Comments on: Because Hewlett-Packard knows that every woman wants to look like Katie Couric.

Because Hewlett-Packard knows that every woman wants to look like Katie Couric.

longdaysjourney — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:33:12 -0800

By: slimepuppy

slimepuppy — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:42:48 -0800

And all of myspace rejoiced for it was good.

By: NinjaTadpole

NinjaTadpole — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:51:53 -0800

Now every angle is a good angle! Except in real life. Let's hope for Richard Simmon's sake they don't apply this technology to mirrors.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:55:25 -0800

The Mexican Magic Realism Camera.

By: pieoverdone

pieoverdone — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:57:24 -0800

Ok, I was going to say 'No more Fat Girl Angles on myspace', but I am too late.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 04:59:44 -0800

That's gonna sell like hotcakes.

By: BeerFilter

BeerFilter — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:01:02 -0800

You're so vain / You probably think this post is about you...

By: twine42

twine42 — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:01:43 -0800

Oh lord what a depressing thought... Still, if you believe the flash movie, it seems to work by squashing the image in the middle and stretching it at the edges, which is all fine and dandy until you go for that group shot (at the ones on the ends get instant weight gain) or you take a portrait and everyone suddenly gets very large foreheads. :)

By: The White Hat

The White Hat — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:05:12 -0800

Good call on the achewood.

By: MrMustard

MrMustard — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:05:25 -0800

This is a joke, right? Please, somebody tell me this is a joke.

By: sveskemus

sveskemus — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:06:44 -0800

That's not subtle.

By: Tuwa

Tuwa — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:07:15 -0800

Good, maybe next HP can release a "bulking" camera and send people off to Afghanistan to document the abundance of food.

By: NinjaTadpole

NinjaTadpole — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:07:18 -0800

Good job they used such porkers on the "before" shots.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:08:42 -0800

So when are they going to add the acne-eliminating feature?

By: handee

handee — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:15:50 -0800

At last, a seriously useful application of computer vision. No more need for those diet books!

By: dmd

dmd — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:20:37 -0800

By: horsewithnoname

horsewithnoname — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:30:08 -0800

As an added bonus, you can rotate the camera ninety degrees and make your subject appear shorter.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:35:45 -0800

Yeah the bulking feature will be very popular with dudes who post dick-pix on craigslist. Maybe.

By: liquorice

liquorice — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:38:45 -0800

Oh good god, no. They look squished and stretched anyway.

By: antifuse

antifuse — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:49:25 -0800

Jesus, I'll never trust Lavalife profile photos again! :)

By: fusinski

fusinski — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:59:05 -0800

Oh, for the love of God. Please don't let my fiancee see this.

By: flarbuse

flarbuse — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:02:59 -0800

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:23:09 -0800

Negationism - not just for evil dictators.

By: Optamystic

Optamystic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:25:16 -0800

Photoshop For Dummies.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:32:22 -0800

Next: the anorexic camera! It reinforces the idea that regular women need to be skinny, and skinny women need to be skinnier. Only a dog wants a bone. Heavier women? Well, they can just forget about it. Please. The women society considers 'heavy,' these days are the ones with the womanliest bodies, IMHO.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:39:02 -0800

If you want to look slimmer in photos, how about you start taking diet pills, binge and purge, and do all sorts of insanity diets like the rest of us!

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:45:44 -0800

I was angry enough when camera technology tried to deny the existence of those of us with naturally bright red pupils, but this - this is just too much.

By: itchylick

itchylick — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:48:34 -0800

Everything is relative. Use this all day and your photos will be spectacular.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:51:57 -0800

you know, itchylick, some of us were born with heads like that, you insensitive fuck.

By: twistedonion

twistedonion — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:53:03 -0800

That is depressing. The camera always lies.

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:54:32 -0800

I think, in the long run, this will back fire. After a while, people will be able to spot this, so when an alter photo is received, the main message it will send to the recipient is "I'm insecure about my appearance". Also, I'm guessing that it will only work well on single, centered subjects (not that that will stop people from using it). I agree with flapjax, though, they will sell like hotcakes, for a while.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 06:59:47 -0800

Also, if you used this on a really skinny person like myself, would they disappear entirely?

By: bob sarabia

bob sarabia — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:06:37 -0800

Good angle/bad angle (nsfw)

By: ddf

ddf — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:18:11 -0800

This is just so wrong. It makes me sad.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:21:02 -0800

One picture is worth a thousand lies.

