For time immemorial, movies and TV shows have shown people to be lean, tall, fair and muscular. On the flip-side, anyone who’s fat, short or dark-skinned have been reduced to a punchline. However, since that’s an insensitive way to portray a diverse population of people, a lot of activists have protested against this trend. And the argument has gained another supporter in the form of writer Cora Harrington.
Cora Harrington has long talked about issues of fat-shaming and the lack of plus-sized clothes. And in a Twitter thread, she aptly explained the concept of ‘thin privilege’ and how it applies to people who don’t ‘feel’ thin.
1. It’s a matter of perspective.
Hey, you don’t have to “feel thin” to have thin privilege.
Thinness isn’t a feeling. If other people perceive you as thin, you are thin. If you are able to walk into any clothing store and expect to see a wide range of options in your size, you are thin.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
2. She’s talking from experience.
My job involves looking at photos of models who are much thinner than me, so I rarely “feel” thin.
But I can walk into almost any clothing store and expect – without even thinking about it – to buy something in my size. That is thin privilege.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
3. As much as we don’t like to admit, it happens to many people.
No one looks at a photo of me online and tells me I need to lose weight or sees me out and about eating a cookie or an ice cream cone and sneers at me in disgust.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
4. If you’re getting it easy, it’s privilege.
No one groans or rolls their eyes when they have to sit next to me on a plane or a bus.
In fact, no one comments on my body at all. The ability to move through life without people insisting you need to be a smaller size…if you don’t have to think about that, it’s privilege.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
5. Acceptance is the only way forward.
And this is something that I really need “body positive” influencers and fashion bloggers to understand.
If you are getting gigs AT ALL, it’s because you closely align with fashion industry ideals. And it is what it is, I guess.
What’s not okay is pretending that you don’t.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
6. Rules shouldn’t be THAT strict.
Once again: all thin privilege means is that your life isn’t made more difficult *because of your weight.* It means you aren’t defined things like pay raises, healthcare, and airline seats because of your weight.
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
7. The definition of ‘normal’ is what needs to be changed.
It doesn’t mean your life is easy or that no one ever made fun of your appearance or that you can find everything you want in your local Target. It means societal discrimination and prejudice does not target you for being thin. It means your weight/body type are seen as “normal.”
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict) July 22, 2018
As mentioned before, the discourse around body sizes has been going on for a long time. But according to Indy100, the discussion exploded after Netflix’s ‘Insatiable’ portrayed a fat woman in an extremely insensitive way. And Cora’s thread is kind of a response to that.
Despite the balanced review of ‘thin privilege’ by Cora, the response from the internet was considerably divisive.
1. Keeping it real.
I’m thin AND unable to buy clothing in any clothing shop. All those of us who are non-standard sizes should be standing together in solidarity. We are the few. We are the ones whose business is unwanted.
— Shouty Person is Immunocompromised (@clacksee) July 22, 2018
2. This is a thing which must be looked into.
You can sit on any bus, fly on any plane, shop in any store, don't get a weight loss lecture from your doctor and from strangers… sorry about your hurt feelings but it's not the same as systematic exclusion.
— Devon Price (@drdevonprice) July 23, 2018
3. Staying fit is certainly not a privilege.
https://twitter.com/SnoruntGeneral/status/1021224378636341249
4. That’s true as well.
As someone whose weight is frequently below 100, I can tell you that there is no “privilege” to it. People tell me to eat more because I don’t weigh enough. I have to shop in the boys section for pants. I just can’t gain the weight. My metabolism won’t allow it.
— Austin Belzer (@AustinBTweets) July 23, 2018
5. Our society needs to step up.
Thank you – great analysis.
From all the defensive responses, it’s clear that the idea of privilege is widely misunderstood. Acknowledging privilege isn’t about feeling guilty or apologetic; it’s about gaining a new perspective and using it to support others.
— Peanut Burnham’s Human (@derridastaff004) July 24, 2018
The modern world is currently divided into a lot of little factions that are completely unnecessary. And that’s why the last thing we need is more divisiveness. Going by Cora’s thread, we need to talk more about inclusion and make everyone feel welcome.