Sisterhood of Big-Footed Women & others forgotten by fashion

I started to post about my ex trying to be hip, or whatever the current word is, after our divorce (his idea) and my niece's take on his choices, she being closer to street hip by far... and my being sympathetic about those purple shoes...

but I didn't. Let's just say that among the differences in mates can be sensibility re clothing... it can be a symbol of where someone is...

I was thinkin' about the comments several of you ladies made about the aging thing...about society, Hollywood, etc., not noticing you. Have any of you heard about the "Desperate Housewives" phenomenon? You know, we're supposed to be thrilled that these characters are in their forties, it's groundbreaking! Gasp!!! And guess what? Now anorexia is becoming something of an epidemic among women in their forties-- some say thanks to the Housewives and this new thing that's being shoved in our faces; that is, yes, it's okay to be forty! You're still sexy! (You are a size two, right?) Grr... I can't believe the only time the entertainment industry can acknowledge women over 26 is if they look like Teri Hatcher. Blech.

P.S. Jeans! Ack! I hate 'em! If I don't wear the stupid low rise ones, then I have that stupid gap thing in the back, since if they fit my butt they're huge in the waist. And since I'm tall I'm lucky if they even touch the tops of my shoes. And since I wear the low rise ones, against my will, might I add, I have to do like Soz said and stand up perfectly straight and not sit down at all...

And bathing suits were sent here by the Devil himself.

Anorexia is a rather serious mental disorder and I honestly think it would take more than Teri Hatcher to trigger it.

Dora17 - Check out our thread "Women of A Certain Age" if you want to know what the women here are really thinking about getting older. This old broad is off to bed or I would find you the link.

I agree it would take more than one tv show to start it... but this isn't just some bullsh*t thing I came up with on my own, the rates are rising dramatically and it's a very recent trend, which really has been linked to some of the newer tv shows, among other factors of course... There're lots of articles about it, I'll try 'n find one to link to.

Remember the 80s? Excersize, aerobics, sneakers to work all took hold then. Those new adults of the 80s would be around 40 now. Gen X - X for anorexia?

Yawn.

Not that I am against exercise, I do it myself from time to time.

Stuff like "Desperate Housewives" makes me so glad I don't have TV.

Ignorance really is bliss, in this case.



I suppose other folk see the irony in anorexia being a sort of plague in the US, where so many of us can afford to eat practically anything we want. Starving oneself in the midst of so much food is so... Human.



I have this theory (I have a lot of theories) that the first human words were NOT something like, "Watch out for that Saber Toothed Tiger!" or "Hey, Fire!" but, "Did you see her HAIR?"

LOL They may have been "Oh my God, Becky, look at her butt!"

No, wait, those are the first words to "Baby Got Back".

Anyway, oof, Desp. Housewives. How nice. And the whole Demi-Ashton dealio, I think, is kind of a part of it.

- It's okay to be older!
- So long as you're tiny, 'cause being anything above miniscule is a major sin!
- And you can have a younger boyfriend, or fool around! But only if you color your hair (I admit I do color my hair, but it's 'cause I like to, not because I feel the need to do so for society's sake)! And dress like a teenager!

Man, how annoying is all of that?

I compare Susan Sarandon and Robert Redford. He is, I believe, about 20 years older than her. She is shilling cosmetics. He is making movies. They are both known (or were known) as pretty people. She is an Oscar winner. Can't recall if he is.

But it's interesting, eh? She's younger than he is, yet is too old to make films. He is way past AARP yet he continues to rake in dough (albeit his last film was a flop) in Hollywood.

It's also on TV. Look at the show The King of Queens. Kevin James is dumpy, middle-aged and really not that attractive. Yet he is paired up with Leah Remini, who is pretty and skinny. Huh? And this is nothing new. Remember The Honeymooners? Joyce Randolph and Audrey Mansfield may not have been THE most beautiful women in the world, but surely they were better-looking than Art Carney and Jackie Gleason. Yet we were sold them as spouses.

And forget the concept of biracial or mixed-race couples, on TV, in commercials, in the movies, unless it's to make some sort of social "point". What kind of a show would it have been if Everybody Loves Raymond had an African-American wife? What about Friends with a Hispanic regular? Or Buffy The Vampire Slayer as an Asian?