By: wfc123

wfc123 — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:23:22 -0800

Cue the reverse prejudice: only heavy women have the "womanliest bodies", while thin, attractive women are always "sick" or "anorexic".

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:26:23 -0800

thin, attractive women are always "sick" or "anorexic". Nah, they're just not my taste, generally. Preference does not equal prejudice. By 'womanly,' I meant that heavier women's bodies are more unlike mens' bodies than slim women's. The womanly attributes (breasts, hips, buttocks) are accentuated. That's not a prejudice, just an observation.

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:26:39 -0800

I keep why in this nation, a media that reinforces "skinny is hot" could possibly be a bad thing. Aren't Americans the fatty fat fats?

By: sciurus

sciurus — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:30:37 -0800

No, we're Fatty McFatsters.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:31:51 -0800

God all this does is squish the image, people have been doing that in photoshop for years...

By: ericb

ericb — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:40:04 -0800

As per the post's title:

By: ericb

ericb — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:41:54 -0800

I keep why in this nation, a media that reinforces "skinny is hot" could possibly be a bad thing. Aren't Americans the fatty fat fats? In related news -- Ban on skinny models shocks fashion world.

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:44:38 -0800

Well, that was in Europe. I can see why they would feel a need to squash such a negative body image. Then again they walk lots of places, and have a general level of health that we can't claim.

By: nervestaple

nervestaple — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:44:49 -0800

Does it come with a lorentz-contract feature?

By: digaman

digaman — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:46:20 -0800

Thank God, now I can get laid again.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:47:03 -0800

Ban on skinny models Right on, Spain!

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:50:41 -0800

"The Mexican Magic Realism Camera." Such a promising idea, such meagre results.

By: Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson

Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:51:17 -0800

The camera doesn't add ten pounds, incidentally. It's just that we're accustomed to angling ourselves at a flattering angle in front of mirrors. Cameras are more "objective" in that they don't assume that flattering angle automatically. One way to look at this feature is it's a shortcut for people who don't know how to take a photograph with those flattering angles in the first place.

By: antifuse

antifuse — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:51:22 -0800

I keep why in this nation, a media that reinforces "skinny is hot" could possibly be a bad thing. Aren't Americans the fatty fat fats? While for adults, the prevailing message seems to be "slow down tubby, you're not on the moon yet!" there are serious problems with teenaged girls (and guys, I suppose, but perhaps not to as great an extent) having insane eating disorders in order to end rib-showing skinny. It doesn't help that prominent "role models" like Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, that Olsen Twin, and Hillary Duff are walking around looking like PSAs for bulimia.

By: goodnewsfortheinsane

goodnewsfortheinsane — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:51:32 -0800

CTRL+A. CTRL+T. Drag little squares to taste.

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 07:59:22 -0800

Body dysmorphic disorder I don't know what any of you look like, but to me you are all beautiful.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:00:29 -0800

I keep why in this nation, a media that reinforces "skinny is hot" could possibly be a bad thing. Aren't Americans the fatty fat fats? But the message that the media generally pushes is "your worth as a person depends on how far your ribs jut through your skin," not "a steady and practical regimen of nutritious eating and exercise will make you happier and healthier." The standards that have been set up only encourage insecurity, neurosis, eating disorders, and dangerous fad diets. That's because the extremely thin fashion model look is simply not attainable through any kind of healthy effort. Those models who were kicked out of Spain's Fashion Week they couldn't make a BMI of 18, for God's sake. That's what, 120 pounds for a 5'9' woman?

By: Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson

Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:04:20 -0800

Pastabgel, yeah, that's kind of what I'm saying-- most people have a mild, non-clinical version if BDD. People who don't would probably tend to be depressed. :)

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:06:23 -0800

"Research suggests that about one percent (1%) of female adolescents have anorexia. That means that about one out of every one hundred young women between ten and twenty are starving themselves, sometimes to death. There do not seem to be reliable figures for younger children and older adults, but such cases, while they do occur, are not common. Research suggests that about four percent (4%), or four out of one hundred, college-aged women have bulimia. About 50% of people who have been anorexic develop bulimia or bulimic patterns. Because people with bulimia are secretive, it is difficult to know how many older people are affected. Bulimia is rare in children. Studies suggest that about sixty percent of adult Americans, both male and female, are overweight. About one third (34%) are obese, meaning that they are 20% or more above normal, healthy weight. Many of these people have binge eating disorder." link That's not to say that eating disorders are not a horrible thing, I just think we could be doing worse things than presenting a smaller waste size as a positive ideal.

