You might be daring and say that at 350 lbs and wearing size 26 dresses 37-year-old American Aubrey Gordon is obese, chunky, husky, plump and a myriad of other names. You might find her a bit repulsive. You might lay out any number of judgements. You might even be derisive. And you might be taken back, very far back, when Gordon says your feelings are true and valid but please refrain from saying them to a fat person. You see Gordon, like Rodney Dangerfield and Aretha Franklin, is looking for RESPECT.
Gordon started an anonymous blog known as @yrfatfriend and it took off and then came her book and then a podcast. Yes, she is one of those “influencers” and in this documentary she recounts a slew of personal slights and filmmaker and director Jeanie Finlay brings in family and friends recounting the progression of Gordon from fat to obese. Whilst family and friends are supportive her mother and father seem to express remorse for their behaviours hence guilt over her obesity. What is particularly disturbing, but not unexpected, is the viciousness of her detractors on social media. Pure white-hot hatred. Yet on the other side of emotions many are delighted, if not liberated with her postings.
Fat people suffer discrimination in many settings. Gordon has been refused medical treatment because of her fatness. High anxiety greets her even thinking about taking an airplane as she must contort herself to squeeze into a seat.
Her amusing discussion on diet books, which she is an avid collector of, shows the inane world of diet books. Of course, most of us know that diets never work in the long run. What is disturbing is that Weight Watchers have rebranded themselves under the “wellness cloak” offering free teen membership despite that fact that statistics she has researched find female teens who have dieted are 18 more times likely to develop eating disorders.
A documentary worth your watching time as after all as Gordon points out 68% of women in the United States are wearing above size 14 dress size meaning fat ladies are in the majority.
Aubrey Gordon and legions of Americans are FAT. FAT may be the descriptor for the majority of Americans.
Is Gordon proud of being fat? I do not think so. I get the impression she is resigned to her wild and untamed body and is comfortable with it. She doesn’t want your admiration but would be satisfied with your respect and lack of hurtful comments.
What the documentary dodges is the overwhelming medical outcry over obesity in the United States and the health risks it poses. Not that we should all bow down to the medico elite but I would be interested if the doc had delved into this issue that obesity is not a “disease” (as labelled by the CDC) and not leading to a health crisis. Canadians have a socialized medical system funded by taxpayer dollars unlike the for profit American medical system. Obesity may be viewed somewhat differently in countries with socialized medicine where the entire population pays for its adverse consequences.
This 96-minute American-UK documentary has played recently at Tribeca and will be making its international travels so we all can view it.
RKS 2023 Film Rating 84/100.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 