Book Review: Roxane Gay -- A Wrer of Unual Sensibily - The Arts Fe

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• BRENDAN FRASER’S BT ACTOR W FOR ‘THE WHALE’ IS FATPHOBIA AT ITS WORSTBODY NEGATIVITYWHEN FRASER RECEIVED A STANDG OVATN FOR HIS AWARD ON SUNDAY NIGHT, WAS CLEAR WHO VOTED FOR HIM: AN DTRY FULL OF THOSE WHO NTUE TO MONIZE AND BALK AT FATNS.REBEC BONHEIMERFREELANCE JOURNALISTUPDATED MAR. 15, 2023 9:27AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 15, 2023 4:41AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/RTERSGOG TO THIS YEAR’S OSRS, I HAD A BAD FEELG THAT THE AMY VOTERS WOULD GIVE BT ACTOR TO BRENDAN FRASER. FRASER WAS NOMATED FOR THE WHALE, A MOVIE THAT MANY CRICS HAVE CHARACTERIZED AS A EPLY HARMFUL PORTRAYAL OF A FAT PERSON. WHEN HE DID END UP WNG THE AWARD, THE WHOLE ROOM STOOD UP TO NGRATULATE HIM. AS I WATCHED AT HOME, I LOOKED AROUND AT THE DIENCE ON-SCREEN AND SAW A SEA OF TH PEOPLE—WHO LIKELY HAVE NO IA WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE FAT—VIGOROLY APPLDG A NON-FAT ACTOR FOR PORTRAYG THE THG THAT IGHTENS AND DISGTS SO MANY PEOPLE THE MOST THIS WORLD: A FAT PERSON.IT APPARENTLY DON’T MATTER HOW MANY FAT PEOPLE TELL HOLLYWOOD HOW GRADG IS TO PUT TH ACTORS FAT SUS. THE DTRY SIMPLY NNOT AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RELATE—BEE BEG TH IS PART OF THE JOB SCRIPTN FOR ACTORS AND OTHER IMAGE-DRIVEN CELEBRI. THE OSRS WERE HELD A ROOM WHICH A NOT-SIGNIFINT NUMBER OF THE ATTEN ARE LIKELY TAKG OZEMPIC OR SUBSCRIBE TO SOME “WELLNS” TREND THAT’S REALLY JT FAD DIETG DISGUISE, ORR TO SHED POUNDS THEY DON’T ACTUALLY NEED TO LOSE. THE POT OF THIS ENDLS WEIGHT-LOSS ENAVOR IS NOT HEALTH—THUMBG THROUGH 126 PHOTOS OM THE VANY FAIR OSRS PARTY, THE VAST MAJORY OF CELEBRI ARE SHOCKGLY TH, WHICH ALSO ULD BE SAID OF NEARLY EVERY OSRS PRENTER ON SUNDAY NIGHT. IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE IMAGE HOLLYWOOD NTU TO PROJECT IS A FANTASY THAT BEARS NO REMBLANCE TO THE NTEMPORARY UNED STAT, WHERE THE AVERAGE WOMAN WEARS A SIZE 14-16.SO OF URSE THIS IS THE SAME VOTG BODY THAT GAVE FRASER THE DTRY’S MOST IMPORTANT AWARD, ALL FOR PUTTG ON A FAT SU AND PORTRAYG A PIFUL RITURE OF A FAT PERSON. I’LL BE UPONT SAYG THAT I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY SEEN THE WHALE, AND I DON’T TEND TO. I MA THIS CISN THE FALL, WHEN REVIEWS STARTED G OUT AFTER S FILM FTIVAL PREMIER VENICE AND TORONTO. MY CISN