By: prostyle

prostyle — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:06:32 -0800

By: C.Batt

C.Batt — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:08:40 -0800

Is it just me, or do the chicks in the "after" photos still look fat? Just asking... / :rolleyes:

By: ClaudiaCenter

ClaudiaCenter — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:11:26 -0800

I keep why in this nation, a media that reinforces "skinny is hot" could possibly be a bad thing. Aren't Americans the fatty fat fats? I imagine the extremes on the thin end (in media, images) could still be bad for people on the fat end. People on the fatter side get turned off/alienated by the super skinny images, don't see a realistic image to reach so give up.

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:14:03 -0800

Arthur "Two Sheds" - The camera does add ten pounds because it renders 2D what we see in 3D. The cheekbone in front of the ear now appears next to and in the same plane as the ear. Everything is squashed flat and appears wider. This is why many television personalities have prominent chins, noses, eyebrows - less squashing. sourbrew - anorexia is one specific subset of BDD. 1-2% of the *population* has BDD, but most of those people are adolescents. For those of you who love you tube, video diaries of anorexics.

By: sourbrew

sourbrew — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:18:03 -0800

pastabagel, If you look at my stats those apply to only anorexic and bulimic women in the adolescent to college age, which makes it about 5% of that age group. Which is no doubt smaller than one percentage of all Americans. Where as approximately 60% are over weight.

By: davy

davy — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:23:08 -0800

When I want a good portrait of me I copy the Unknown Comic's costume. All the plastic surgery I'd need to look half-decent would kill me. And my face doesn't even look fat.

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:23:16 -0800

Those models who were kicked out of Spain's Fashion Week they couldn't make a BMI of 18, for God's sake. That's what, 120 pounds for a 5'9' woman? The report I caught noted a bar of 121.5 pounds on a 5'7". 121 pounds at 5'7" is hardly automatically unhealthy-looking, which is what they say they were trying to eliminate. I take it that plus-size models are next. Not healthy looking, are they? In any case, one would think you could exercise a little case-by-case judgment instead of letting the numbers decide what "looks" healthy and unhealthy. Where as approximately 60% are over weight. Cue the "what people call 'overweight'" excuses. (How about your-heart-swimming-in-gravy overweight?)

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:25:18 -0800

Anecdotes are meaningless, but from my own experience, I feel a lot healthier never eating carbohydrates or sugar (it's a form of self-loathing) but instead loading up on bacon, meat, etc. My weight doesn't really change, but I never get food coma, I feel like I have more energy, and this is weird, I feel like I am a lot thinner. Of course, everything in moderation, and I think I'm genetically predisposed to low cholesterol, so YMMV.

By: straight

straight — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:25:29 -0800

I just think we could be doing worse things than presenting a smaller waste size as a positive ideal. That might seem like a good idea in your universe where you have fat people on the cover of every magazine and starring in every TV show, but we've tried it in our universe and it doesn't work. Turns out most people just give up and get fatter.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:27:05 -0800

I feel a lot healthier never eating carbohydrates or sugar...posted by Pastabagel *chuckle*

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:27:09 -0800

Another item for the novelty pile. Will disappear quickly and be sold on Ebay for bazillions.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:27:15 -0800

Is there a mode that makes your board of directors look less empty?

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:31:48 -0800

The extreme end of the slider, where you completely disappear, should be handy for girls who have returned from going wild.

By: Bageena

Bageena — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:33:48 -0800

Pastabagel, that's called Atkins, and I don't care what anybody says, that 'fad diet' is made out of magic. I lost mad weight super quick, yo.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:50:47 -0800

But Cathy Gould, of New York's Elite modeling agency, said the fashion industry was being used as a scapegoat for illnesses like anorexia and bulimia. huh. *Scratches head*

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:54:48 -0800

squalor: I like the first girl better.

By: TheOnlyCoolTim

TheOnlyCoolTim — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:03:53 -0800

Good angle/bad angle (nsfw) I honestly didn't know that the fat girl angle worked that well.

