BUST
Magazine
(Spring 2004)
"No
one makes money by telling you you're fine
just the way you are," points out Grace Magazine
humor columnist Wendy Shanker in her manifesto
for gals whose wardrobes are more likely to
fit Terry Bradshaw than Carrie Bradshaw. This
combination memoir/self-help guide documents
Shanker's lifelong attempt to force her body
to meet other people's expectations, as well
as her realization that she can, in fact, be
fit, fat, and foxy just the way she is.
There's
a lot I can relate to in Shanker's book, from her
attribution of her stature to her "shtark" (big,
fat, and strong) Ashkenazi Jew genes, to the emotional
turmoil she describes when facing off against those
who feel entitled to weigh in on her weight. She
confused me, however, with some of her work's contradictions.
The book is called The Fat Girl's Guide to
Life ,
but right off the bat she applies the word "fat"
to everyone from big girls like me to her skinny
friend whose boobs wouldn't grow. I appreciate
the sentiment, but I guess I'm not ready to equate
my experiences with those of every person who has
ever felt like a physical anomaly. I also
found her invitation to "trade in self-loathing for
a guilt-free Krispy Kreme" jarring when contrasted
with questions like, "Do you honestly think given
a choice, I would choose this body?" That
being said, Shanker's humor frequently hits its mark,
and her rant over Always Maximum Protection Pads,
"Please Don't Fall Into My Giant Vagina," is reason
alone to give her guide a try." -- Emily
Rems
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