TO SKIP WASN’T ONLY ABOUT FRASER DONNG A FAT SU ORR TO PORTRAY THE DYG, DIVORCED, 600-POUND ENGLISH TEACHER CHARLIE. IT WAS ALSO THAT WAS WRTEN AND DIRECTED BY TWO TH MEN—THE ORIGAL PLAYWRIGHT AND SCREENWRER SAMUEL D. HUNTER, WHO HAS SAID HE "SELF-MEDITED WH FOOD” AS A YOUNG MAN (WHICH IS NOT THE SAME AS INTIFYG AS FAT), AND THE TH DIRECTOR DARREN ARONOFSKY. FURTHER, REVIEWS DISCSED GRAPHIC SCEN OF BGE EATG THAT SOUND TRIGGERG TO ME—NOT BEE I HAVE EXPERIENCE WH AN EATG DISORR, BUT BEE CHARLIE APPARENTLY WANTED TO EAT HIMSELF TO ATH. FROM WHAT I GLEANED EARLY ON, THE WHALE FELL FOR THE TRAPPGS OF CLASSIC TRMA PORN: A SELF-HATG FAT PERSON PUNISHG HIMSELF OVER AND OVER. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED HARD TO UNTER MY OWN ANTI-FAT BIAS AND EMBRACED THE WORD “FAT” TO SCRIBE MYSELF, I WANTED NO PART OF .ROXANE GAY’S REVIEW OF THE FILM LAST DECEMBER ONLY VALIDATED MY CISN. SHE WROTE THAT SHE CRIED DURG MOST OF THE FILM, NOT OUT OF EMPATHY FOR FRASER’S CHARACTER, BUT BEE WAS PAFUL TO WNS “HOW UTTERLY RELS THE WRG AND DIRECTN WERE. IT WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT MR. HUNTER AND MR. ARONOFSKY NSIRED FATNS TO BE THE ULTIMATE HUMAN FAILURE, SOMETHG SPIBLE, TO BE AVOID AT ALL STS.” GAY ALSO RRECTLY PREDICTED THAT FRASER WOULD BE LD AS “BRAVE” BY HIS PEERS “FOR BEG WILLG TO EMBODY SO MANY PEOPLE’S WORST FEARS.”I SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE TWEETG DURG THE CEREMONY THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HAVE WISHED WERE FOR A DIFFERENT, LS NTROVERSIAL ROLE, THEY WERE HAPPY FOR FRASER’S W. I HAVE NOTHG AGAST THE ACTOR, BUT I ULDN’T DISAGREE MORE: THAT FRASER EMBODIED THE SO-LLED “MORBIDLY OBE” CHARLIE IS PRECISELY THE POT OF THE W. IT MATTERS THAT FRASER WON THE OSR FOR A ROLE THAT LDY WT, THE FAT-POSIVE THOR OF THE MEMOIR SHRILL (WHICH WAS MA TO A GROUNDBREAKG HULU SHOW A FEW YEARS AGO), RECENTLY SCRIBED AS “A FANTASY OF FAT SQUALOR, A NFIRMATN THAT WE ‘DO THIS’ TO OURSELV.”THREE YEARS AGO, I PUBLISHED A FEATURE THE LA TIM SUGGTG A VERSN OF THE BECHL TT FOR FAT REPRENTATN ON TV. IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO WRE FAT PEOPLE TO SCRIPTS AND ST FAT ACTORS PROMENT ROL, I ARGUED; WAS IMPORTANT THAT THEIR STORY L NOT REVOLVE AROUND THEIR WEIGHT OR SIRE TO NOT BE FAT. I NAIVELY ASSUMED THAT FAT SUS WORN BY TH ACTORS—EPOMIZED BY THE “FAT MONI” GAG ON FRIENDS AND GWYH PALTROW’S CHARACTER SHALLOW