Who am I kidding? You can't even see a biracial couple selling tuna, or an older couple selling anything other than what seems to be old people's stuff (adjustable beds, denture cream, life insurance). Why can't they be selling clothes or convenience foods or, heh, video games? Why not?

-- Man, am I livin' in a fantasy world? --

PS Welcome, all sisters and brothers. Thank you all for your comments. Everyone has something interesting to say. And it's disturbing, isn't it? Here we are, the regular crowd, the folks, the people, and we can't even get freakin' jeans that fit.

hmm..couple of thoughts...jespah, did you know that asians are the most underrepresented nationality on TV? just thought that was odd being half asian myself.

oh and on top of that, funny people see me and literally ask, you're asian? but you're so big??? is that supposed to be a compliment? yes, i am asian and german...that is why i am 5'10" 170lbs of asian love.

anyway...to the man in my life...i think the last time he actually bought clothes was when we met in 2000. since then, yup you got it, good old dragon was out there buying him clothes. he will come to me one day and say, "honey, my jeans are getting ragged, can you get me some more? honey, my sneakers are wearing a hole in them, can you get me some more? honey, i don't have any nice dress shirts, can you pick some out?" not a joke, he doesn't dress himself except to go to work, which he is in fact a plumber and i refuse to let him out of the house if he is even risking plumber's crack. his butt is way too cute for others to see.

and i love the muffin top expression. that was priceless.

and lord, you could find your way over to the A2K football pool thread, i get my testerone feelings out on that one it's ok to be in touch with your feminine side lordy, embrace it, just dont let it run your life or you wil be obsessing over which color shoe to buy...it's not a fun fate...

Source of "muffin top"--and a wonderful (although occasionally startling) language-site-with-newsletter:

http://slangcity.com/email_archive/2005/8_03_05.htm

Yes, 40-year-old women are turning anorexic. As with teen-agers the problem seems to be "Control" rather than simply "Self-Image".

"A 1999 to 2002 survey by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggested that 65% of US adults aged over 20 were either overweight or obese, with 30% being clinically obese."
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8096

Doesn't anorexia cause weight loss??? How come two-thirds of us over 20 are so FAT???

I'm sorry I don't know the psychiatric issues but basic structural design means that hip / knee / ankle joints must be replaced because they were designed for HUMANS and not ELEPHANTS!!!

I read your thread and I wish to all the posting elephants continued effective blinkers, because believe me YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH

Eep, dragon, I dunno 'nuff about football to do the pool thing. Go Pats, I guess. I did the baseball thingie, though, always good to get a lil estrogen into the sports forum, scare the boys and all. :wink:

Yeah, I remember, ack, where did I read this, re Asian folks on TV, that Margaret Cho and her show were pretty much it for a while, and Ms. Cho was bombarded with all sorts of "you're the role model, you have to behave/look/sound/dress in this particular way, we're all counting on you!" kind of stuff.

When Friends went off the air, so did three out of I think it was four Jewish characters in prime time (the other is Grace from Will & Grace; I don't believe there's anyone else).

It is sad. It is disturbing. The world does not look like TV. I understand it is a fantasy and it is meant to have a certain look/feel/whatever, but really, why the heck is it so difficult to think of a Jewish star ship captain or an Asian newspaper reporter or a Hispanic person fighting demons? Heck, I'm still wondering why Jack and Bobby can't be Jack and Bobbie.

Louise--

Welcome to A2K.

The truth will set us free--but, unfortunately, not automatically.

Ripeness is all.

I mostly prefer unusual, vintage, or Indian clothes, but these jeans are cheap, durable, and available in many colors, sizes, and lengths. I have the purple, the wine, the chocolate, and a charcoal color. Size 8 fits my shapely ass perfectly. They feel really good and look cute.

My only "fashion" complaint is that it's not always considered appropriate to wear pajamas in public.

dang syn, my butt doesn't look like that in those jeans...

Now don't beat around the bush, Ms Heller......why don't you just go ahead and tell everyone what you really think.

Ms Heller is Austrian, living at present in the USA.

It is my guess that she works for their Embassy, possibly in a diplomatic position.

I may be wrong, mind you......it has been known.

Well, nutrition: my guess already was California. To be more precise, State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA.

(At least, such would explain a lot - but I might be wrong as well.)

You don't think that she could be a career diplomat then Walter?

I was just looking at her inter personal skills and such. I'm normally pretty perceptive about these sort of things.