Thursday, January 17, 2008

Fill in the blank

How often are we treated to the phrase, "Shoving ____ in your face" as if it is a fact, instead of hyperbole?

I'm frankly tired of it. It's not true, and it's not a fair thing to say.

First, I have never actually met someone who "shoves" things into their faces. Fat people eat like other people, by picking food up, either with fingers or utensils, depending on what the food is, and putting it into their mouths. All kinds of people have different eating habits--some people eat quickly, some people eat voraciously, and others eat pickingly. Most of the voracious eaters I've met are thin young men or teenaged boys, who burn energy like hummingbirds. I am, on the other hand, a picking type usually, and I cannot eat much at one sitting without feeling ill.

Fill in the blank...
Big Macs? I don't believe I've ever actually eaten one in my entire life. I've been a vegetarian for 23 years now, and therefore have no reason to eat Big Macs, or any of the other burgers that I, as a fat person, am continually accused of "gobbling" or "shoving into my face".

Twinkies? Nope, sorry, they aren't actually vegetarian--almost all Hostess products contain animal fat. And if I could eat them, who could eat more than one package in a sitting? Good lord.

McDonald's? Oh, come ON, their fries aren't even vegetarian. I will say that McD's is perhaps the last bastion of fresh-brewed iced tea in the fast food industry, which is the only reason I will, on rare occasions, patronize their establishments on a thirsty day. I can't stand the new style of tea, that nasty stuff from concentrate, and it's even nastier if it's sweetened. No sugar, no lemon, lots of ice (I love the flavor of tea, and think additives ruin it). All that unsweetened ice tea is sure making me fatter!

Donuts? They are a rare treat in this household, and ONLY if I can find ones that aren't stale and disgusting. Does anyone remember when DD's had fresh donuts that tasted good? Nowadays, they are so coffee-focused that their namesake has even been taken off the menu. I'll admit to liking donuts now and then, but that isn't a crime, and it certainly doesn't mean that I eat them in mass quantities all the time.

Every time I see that phrase, it's uttered as a fact, and there is never an opportunity to back up the bus and respond to it. It just seamlessly glides forward into a larger outrage that does get a response. I think that, however, every time the phrase is uttered, it should be stopped in its tracks and treated like the bullshit it is. I can't ignore it any longer, because it pisses me off to see it all the damn time. It's not true, and it is hyperbole invented for the sake of condemning fat people. It is an unfair and untrue accusation, and it isn't funny. It needs to stop.

4 comments:

Kate Harding said...

I will say that McD's is perhaps the last bastion of fresh-brewed iced tea in the fast food industry

Starbucks, too. They sweeten by default if you don't ask them not to, but the tea is fresh brewed (I think, anyway), and the sweetener's optional. I drink gallons of their unsweetened iced green tea in the summer. (Unsweetened green tea lemonades are quite yum, too.)

RioIriri said...

Kate,
Starbucks does have good iced tea, but McD's is significantly cheaper. I'm a poor girl :)

Morte said...

Oh!

I agree with the subject of your post, but I wanted to say I also drink unsweetened iced tea, and the fountain from concentrate kind has soemthing in it that 1)tastes bad 2) gives me wicked headaches. I get straneg looks when i am very insistent askign if it is *brewed* tea.

Water and iced tea are pretty much all I drink (occasional juice and VERY occasional ((maybe 4 or 5 times a year)) ginger ale by micro breweries). And my doctor is no longer my doctor because not only did she refuse to believe i eat fairly healthfully but she ABSOLUTELY refused to believe i don't drink pop (aka soda etc). She treated me as if i was lying EVERY visit when she asked me that.

Wendy's has brewed tea, Jack in the Box has brewed tea Quiznos does and a few local chains here in the Pacific NW.

It is sad that a drink that really isn't bad for you AND is tasty is so hard to find.

I'm babbling,so i will close with, thanks for your fabulous blog!

RioIriri said...

Wendy's! I'll have to remember that. I also remember Quizno's tea being really tasty, especially since they keep in in those machines. It gets sour as it sits at room temperature all day. No Jack In The Boxes here, though

I think they add citric acid or something to the concentrate to keep it from going bad, which gives it that off taste. Yuck.

U;= ==

I am trying to type this with my cat rubbing against my hands.