By: Ndwright

Ndwright — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:09:30 -0800

Great post! I haven't laughed that hard in weeks! The fact that it's serious makes it even funnier: not even the Onion could have come up with something this absurd.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:32:46 -0800

The report I caught noted a bar of 121.5 pounds on a 5'7". 121 pounds at 5'7" is hardly automatically unhealthy-looking According to this calculator, a BMI of 18 (purportedly the Spanish cut-off) for a 5'7" woman will get you 115 pounds. To put that in perspective: a BMI of 18 on a 5'11" man works out to 125 pounds. Pretty much the only way to get to these levels is (a) malnutrition, (b) heroic amounts of cocaine and cigarettes, and (c) a badly skewed metabolism. I think the only reason we don't see models as unhealthy looking is that we'd have to fight against a lot of cultural conditioning to do so.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:37:54 -0800

Excuse me--it should say a 5'10' man.

By: miss tea

miss tea — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:43:02 -0800

Sorry, Iridic, you're wrong. For most of my 20s I was about 120 lbs, at 5'10", and none of those things. Some people are just skinny. That said, the idea that the ideal is for everyone to be that thin is just dumb, whether they are models or not. I think the Spanish thing is a cool idea. At least they're doing something about the issue instead of just pretending they care, like most fashionistas.

By: djwebdog

djwebdog — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:43:38 -0800

Oh gawd. As if the cheesey late night informercials for losing weight weren't bad enough. Now we've got HP getting into the "weight loss" biz!

By: miss tea

miss tea — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:46:23 -0800

Oh yeah, and this photo thing? Laughable.

By: puffin

puffin — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:48:25 -0800

Pretty much the only way to get to these levels is (a) malnutrition, (b) heroic amounts of cocaine and cigarettes, and (c) a badly skewed metabolism. I think the only reason we don't see models as unhealthy looking is that we'd have to fight against a lot of cultural conditioning to do so. This is news to me. I'm around 5'7" and hover between 115 to 118 lbs. and I eat well and don't do drugs.. I go to regular doctor's appointments and am in good health. Some people just have a stick like build...

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:57:21 -0800

I concede, Miss Tea, and admit my ignorance of the proper body weight for women. (I'm also very, very, very sorry to have inadvertently implied that you might have a massive cocaine habit). I suppose I was too struck by the measurements at BMI 18 for men (you have to admit that 125 pounds makes for a somewhat gaunt man at average height) to think through my argument properly. I also agree with you that the events in Spain are nothing but a good thing.

By: Mister_A

Mister_A — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:04:11 -0800

I am going to pig out baby! I'm going to be a fat shit now baby! I'll just photoshop my lard ass into my racing singlet and then photoshop myself into first place baby! Fuck all that training! I got a camera now baby! But seriously: A summary of this thread so far -HP makes "funhouse mirror" camera. -People are outraged! This is an outrage! Perpetuating stereotypes of idealized beauty. -Other people are outraged at the outrage: What?? Everyone is teh fatties! At least their photographic images could be slimmer! Just for the sake of decency! Let's encourage slimness! -Still other people cry "think of the children!" -Mister_A makes dickish, over-simplificationizational "contribution".

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:06:56 -0800

you forgot 'big chicks are teh hawt.'

By: brain_drain

brain_drain — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:11:51 -0800

Actually, this is going quite well for a weight/body image thread. /famouslastwords

By: BrotherCaine

BrotherCaine — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:13:51 -0800

Yeah, but does HP make a sunken cheeked, protruding rib filter if you want to look like a concentration camp victim?

By: miss tea

miss tea — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:32:07 -0800

(I'm also very, very, very sorry to have inadvertently implied that you might have a massive cocaine habit). No worries, Iridic! No offense taken.

By: underdog

underdog — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 11:54:39 -0800

Another blow against the "reality-based" world.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 12:41:03 -0800

HP can bite my fat ass.

By: jfuller

jfuller — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:07:35 -0800

Good job they used such porkers on the "before" shots. posted by NinjaTadpole at 8:07 AM EST on September 18 [+] [!] How outrageous that they use attractive women who are already slim in the first place. It reinforces the idea that regular women need to be skinny, and skinny women need to be skinnier. posted by flarbuse at 9:02 AM EST on September 18 [+] [!] Which of these would Scott Fitzgerald be most likely to think? Whatever happened to "You can never be too rich or too thin"? P.S. that slider seems to imply that you can also dig up photos of your ex, from back when she was getting just a tad on the un-svelte side, and bulk her up into the hogzilla realm before mailing out 3000 copies. Another blow against the "reality-based" world. posted by underdog at 2:54 PM EST on September 18 [+] [!] We have art lets we perish from the truth.

By: NinjaTadpole

NinjaTadpole — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:15:03 -0800

Fitzgerald would have watched the young lady pass with a charming smile and a dignified nod of the head, then diligently commited the swaying centre third of her shaped figure to memory as she continued on, in order to relieve himself later. Allegedly.

