tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post3671369679930796452..comments2023-10-14T06:20:18.326-04:00Comments on fat in nyc: I debated Meme Roth today!! On TV (sort of)nycivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06859320328941470255noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-61813664117828244422010-02-07T16:45:04.791-05:002010-02-07T16:45:04.791-05:00Ivan, thank you for stepping up to a bully. You d...Ivan, thank you for stepping up to a bully. You did a fine job and although you likely won't change meme's mind, you may have made some people think.<br /><br />Andee, my new favorite phrase is going to be "MY INSURANCE BLAARGH".Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09657298304729201156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-16892605517800825732010-02-07T14:44:55.939-05:002010-02-07T14:44:55.939-05:00Speaking truth directly to an irrational, emotiona...Speaking truth directly to an irrational, emotionally motivated, one-note "personality" is a brave, and very "activist" thing to do. It would be great if they include you in the editing of this feature.Elizabeth Patchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08304185616310601803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-84167472811701385452010-02-07T12:08:34.303-05:002010-02-07T12:08:34.303-05:00Great job, Ivan. It was very brave to take her on...Great job, Ivan. It was very brave to take her on directly like that.Golda Poretsky, H.H.C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17174135930748899747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-46947996539835116392010-02-07T08:47:46.289-05:002010-02-07T08:47:46.289-05:00Go Ivan! What you did was amazing. I could never ...Go Ivan! What you did was <b>amazing</b>. I could never have been able to behave in such a gracious, polite or articulate manner in the presence of Meme Roth.Buttercup Rockshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08929261555166423769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-23542299230281275622010-02-06T23:03:47.815-05:002010-02-06T23:03:47.815-05:00The other thing about the MY INSURANCE BLAARGH peo...The other thing about the MY INSURANCE BLAARGH people that cracks my shit up is that they actually think insurance companies are about passing any savings on to them, if they actually got any. If there actually was money to be saved by reducing people's weight, what's the likelihood they <em>wouldn't</em> just pocket it?<br /><br />Furthermore, even IF weight loss actually meant fewer medical costs over a person's lifetime, which is a highly dubious proposition in itself, fewer doctor (or hospital) visits mean that providers will charge more for each one to stay afloat. Therefore, the billings from providers will not decrease, and thus, "health care costs" will not decrease. In a single-payer system with fixed costs per visit and no profit-taking middleman, they would, but that's not our system and probably won't ever be.<br /><br />Not to mention the fact that the MY INSURANCE BLAARGH people all seem to think they're going to live to be 100. I'm not sure how that's lower maintenance for one's fellow taxpayers than living to be only 70 or 75, but okay, whatever lulz you to sleep.<br /><br />Andee (Meowser)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07529062520941210692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-46561505437844599012010-02-06T19:18:22.612-05:002010-02-06T19:18:22.612-05:00Ivan, you're one of the Fat Activist Heroes. ...Ivan, you're one of the Fat Activist Heroes. <br />Keep up the good work!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00410927669644768709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-7920131299348980352010-02-06T18:33:25.594-05:002010-02-06T18:33:25.594-05:00Ivan, you rock! What are you talkin about? Activi...Ivan, you rock! What are you talkin about? Activism is what I call what you did! You were on the front lines, baby! <br /><br />You may not have a handle on all the studies like Linda or Marilyn, but you had all the ammunition you needed. She was unable to refute the truth. There is no logic to insisting that 100 people continue to persue a goal KNOWING that 95 of them will fail. There is no logic to insisting that this will drive down healthcare costs when it is common knowledge that yo-yo dieting is a greater health risk than staying fat. You have obviously absorbed more in this last year than you are giving yourself credit for. <br /><br />I'm very proud of you. Keep up the good work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-26721679788315160722010-02-06T14:16:26.264-05:002010-02-06T14:16:26.264-05:00MeMe is one of the most vocal anti-fat crusaders o...MeMe is one of the most vocal anti-fat crusaders out there, and unfortunately that's why news shows always turn to her to provide some kind of "fat is bad" expert viewpoint, despite Rachel from The F-Word doing a really great post on her sketchy credentials. <br /><br />But I'm glad you went up to her and called her out on some of her far-fetched thinking. I don't think she has enough people questioning her opinions or her educational background. It's one thing to say fat is unhealthy, it's another to treat a whole population as unworthy of respect and dignity. Way to go!