HAL—HAD GONE OUT OF FASHN, LDG SHOWS FEATURG FAT WOMEN AS PROTAGONISTS, SUCH AS SHRILL AND ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. IN 2023, I NO LONGER FEEL SO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE DTRY’S PROGRS ON THE ISSUE OF DIVERSE BODY REPRENTATN. I’VE SEEN NUMERO EXAMPL OF TH ACTORS DONNG FAT SUS RECENT YEARS, MOSTLY TO PICT REAL-LIFE FAT PEOPLE. THE CLU SARAH PLSON (AS LDA TRIPP), VLA DAVIS (MA RAEY), RENéE ZELLWEGER (PAM HUPP), AND TOM HANKS (COLONEL TOM PARKER). EARLIER THIS YEAR, PHOTOS WERE RELEASED REVEALG THAT ACTN STAR AND MARTIAL ARTIST STT ADKS (AN CREDIBLY F MAN) WOULD BE PORTRAYG A FAT CHARACTER JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4.AS ONE FAT ACTIVIST ON TWTER NOTED RECENTLY, ONE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHARACTERS LIKE “FAT MONI” OM S PAST AND THE CURRENT TRENDS HOLLYWOOD IS THAT FAT SUS WERE PLAYED FOR LGHS BACK THEN. NOW, A-LIST DRAMATIC ACTORS DON FAT SUS TO GARNER CRIL ACCLAIM AND W PRECISELY THE TYPE OF AWARDS FRASER JT TOOK HOME. HIS W SENDS THE MSAGE TO HIS PEERS THAT THIS TREND IS NOT MERELY ACCEPTABLE, BUT GOOD FOR YOUR REER. ALL OF THE MEDIA SURROUNDG FRASER’S ROLE HAS AMED AS A HUGE EBACK, AFTER ALL. BRENDAN FRASER THE WHALE.A24 THIS CELEBRATORY NARRATIVE AND RURGENCE OF FAT SUS NOT ONLY TAK WORK AWAY OM FAT ACTORS, BUT TREATS FAT BODI LIKE A PROP—HENCE, WHY THE WHALE ALSO WON BT MAKP AND HAIRSTYLG THIS YEAR. EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, AWARDG FRASER FOR A ROLE THAT MISREPRENTS FAT PEOPLE AS MISERABLE AND DISGTG—LET’S JT SAY , AS EAK SHOWS—ONLY AMPLIFI THE PERVASIVE ANTI-FAT BIAS THAT CIRCULAT OUR SOCIETY.I FELT A SIAR PHENOMENON AT PLAY LAST DECEMBER’S NETFLIX FILM MATILDA THE MIL, WHICH WAS NOMATED FOR OUTSTANDG BRISH FILM AT LAST MONTH’S BAFTA AWARDS. I WENT TO THE MOVIE EXPECTG TO BE ANGERED BY THE FAT SU EMMA THOMPSON WEARS AS MISS TNCHBULL, A BIZARRE ACUTREMENT THAT SEEMED TO GMENT HER BREASTS MUCH MORE THAN ANY OTHER PART OF HER BODY. BUT WHAT I FOUND PROFOUNDLY DISHEARTENG WAS THAT ONE OF THE CHILD ACTORS (CHARLIE HODSON-PRR) ALSO DONNED A PROSTHETIC BELLY TO PORTRAY THE CHARACTER OF BCE BOGTROTTER.NOT ONLY WAS A FAT CHILD ACTOR NOT ST THE PART ( NTRAST WH THE 1996 FILM VERSN OF MATILDA), WH THE PRODUCERS OPTG TO STRAP ON A FAIRLY OBV FAKE BELLY TO HODSON, BUT THERE’S A SCENE WHICH HE EATS AN ENTIRE, THREE-TIER CHOLATE KE ORR TO GET THE BT OF THE