Numbers are always totally de-railing. It happens every. single. time. Any time women’s measurements are brought up on any site- the comments become devoted to comparing stats and useless aruments about what are what or what isn’t “fat”. Jez used to be fairly concious of this.

How do people like this handle real life???? I really don’t undersand.

Yep. At my old school (a public vocational college), it was like that with a lot of infractions— If teachers were late or skipped class, everyone would be fined. It was a way to keep people in line. I had no idea that it extended to reproductive matters until my friend told me, though.

I don’t disagree, necessarily. I used to have a work friend who was very slim, and her whole family had a history of ED. (We lived overseas and lived in the same building together, so I had relationship with her that was probably closer than most colleagues). She would occaisionally go on about how people over 130…

It’s so complicated because health care is so tied to employment (no socialized healthcare!) and there isn’t the same level of privacy granted to patients.

You're right. I don't mean to essentialize; I just wanted to give an example of different places I lived with different beauty standards.

Oh man...

Where I lived in China, there are some girls who are naturally a bit stockier (but not even really overweight), but they feel major pressure because the culture tells them to be dainty and thin. One girl said she envied American girls “because they must never have to worry about their weight.” I was like well that’s…

Yeah, it seemed liked a bizarre detail to include.

Yeah, it can be triggering to people, especially to people who struggle with ED. I have mixed feeling about trigger warnings, but I think a progressive women’s interest website should be careful about how they talk about women’s bodies, and I think Jez did used to take this more seriously (no body-snarking, no…

Nothing against your comment in particular, but I miss the days when Jez discouraged talking about specific numbers. Now there will be a million comments about whether x height and x weight is really “fat.” Numbers tend to derail the discussion.

I realize that! Sorry, I’m mostly talking about what's being translated/sold on the American market, if I wasn’t clear. I bet your friend knows about all kinds of crazy cool stuff.

Exactly.

*whimpers* I have one of those button skirts. I think it’s cute...

I’m just starting to read the Three Body Problem!

Publishing Chinese authors has become pretty trendy in recent years (I studied Chinese literature in college and try and keep up with it). On one hand this trend is great, because it’s granting more exposure to minority writers, but on the other hand it tends to pigeonhole them culturally and politically, and it’s…

I know you’re probably trolling but— My husband is an academic, in a mostly male field. Their entire email listserv (all PhDs, mind you) is like my mom X1000.

I don’t know, this language really does sound passive-aggressive. Like when my mom says “you don’t HAVE to come home for Christmas...” and I know she means the opposite.

NOPE. Blue cheese is the only cheese suitable for burgers.

They loved when Dems turn, though. Joe Liberman even spoke at the 2008 Republican convention. Ten bucks says this woman will speak at the coming one.