I want to kick Pollyanna's trash. Not the girl. The idea of the girl. I am trying super-hard to be super-positive. So, of course, I'm having week worthy of complaint. Yet I continue on. When asked why I look like I may start drop-kicking trash cans, I bit out, "Just feeling a little frustrated today, but not to worry. All will resolve itself in time."
I nearly dug a hole in my arm with my fingernails to get out that last part.
Then I had a flash of intelligent thought! Almost no one reads this blog on a daily basis, so I can get all my ranting done without negatively impacting my daily score. I don't have to explode in a wave of crazed negativity!
Here goes...
1. Every woman in America should be upset about the outcome of Biggest Loser. Although she is quoted as "5-foot-four", she is taller than Jillian AND both male contestants (who are supposedly 5-foot-six). When I calculate her BMI, I get 17 - that's 2 points below the lowest acceptable BMI of 19 for her age and sex group. This means that she has a risk of death AS HIGH OR HIGHER than she had as an obese woman. This is not a moment to be all supportive. We need to send a message to the show and to young women, that being super-thin is NOT OKAY. This girl has all the risk factors for an eating disorder: drive to succeed, desire to please men, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and refusal to maintain a healthy weight. Now, I realize she wanted to win some cash - but that makes it worse, not better. And are we really shocked that she said she's "happy" at her new weight? Do you know how many people, in 10 years of counseling young women, have EVER said they recognized they were too thin? None. Not a one. Why? Because we have a whacked-out culture that supports excessive thinness and thinks the death of a young woman is an acceptable price to pay for beauty. I don't blame Rachel - she is doing exactly what the reward structure tells her to do. She is sickly thin and raking in the praise/cash/success that supposedly brings. Until it doesn't. Until she once again becomes a young woman who has failed to take care of herself and place her own body's needs first. I'm angry at the show. I'm angry that no one helped this girl. I'm angry that there isn't a fail-safe in place to prevent this from happening. I'm sad that this ever happened in the first place. She was perfect when she left - she should have been told so. I hope that the producers put some protections in place to make sure people can't win if they come back at an unhealthy weight, but I'm sure they are home, enjoying the publicity and eager to see the next contestant achieve unhealthy levels of fat loss in order to keep the ratings nice and high. This has totally soured the brand for me. I had hoped better of it - I actually believed the lie that these contestants were under medical care (and that the medical care was ethical).
2. To my husband's work. Grr. Argh. UGH! Bleshah. Yah. Okay. "Nuff said. I love being single. No, really. I just got married because I wanted a pretty ring. *Loud scream*
3. To Grifols Biomat - get your act together. Seriously. 3 hour waits for someone to donate plasma is not okay. It's just not. Stop taking advantage of college students by being disorganized and dismissive of their concerns. Please remember why you exist - somewhere in the world, a child needs chemotherapy or blood factors in order to grow up, fall in love, and enjoy a life you take for granted. Take that seriously - thank your donors and streamline operations.
4. To the realization that my husband now out-earns me as a truck driver....please insert rant about the devaluing of education. It ends with something about "whacked-out culture." If I worked in France, I would be highly paid and taxes similar to what I pay here would cover healthcare and childcare, and I would have 3 months paid vacation.
5. To whomever is upset about the Coke commercial. Wow. It's time to leave that racism back in 1864 where it belongs. The US is full of lots of people who speak a lot of languages (many of whom ALSO speak English - see, you don't have to choose just 1 language. You can diversify! I speak 2. I smart. You not seem so smart.). The ad was beautiful. It was inspiring. I'm sorry you can't see that.
6. To people who rant about "Obamacare" but know nothing. I am going to send you the pictures of every child I know personally who is suffering because YOU are too selfish to withstand a little readjustment of the economy so that no parent has to choose between bankruptcy and their child. I want you to know them personally. Then I want you to look me in the eye and tell me why you think the parents' income and job status should decide if the child lives or dies. Step outside your ranting about "personal responsibility." You tell me why you can't spare $100 a month to make sure that no child dies who didn't have to die.(Actually, don't tell me. Because you will drivel something that fell off FOX News and I'll have to be positive about it and that will just make me angrier.) I'm not saying the law is perfect, but it is so much better than what we had before. Get over your politics and remember that every rant and meme you post stands to hurt a real person. A person who is loved and who loves. A person who deserves a life.
I have more things that are making me angry today, but I need to go to dinner and find some paltry 300-Calorie item not to fill my stomach. Then I will go exercise and get some endorphins so I stop being such a bitch. Then I'll pull this post.
After all this complaining, I want to thank my kids for being so amazing this week. They are truly my happy place.
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