VILLA, MISS TNCHBULL (THOMPSON)— IS, LIKE THAT OF CHARLIE THE WHALE, A EAK-LIKE PORTRAYAL OF A FAT PERSON. APPARENTLY THE KE SCENE OM THE ORIGAL ROALD DAHL NOVEL, BUT ADAPTIVE CHOIC ARE MA BY SCREENWRERS ALL THE TIME ORR TO MAKE OLR STORI MORE CLIVE AND/OR AVOID RERCG HARMFUL STEREOTYP. LIKE MATILDA THE MIL, THE WHALE IS DOUBLY HARMFUL, BOTH S STG (WH THE CISN TO E A FAT SU) AND THE STORY TELLS ABOUT FAT PEOPLE. THE TREND OF TH ACTORS DONNG FAT SUS EXCHANGE FOR AWARDS NOMATNS—BRENDAN FRASER AND VLA DAVIS FOR OSRS, AND SARAH PLSON FOR AN EMMY—HUMANIZ FAT PEOPLE BY RCG TO OUR BODY SIZE AND MAGNIFYG THIS ONE ASPECT OF . BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, HOLLYWOOD, A PLACE WHERE THNS IS VALUED ABOVE ALL ELSE, STILL SEEMS PABLE OF CREATG FAT CHARACTERS THAT DON’T PERPETUATE PERNIC MYTHS ABOUT OUR BODI. AS FAT ACTIVIST AUBREY GORDON WR HER NEW BOOK, WHICH BUNKS MYTHS ABOUT FAT PEOPLE, “THNS ISN’T JT A MATTER OF HEALTH OR BETY OR HAPPS. IT IS A CULTURAL STCTURE OF POWER AND DOMANCE.”TO REWARD STORI LIKE THE WHALE AND THE NON-FAT ACTORS WHO STAR THEM WHILE WEARG FAT SUS IS TO GIVE THEIR TH CREATORS RTE BLANCHE TO NTUE DISTORTG THE REALY OF OUR LIV, PATG AS IRREVOBLY BROKEN OR ONE-DIMENSNAL. WHEN WE SEE FAT PEOPLE BGE EATG ON SCREEN, AS THE WHALE, MATILDA THE MIL, OR SOMETHG SIARLY WELL-REGARD LIKE PREC, FATPHOBIC STEREOTYP—SUCH AS THE IA THAT ALL FAT PEOPLE ARE UNHEALTHY, DON’T EXERCISE, AND ARE OBSSED WH OR HAVE AN UNHEALTHY RELATNSHIP WH FOOD—GA TRACTN AND STAYG POWER. AND AS GORDON DOCUMENTS HER BOOK, ANTI-FAT BIAS IS FAR MORE HARMFUL TO FAT PEOPLE THAN BEG FAT IS. “THE SOLUTN SEEMS OBV TO ME: FAT PEOPLE NEED THE POWER AND OPPORTUNY TO CREATE OUR OWN STORI.” THE SOLUTN SEEMS OBV TO ME: FAT PEOPLE NEED THE POWER AND OPPORTUNY TO CREATE OUR OWN STORI, GROUND THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVG A FAT BODY, AND THE ABILY TO ST ACTORS THAT REFLECT OUR BODY DIVERSY. WE DON’T NEED ANY MORE TRMA PORN WRTEN OR ACTED BY TH PEOPLE, PROJECTG THEIR WORST FEARS ABOUT LOOKG LIKE ONTO THE PAGE AND THE SCREEN, AND THEN PATTG THEMSELV ON THE BACK FOR IGNG TO “REPRENT” .SIMPLY PUT, THE WHALE—AND FRASER’S W—IS A TRAVTY FOR FAT PEOPLE. REBEC BONHEIMER
• THE WORLD OF ROXANE GAY: A FIERCE VOICE WHAT SHE LLS 'AN AGE OF ELASTICY'
• 'HOPELSNS IS A LUXURY': WHY ROXANE GAY REF TO GIVE UP ON THE MEDIA
• 5 ROXANE GAY BOOKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ
• ROXANE GAY

