excuse?" I'm not a fucking astronaut, Neil. That's why I'm sitting in an office and not on the moon.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:43 PM on October 15, 2013 [19 favorites]
It's like Neil Armstrong saying "I'm walking on the moon--what's your excuse?" I'm not a fucking astronaut, Neil. That's why I'm sitting in an office and not on the moon.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:43 PM on October 15, 2013 [19 favorites]
"Judge not lest ye be judged" has never seemed so appropriate. I mean, I'm sorry the internet is giving her grief, but really.
posted by Sequence at 2:43 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by Sequence at 2:43 PM on October 15, 2013
I guess she's sort of right. I don't really have one excuse for why I didn't work out yesterday. I don't have kids, or a super demanding job, or better things to do even. I had the time, I have the money to buy equipment or join a gym. I'm healthy enough for physical activity.
I have a bunch of smaller excuses that can be summarized as "it's a lower priority for me than it is for you, apparently".
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:44 PM on October 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
I have a bunch of smaller excuses that can be summarized as "it's a lower priority for me than it is for you, apparently".
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:44 PM on October 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
OH! It is about fitness!
I thought it was about overpopulation.
posted by poe at 2:45 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I thought it was about overpopulation.
posted by poe at 2:45 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't have "excuses" for most of the way I live my life. I have "excuses" for when I hurt other people, break promises or replicate systems of oppression. I don't have "excuses" for things that are not moral questions in the first place.
I suppose my "excuse" would be that my body is mine and not thine, Mariah, and thus none of your goddamn business.
posted by Frowner at 2:47 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I suppose my "excuse" would be that my body is mine and not thine, Mariah, and thus none of your goddamn business.
posted by Frowner at 2:47 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
The easy response to Kang's question is that "I am not a professional fitness personality."
I'd love to see a fitness pro rebuttal along the lines of "my excuse is that i'm not a judgmental asshole, actually".
posted by elizardbits at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
I'd love to see a fitness pro rebuttal along the lines of "my excuse is that i'm not a judgmental asshole, actually".
posted by elizardbits at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
My excuse is that I'm a guy and I can't get pregnant. if I could, I'm sure I could then have great abs. it's what I see everywhere -- on tv, in magazines, in movies: you have a baby, and bang, boom, bing, a quick workout montage later, you have abs of steel.
come on, ladies, get your montage on!!!!
posted by MoxieProxy at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
come on, ladies, get your montage on!!!!
posted by MoxieProxy at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
As much as I applaud her fitness efforts and choice of good genetic material, she is somewhat tone deaf with her message, isn't she.
Perhaps she has experts disease; the inability to comprehend that what is possible, or even easy, for her may be out of reach for others.
posted by cccorlew at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2013
Perhaps she has experts disease; the inability to comprehend that what is possible, or even easy, for her may be out of reach for others.
posted by cccorlew at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2013
Okay, I really shouldn't give this woman any more energy, but here's another gem: "What you interpret is not MY fault. It's yours. The first step in owning your life, your body and your destiny is to OWN the thoughts that come out of your own head. I didn't create them. You created them. "
This is the classic "Your feelings are your problem, and therefore when your feelings are bad it means you are a bad person" trick. It's used by team leaders, charismatics and abusive narcissists the world over, with remarkable success.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:49 PM on October 15, 2013
This is the classic "Your feelings are your problem, and therefore when your feelings are bad it means you are a bad person" trick. It's used by team leaders, charismatics and abusive narcissists the world over, with remarkable success.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:49 PM on October 15, 2013
Well, good for her, she has generated a *ton* of press and buzz from this pic.
I think she has achieved her goal.
posted by rsanheim at 2:49 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think she has achieved her goal.
posted by rsanheim at 2:49 PM on October 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
That apology crosses the line from non-apology all the way over to anti-apology.
haha sorry if what I said might have FUCK YOU FATTY
posted by Sebmojo at 2:49 PM on October 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
haha sorry if what I said might have FUCK YOU FATTY
posted by Sebmojo at 2:49 PM on October 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
WTF is YahooShine??? and is this the harbinger of a slew of SLYS posts?
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:50 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:50 PM on October 15, 2013
This reminds me of when my dentist asked me what I did to have such great teeth. "Picked my father wisely," I said, and apparently he'd never heard that one before.
posted by Frowner at 2:50 PM on October 15, 2013
posted by Frowner at 2:50 PM on October 15, 2013
« Older Cockroach husbandry in China | Zach Dougherty, making reality less stable with... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
I'm sorry you took an image and resonated with it in such a negative way.
Round of applause for this non-apology. It's one of the best I've seen in a long time.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:37 PM on October 15, 2013 [5 favorites]