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-63753629131654605482010-02-06T14:04:56.559-05:002010-02-06T14:04:56.559-05:00Ivan it was wonderful seeing you yesterday at the ...Ivan it was wonderful seeing you yesterday at the Nightline conversation. I am so impressed that you approached Meme! You are totally awesome and brave.Corinna Makrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08133306894224896347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-64296141137309453222010-02-06T13:38:03.621-05:002010-02-06T13:38:03.621-05:00Not interested in activism? What you did was somet...Not interested in activism? What you did was something I've never been able to do - come out as 'fat' (in terms of it being a part of your identity rather than just a physical characteristic) on a show with millions of viewers, defend your right to be so, and moreover keep it together enough to skewer the claims of a woman who, as Miriam above said, is only invited onto these shows in the first place not because of her experiences of being fat or her credentials but her capacity to express hate and contribute to fat shame and stigma. If that's not activism, I don't know what is; it's a lot more than I've ever been able to bring myself to do in the five or six years I've been around FA. From one fat guy to another, you have my utmost respect :o)Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16984367785330669991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-51642003454883238972010-02-06T12:14:05.987-05:002010-02-06T12:14:05.987-05:00Congrats, Ivan! I think Roth has latched onto the ...Congrats, Ivan! I think Roth has latched onto the whole insurance rates thing because it's a hotbutton issue right now --- anyone perceived as raising insurance rates = BAD! It's just a simple, automatic way to demonize people.<br /><br />My argument about the insurance rates isn't Progressive-friendly, but I'll include it anyway: health and people's bodies shouldn't be the public's business, financially or otherwise. If health and bodies aren't the public's business, then there's no argument (i.e., no one is being forced to pay for anyone else's health costs).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-85727414826534438602010-02-06T11:52:36.241-05:002010-02-06T11:52:36.241-05:00/applaud...i dont know if i would have that kind o.../applaud...i dont know if i would have that kind of bravery.....good for you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-22540001067612432412010-02-06T11:31:54.928-05:002010-02-06T11:31:54.928-05:00Rock ON! Sounds to me like ya had Mrs. MeMe&Me...Rock ON! Sounds to me like ya had Mrs. MeMe&Me outmaneuvered and cornered. Fortunately she's a little to dim to be personally dangerous, unfortunately she's just rabid enough to be dangerous to a whole community of people. Well struck, Dude. <br /><br />I SO, SO, SO wanted to get in for this one, especially being in the NYC area, but prior commitments just HAD to come down at the same time. DANG-IT! Knew Marianne wasn't gonna have too much of a problem with Manic MeMe. MK has dealt, serious intellectual, justice to THAT one on several occasions already, so I figure it must be getting pretty standard by now. But I WOULD have liked to meet her and some of the Folk. Next time, I guess.Bilt4cmfrthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07174369460254133331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-39013026688039805302010-02-06T11:03:16.417-05:002010-02-06T11:03:16.417-05:00Awesome. One of the really interesting things abou...Awesome. One of the really interesting things about Roth is that she *doesn't* speak from personal experience. That is, she hasn't actually experienced fat people taking money from them. She's speaking, then, from paranoia and a weak grasp of reality, which makes it easy to punch through her testimony.<br /><br />The thing that bothers me about the Nightline thing is that, in inviting her, they grant her a legitimacy she hasn't earned, and the moderators of such events never actually require her to provide *evidence* to support her claims. Instead, they just rely on the false equivalency pattern that says, "If we just bring a few competing voices to the fray, the people can decide," and they pretend that all those voices are equal.Miriam Heddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07737102790363065800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-67835524672716448032010-02-06T10:36:28.355-05:002010-02-06T10:36:28.355-05:00Bravo, Brave Ivan!
When people make that arguemen...Bravo, Brave Ivan!<br /><br />When people make that arguement about insurance rates, I want to tell them that maybe men should pay less for health insurance, since they don't incur as many costs as women since they don't have GYN exams, don't have pregnancies and children, and don't live as long. They deserve a discount for being male!<br />And if it's the behavioral piece she's concerned about, then, anyone who eats more than they "need" (fat or thin) should be charged double! Anyone who drinks more than the recommended amounts should pay those of us who don't drink at all -- I'll take cash, thank you very much.<br />I would also like money from people in the following categories:<br />- Those with depression who aren't treated for it (whether they can afford treatment or not)<br />- People who drive gigantic, gas-guzzling cars (I've driven a car that gets around 40 miles/gallon for the past 6 years)<br />- People who have more than one kid or who have no kids, because those who have more kids, I'm subsidizing their kids, and people who have fewer kids, they have more disposable income than me.<br />- While we are at it, poor people tend to be in poorer health, so they ought to pay the rich people for the extra costs they are incurring by being poor.<br />- Etc.<br />I think it's unfair that people like MeMe who cause so much psychological damage by spreading hate are raising the health care costs so much. She ought to be penalized by the word for the costs she's driving up in eating disorders, raising blood pressure, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-75186154311432338572010-02-06T10:12:49.213-05:002010-02-06T10:12:49.213-05:00Good job! It sounds like you really had your shit...Good job! It sounds like you really had your shit together for that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-56506155142148497182010-02-06T08:59:20.815-05:002010-02-06T08:59:20.815-05:00Way to go, Ivan! That was very brave of you and I ...Way to go, Ivan! That was very brave of you and I hope it gets people thinking.MigiziNse-ikwehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10096526211377597403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4531506767067177426.post-23840219252564606352010-02-06T08:57:19.531-05:002010-02-06T08:57:19.531-05:00Kudos to you Ivan! Well done indeed. Seems the o...Kudos to you Ivan! Well done indeed. Seems the only "argument" she has is about taxes and health insurance. Pretty sad to be devoting so much of your life to something like that isn't it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com