BRENDAN FRASER’S BT ACTOR W FOR ‘THE WHALE’ IS FATPHOBIA AT ITS WORSTBODY NEGATIVITYWHEN FRASER RECEIVED A STANDG OVATN FOR HIS AWARD ON SUNDAY NIGHT, WAS CLEAR WHO VOTED FOR HIM: AN DTRY FULL OF THOSE WHO NTUE TO MONIZE AND BALK AT FATNS.REBEC BONHEIMERFREELANCE JOURNALISTUPDATED MAR. 15, 2023 9:27AM EDT / PUBLISHED MAR. 15, 2023 4:41AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/RTERSGOG TO THIS YEAR’S OSRS, I HAD A BAD FEELG THAT THE AMY VOTERS WOULD GIVE BT ACTOR TO BRENDAN FRASER. FRASER WAS NOMATED FOR THE WHALE, A MOVIE THAT MANY CRICS HAVE CHARACTERIZED AS A EPLY HARMFUL PORTRAYAL OF A FAT PERSON. WHEN HE DID END UP WNG THE AWARD, THE WHOLE ROOM STOOD UP TO NGRATULATE HIM. AS I WATCHED AT HOME, I LOOKED AROUND AT THE DIENCE ON-SCREEN AND SAW A SEA OF TH PEOPLE—WHO LIKELY HAVE NO IA WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE FAT—VIGOROLY APPLDG A NON-FAT ACTOR FOR PORTRAYG THE THG THAT IGHTENS AND DISGTS SO MANY PEOPLE THE MOST THIS WORLD: A FAT PERSON.IT APPARENTLY DON’T MATTER HOW MANY FAT PEOPLE TELL HOLLYWOOD HOW GRADG IS TO PUT TH ACTORS FAT SUS. THE DTRY SIMPLY NNOT AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RELATE—BEE BEG TH IS PART OF THE JOB SCRIPTN FOR ACTORS AND OTHER IMAGE-DRIVEN CELEBRI. THE OSRS WERE HELD A ROOM WHICH A NOT-SIGNIFINT NUMBER OF THE ATTEN ARE LIKELY TAKG OZEMPIC OR SUBSCRIBE TO SOME “WELLNS” TREND THAT’S REALLY JT FAD DIETG DISGUISE, ORR TO SHED POUNDS THEY DON’T ACTUALLY NEED TO LOSE. THE POT OF THIS ENDLS WEIGHT-LOSS ENAVOR IS NOT HEALTH—THUMBG THROUGH 126 PHOTOS OM THE VANY FAIR OSRS PARTY, THE VAST MAJORY OF CELEBRI ARE SHOCKGLY TH, WHICH ALSO ULD BE SAID OF NEARLY EVERY OSRS PRENTER ON SUNDAY NIGHT. IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE IMAGE HOLLYWOOD NTU TO PROJECT IS A FANTASY THAT BEARS NO REMBLANCE TO THE NTEMPORARY UNED STAT, WHERE THE AVERAGE WOMAN WEARS A SIZE 14-16.SO OF URSE THIS IS THE SAME VOTG BODY THAT GAVE FRASER THE DTRY’S MOST IMPORTANT AWARD, ALL FOR PUTTG ON A FAT SU AND PORTRAYG A PIFUL RITURE OF A FAT PERSON. I’LL BE UPONT SAYG THAT I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY SEEN THE WHALE, AND I DON’T TEND TO. I MA THIS CISN THE FALL, WHEN REVIEWS STARTED G OUT AFTER S FILM FTIVAL PREMIER VENICE AND TORONTO. MY CISN TO SKIP WASN’T ONLY ABOUT FRASER DONNG A FAT SU ORR TO PORTRAY THE DYG, DIVORCED, 600-POUND ENGLISH TEACHER CHARLIE. IT WAS ALSO THAT WAS WRTEN AND DIRECTED BY TWO TH MEN—THE ORIGAL PLAYWRIGHT AND SCREENWRER SAMUEL D. HUNTER, WHO HAS SAID HE "SELF-MEDITED WH FOOD” AS A YOUNG MAN (WHICH IS NOT THE SAME AS INTIFYG AS FAT), AND THE TH DIRECTOR DARREN ARONOFSKY. FURTHER, REVIEWS DISCSED GRAPHIC SCEN OF BGE EATG THAT SOUND TRIGGERG TO ME—NOT BEE I HAVE EXPERIENCE WH AN EATG DISORR, BUT BEE CHARLIE APPARENTLY WANTED TO EAT HIMSELF TO ATH. FROM WHAT I GLEANED EARLY ON, THE WHALE FELL FOR THE TRAPPGS OF CLASSIC TRMA PORN: A SELF-HATG FAT PERSON PUNISHG HIMSELF OVER AND OVER. