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Jeanie Finlay, a filmmaker, creates a kind and open portrayal of Aubrey Gordon, an American activist, podcaster, and successful author who gained popularity for her blog, Your Fat Friend. In her blog, Gordon spoke out against the mistreatment, both intentional and unintentional, of individuals like herself by those who cannot resist ridiculing them. Her spirited and clever rants garnered her a following that included notable figures such as Roxane Gay, James Corden, and Adele. However, it also made her a target for online harassment and cruel attacks.
Gordon shares her experience of constantly enduring uncomfortable and patronizing euphemisms, as well as confronting the harmful diet industry, which now presents itself as the “wellness” industry. She strongly argues that the diet/wellness business is a profit-driven machine that preys on women’s insecurities and self-loathing, and turns them into financial gain. She draws a parallel between the diet industry and the tobacco industry – a bold and contrary perspective, as most people tend to compare it to the processed food industry.
The documentary also includes interviews with Gordon’s parents, delicately discussing how her mother’s decision to enroll her in a junior diet class during her teenage years may have contributed to her struggle with an eating disorder and potentially even played a role in her parents’ divorce. Her father, a retired pilot, has since remarried a flight attendant who embodies society’s ideal body type. Interestingly, the filmmaker presents a scene where Gordon criticizes the use of phrases like “you have great skin” as a way to avoid discussing weight, only to have her stepmother use the same phrase affectionately. However, the film does not delve into any potential effects of these issues on Gordon’s relationships, which could be seen as a flaw.
Essentially, Gordon’s stance is that certain individuals are biologically predisposed to being overweight, whether they want to be or not. He argues that any effort on their part to control their weight would consume their entire existence, similar to a zombie-like fixation. In short, it’s not worth it and, as Keynes may have stated, in the end we all die, so accept it. Let overweight individuals be and stop treating them as victims.
This perspective presents a libertarian viewpoint that contradicts both the left and right arguments, asserting that this matter is a result of the affluence in first world America. However, the topic surrounding doctors’ perceived lack of sensitivity towards heart disease and diabetes could have been approached with greater thoroughness. Gordon’s humor and generosity are evident throughout.
Source: theguardian.com