By: linux

linux — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:28:36 -0800

Reminds me of Paula Abdul's video, Promise of a New Day. You gotta admit, she did look sizzly in that video. Then the MTV Music Video Awards came around and some damn fool thought the small of someone's back was the perfect place to put a mic pack.

By: Kwine

Kwine — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:27:20 -0800

That's not to say that eating disorders are not a horrible thing, I just think we could be doing worse things than presenting a smaller waste size as a positive ideal. Nothing of substance to add, just think that this is a delightful typo. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

By: Citizen Premier

Citizen Premier — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:45:43 -0800

We have art lets we perish from the truth. Yes, let's!

By: smallerdemon

smallerdemon — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:46:05 -0800

"Whoa baby, I done thought you was a LOT more oblong than you really are." *puts HP on the list of 'do not buy' products*

By: trii

trii — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 16:16:17 -0800

What's with HP these days? This idea must have been thought up by the same person who thought up the "Let's pre-text our board members and find out who they talk to" idea. Note to self: Buy nothing from this weirdo company.

By: Enucleator

Enucleator — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:21:19 -0800

There's been plenty of discussion about just what, in The Bold New Age Of Digital Media constitutes fair editing of photographs and what is simply dishonest. I have to say that I would put "red-eye removal" on one side of that line and "slimming camera" firmly on the other. Furthermore, I'm at a loss as to what people would hope to acheive by using one of these: you can change the picture, but that doesn't change reality, so it's ultimately futile. I guess some people are happier when deluded, even if they are aware of the delusion.

By: ontic

ontic — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:35:01 -0800

This is like something out of Infinite Jest.

By: treepour

treepour — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 18:53:15 -0800

great, but i also want features that make me look i did when i was 20. but with a sexy haircut on my head, and one of those sexy looks in my eyes that i was never able to master. you know the look. yeah, that one. and it needs to make my nose smaller, much smaller, without that embarrassing bony lump about halfway down. and my chin, it's way too big. and then my arms are kind of too long and stick out at funny angles when i have my hands my pockets. and i have kind of broad shoulders, which are nice, but i'd like for it to make that bulge around my waist go away. can the camera do anything about that? that would be great. then i could go out and socialize without feeling bad about my appearance, because i'd look great everywhere i went.

By: dejah420

dejah420 — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:17:37 -0800

How outrageous that they use attractive women who are already slim in the first place. It reinforces the idea that regular women need to be skinny, and skinny women need to be skinnier. Heavier women? Well, they can just forget about it. posted by flarbuse That was my first thought too...that woman in the blue sweater couldn't have been any bigger than a size 4-6 to start. If they wanna show me something impressive, make a Sumo wrestler skinny. That said, I'm in the "what the hell is up with HP" chorus. They used to be such a nice company.

By: liquorice

liquorice — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:36:04 -0800

Holy shit, I'm 5'8" and 110 pounds. I KNEW my massive crack habit would come back to bite me in my (non-existent) ass.

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 02:12:10 -0800

Sorry, Iridic, you're wrong. For most of my 20s I was about 120 lbs, at 5'10", and none of those things. Some people are just skinny. Ditto. 5'11 1/2" and 130-135 all through school, and healthy/athletic looking (long distance runner, but not the skin-and-bones marathoner). Bring on the hate. Besides, aren't we forgetting about a little thing called age? 125 lb 18-year olds are not that uncommon. 125 lb 40-year olds are. If we're setting social standards that everyone is supposed to live by, then yeah, that's kinda dumb. But I suppose we'll have to go banning those young runway models, too, because older people can't look that way! What's the story -- did you take it in school? -- where the dancer must be really good because he's wearing all those balance-upsetting weights, and he must be really handsome, too, what with all the face plate-age. Was that Brave New World? If not, one of that ilk -- I can't remember. Are we there yet?

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 06:07:37 -0800

Harrison Bergeron, and it's almost as clumsy as your attempt to make it relevent to the discussion.

By: blueplasticfish

blueplasticfish — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 09:13:26 -0800

Am I the only one who just finds this funny?

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 07:12:23 -0800

Harrison Bergeron, and it's almost as clumsy as your attempt to make it relevent to the discussion. Of course this is only about health, right? There's no ridiculously self-conscious push, even in this thread, to redefine beauty -- shall we say -- in weightier terms.