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED HARD TO UNTER MY OWN ANTI-FAT BIAS AND EMBRACED THE WORD “FAT” TO SCRIBE MYSELF, I WANTED NO PART OF .ROXANE GAY’S REVIEW OF THE FILM LAST DECEMBER ONLY VALIDATED MY CISN. SHE WROTE THAT SHE CRIED DURG MOST OF THE FILM, NOT OUT OF EMPATHY FOR FRASER’S CHARACTER, BUT BEE WAS PAFUL TO WNS “HOW UTTERLY RELS THE WRG AND DIRECTN WERE. IT WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT MR. HUNTER AND MR. ARONOFSKY NSIRED FATNS TO BE THE ULTIMATE HUMAN FAILURE, SOMETHG SPIBLE, TO BE AVOID AT ALL STS.” GAY ALSO RRECTLY PREDICTED THAT FRASER WOULD BE LD AS “BRAVE” BY HIS PEERS “FOR BEG WILLG TO EMBODY SO MANY PEOPLE’S WORST FEARS.”I SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE TWEETG DURG THE CEREMONY THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HAVE WISHED WERE FOR A DIFFERENT, LS NTROVERSIAL ROLE, THEY WERE HAPPY FOR FRASER’S W. I HAVE NOTHG AGAST THE ACTOR, BUT I ULDN’T DISAGREE MORE: THAT FRASER EMBODIED THE SO-LLED “MORBIDLY OBE” CHARLIE IS PRECISELY THE POT OF THE W. IT MATTERS THAT FRASER WON THE OSR FOR A ROLE THAT LDY WT, THE FAT-POSIVE THOR OF THE MEMOIR SHRILL (WHICH WAS MA TO A GROUNDBREAKG HULU SHOW A FEW YEARS AGO), RECENTLY SCRIBED AS “A FANTASY OF FAT SQUALOR, A NFIRMATN THAT WE ‘DO THIS’ TO OURSELV.”THREE YEARS AGO, I PUBLISHED A FEATURE THE LA TIM SUGGTG A VERSN OF THE BECHL TT FOR FAT REPRENTATN ON TV. IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO WRE FAT PEOPLE TO SCRIPTS AND ST FAT ACTORS PROMENT ROL, I ARGUED; WAS IMPORTANT THAT THEIR STORY L NOT REVOLVE AROUND THEIR WEIGHT OR SIRE TO NOT BE FAT. I NAIVELY ASSUMED THAT FAT SUS WORN BY TH ACTORS—EPOMIZED BY THE “FAT MONI” GAG ON FRIENDS AND GWYH PALTROW’S CHARACTER SHALLOW HAL—HAD GONE OUT OF FASHN, LDG SHOWS FEATURG FAT WOMEN AS PROTAGONISTS, SUCH AS SHRILL AND ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. IN 2023, I NO LONGER FEEL SO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE DTRY’S PROGRS ON THE ISSUE OF DIVERSE BODY REPRENTATN. I’VE SEEN NUMERO EXAMPL OF TH ACTORS DONNG FAT SUS RECENT YEARS, MOSTLY TO PICT REAL-LIFE FAT PEOPLE. THE CLU SARAH PLSON (AS LDA TRIPP), VLA DAVIS (MA RAEY), RENéE ZELLWEGER (PAM HUPP), AND TOM HANKS (COLONEL TOM PARKER). EARLIER THIS YEAR, PHOTOS WERE RELEASED REVEALG THAT ACTN STAR AND MARTIAL ARTIST STT ADKS (AN CREDIBLY F MAN) WOULD BE PORTRAYG A FAT CHARACTER JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4.AS ONE FAT ACTIVIST ON TWTER NOTED RECENTLY, ONE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHARACTERS LIKE “FAT MONI” OM S PAST AND THE CURRENT TRENDS HOLLYWOOD IS THAT FAT SUS WERE PLAYED FOR LGHS BACK THEN. NOW, A-LIST DRAMATIC ACTORS DON FAT SUS TO GARNER CRIL ACCLAIM AND W PRECISELY THE TYPE OF AWARDS FRASER JT TOOK HOME. HIS W SENDS THE MSAGE TO HIS PEERS THAT THIS TREND IS NOT MERELY ACCEPTABLE, BUT GOOD FOR YOUR REER. ALL OF THE MEDIA SURROUNDG FRASER’S ROLE HAS AMED AS A HUGE EBACK, AFTER ALL. BRENDAN FRASER THE WHALE.A24 THIS CELEBRATORY NARRATIVE AND RURGENCE OF FAT SUS NOT ONLY TAK WORK AWAY OM FAT ACTORS, BUT TREATS FAT BODI LIKE A PROP—HENCE, WHY THE WHALE ALSO WON BT MAKP AND HAIRSTYLG THIS YEAR. EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, AWARDG FRASER FOR A ROLE THAT MISREPRENTS FAT PEOPLE AS MISERABLE AND DISGTG—LET’S JT SAY , AS EAK SHOWS—ONLY AMPLIFI THE PERVASIVE ANTI-FAT BIAS THAT CIRCULAT OUR SOCIETY.I FELT A SIAR PHENOMENON AT PLAY LAST DECEMBER’S NETFLIX FILM MATILDA THE MIL, WHICH WAS NOMATED FOR OUTSTANDG BRISH FILM AT LAST MONTH’S BAFTA AWARDS. I WENT TO THE MOVIE EXPECTG TO BE ANGERED BY THE FAT SU EMMA THOMPSON WEARS AS MISS TNCHBULL, A BIZARRE ACUTREMENT THAT SEEMED TO GMENT HER BREASTS MUCH MORE THAN ANY OTHER PART OF HER BODY. BUT WHAT I FOUND PROFOUNDLY DISHEARTENG WAS THAT ONE OF THE CHILD ACTORS (CHARLIE HODSON-PRR) ALSO DONNED A PROSTHETIC BELLY TO PORTRAY THE CHARACTER OF BCE BOGTROTTER.NOT ONLY WAS A FAT CHILD ACTOR NOT ST THE PART ( NTRAST WH THE 1996 FILM VERSN OF MATILDA), WH THE PRODUCERS OPTG TO STRAP ON A FAIRLY OBV FAKE BELLY TO HODSON, BUT THERE’S A SCENE WHICH HE EATS AN ENTIRE, THREE-TIER CHOLATE KE ORR TO GET THE BT OF THE VILLA, MISS TNCHBULL (THOMPSON)— IS, LIKE THAT OF CHARLIE THE WHALE, A EAK-LIKE PORTRAYAL OF A FAT PERSON. APPARENTLY THE KE SCENE OM THE ORIGAL ROALD DAHL NOVEL, BUT ADAPTIVE CHOIC ARE MA BY SCREENWRERS ALL THE TIME ORR TO MAKE OLR STORI MORE CLIVE AND/OR AVOID RERCG HARMFUL STEREOTYP. LIKE MATILDA THE MIL, THE WHALE IS DOUBLY HARMFUL, BOTH S STG (WH THE CISN TO E A FAT SU) AND THE STORY TELLS ABOUT FAT PEOPLE. THE TREND OF TH ACTORS DONNG FAT SUS EXCHANGE FOR AWARDS NOMATNS—BRENDAN FRASER AND VLA DAVIS FOR OSRS, AND SARAH PLSON FOR AN EMMY—HUMANIZ FAT PEOPLE BY RCG TO OUR BODY SIZE AND MAGNIFYG THIS ONE ASPECT OF . BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT, HOLLYWOOD, A PLACE WHERE THNS IS VALUED ABOVE ALL ELSE, STILL SEEMS PABLE OF CREATG FAT CHARACTERS THAT DON’T PERPETUATE PERNIC MYTHS ABOUT OUR BODI. AS FAT ACTIVIST AUBREY GORDON WR HER NEW BOOK, WHICH BUNKS MYTHS ABOUT FAT PEOPLE, “THNS ISN’T JT A MATTER OF HEALTH OR BETY OR HAPPS. IT IS A CULTURAL STCTURE OF POWER AND DOMANCE.”TO REWARD STORI LIKE THE WHALE AND THE NON-FAT ACTORS WHO STAR THEM WHILE WEARG FAT SUS IS TO GIVE THEIR TH CREATORS RTE BLANCHE TO NTUE DISTORTG THE REALY OF OUR LIV, PATG AS IRREVOBLY BROKEN OR ONE-DIMENSNAL. WHEN WE SEE FAT PEOPLE BGE EATG ON SCREEN, AS THE WHALE, MATILDA THE MIL, OR SOMETHG SIARLY WELL-REGARD LIKE PREC, FATPHOBIC STEREOTYP—SUCH AS THE IA THAT ALL FAT PEOPLE ARE UNHEALTHY, DON’T EXERCISE, AND ARE OBSSED WH OR HAVE AN UNHEALTHY RELATNSHIP WH FOOD—GA TRACTN AND STAYG POWER. AND AS GORDON DOCUMENTS HER BOOK, ANTI-FAT BIAS IS FAR MORE HARMFUL TO FAT PEOPLE THAN BEG FAT IS. “THE SOLUTN SEEMS OBV TO ME: FAT PEOPLE NEED THE POWER AND OPPORTUNY TO CREATE OUR OWN STORI.” THE SOLUTN SEEMS OBV TO ME: FAT PEOPLE NEED THE POWER AND OPPORTUNY TO CREATE OUR OWN STORI, GROUND THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVG A FAT BODY, AND THE ABILY TO ST ACTORS THAT REFLECT OUR BODY DIVERSY. WE DON’T NEED ANY MORE TRMA PORN WRTEN OR ACTED BY TH PEOPLE, PROJECTG THEIR WORST FEARS ABOUT LOOKG LIKE ONTO THE PAGE AND THE SCREEN, AND THEN PATTG THEMSELV ON THE BACK FOR IGNG TO “REPRENT” .SIMPLY PUT, THE WHALE—AND FRASER’S W—IS A TRAVTY FOR FAT PEOPLE. REBEC BONHEIMER

Come look at the eak, the movie Gay is the Gloria Steem endowed chair at Rutgers Universy, the thor of the forthg “Opns” and a ntributg Opn wrer. @RGay A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 18 of the New York edn wh the headle: The Cel Spectacle of ‘The Whale’.

THE WORLD OF ROXANE GAY: A FIERCE VOICE WHAT SHE LLS 'AN AGE OF ELASTICY'

As someone who has worked hard to unter my own anti-fat bias and embraced the word “fat” to scribe myself, I wanted no part of Gay’s review of the film last December only validated my cisn. ” Gay also rrectly predicted that Fraser would be ld as “brave” by his peers “for beg willg to embody so many people’s worst fears. Roxanne Gay, a novelist, an sayist and a woman of unniable size, is no fan of Darren Aronofsky‘s The Whale (A24, limed).

Gay: “Most dienc will see the spectacle of a 600-pound man unwillg to re for himself, grievg the loss of his partner who died by suici, eager to die himself, and g food as the means to that end. I’m naturally prumg that Aronofsky disagre wh Gay’s asssment, and that he’ll probably take issue wh some way.

'HOPELSNS IS A LUXURY': WHY ROXANE GAY REF TO GIVE UP ON THE MEDIA

Dpe extend cricism over the film’s e of a fat su, The Whale won the Amy Award for bt makp and hairstylg at the 2023 artist Adrien Morot accepted the award at the Sunday ceremony at the Dolby Theater Hollywood, liverg his speech as a photo of Brendan Fraser the ntroversial prosthetic was displayed the on a play by gay playwright Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale centers on Charlie, a grievg, isolated gay man who gas several hundred pounds after his boyiend di by suici. Wrg for the New York Tim, Roxane Gay lled the film’s portrayal of Charlie “exploative and at tim cel.

Aronofsky nsired fatns to be the ultimate human failure, somethg spible, to be avoid at all sts, ” Gay wrote.

5 ROXANE GAY BOOKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ

Comedian and Bros star Guy Branum siarly cricized the movie, both om the perspective of g “extreme fatns as a metaphor for gay pa” and bee of the stg.

Warng | Content clus rape and Gay lik to joke that even her opns have opns — which handy for her often searg opn lumn  The New York Tim. Gay. 'Here are some excerpts om their nversatn, as well as some addnal d readgs by Roxane Gay not clud the program.

*Q&A was eded for clary and Gay is a Haian-Amerin wrer, profsor, edor, and social mentator. Gay is a ntributg opn wrer for The New York Tim and is also the founr of Ty Hardre Prs. Roxane Gay is a bold wrer of imprsive range who experiments wh magic realism, dystopia, and fantasy.

ROXANE GAY

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay. Roxane Gay.

Roxane Gay, the 42-year-old thor, cultural cric, universy profsor, prolific tweeter and blogger, seemed to have burst onto the lerary scene out of nowhere 2014 wh two well-received books: the novel An Untamed State and a llectn of says tled Bad Femist.