In Kevin Smith's blog following the Twitter scandal surrounding his ejection from a Southwest Airlines flight in February, 2010, he begins the post by saying the following:
"Lots of folks still telling me to stop crying and lose weight.... “Sure, someone [messed] up, Lardo” You’re saying. “You and your fat gut! This is YOUR fault because you’re fat!” Once again: I know I’m fat. The point of all this? I’m not too fat for Southwest Air, yet someone deemed me so. *sigh*
Myth: Because A Person Is Fat, They are Lazy, Gluttonous and Out of Control
This is an overwhelming opinion held by most Americans - fat or thin - that obesity is 100% the fault of the individual, and that any discomfort, frustration, or discrimination that they face is essentially what he or she deserves for "letting themselves go."
For the obese, this belief creates even more problems, as they yo-yo diet, starve themselves, and search for cures for their problems in marketed diet foods and plans, they simply exacerbate the situation. For many, simply tracking their dietary intake would probably work to help them get their metabolisms in check. For others, there are potential medical conditions that should be explored since as insulin resistance and thyroid problems.
For those who are not obese, the belief that the overweight bring their discomfort upon themselves seems to have created an allowance in daily life to ignore, mistreat or disrespect overweight individuals. It is generally condoned to treat an overweight person as "less than" everyone else.
"Too Fat to Fly"? Or are Airlines Really to Blame?
Because of the tightness of the space in planes, it becomes a safety issue if passengers are too large to comfortably lower their arm rests, buckle their seat belts or if they block the aisle.
To manage this, most major airlines require overweight passengers to purchase two seats to accommodate these safety concerns, as well as to keep other passengers from complaining about overcrowding. Southwest even tries to set itself apart by refunding this second fare to "Customers of Size."
However, there is another side to this argument. Airlines have been trying to squeeze as many passengers as possible into their planes since the industry began. Passengers who want a comfortable flight, elbow room or leg room, are expected to pay premium rates for business or first class seats, while the "masses" are expected to conform their bodies - regardless of weight, height, or injuries - to the seats available in economy class.
Fact: What Kevin Smith wants from Southwest is Respect and Dignity
In the same blog post quoted above, Smith explains that what he really wants from Southwest is for someone to publicly state that he was not, in fact, "too fat to fly" on their airline. Because he can sit in the economy seat with both armrests down, and his seat belt buckled, Smith does not qualify as a "Customer of Size."
"I don’t want your money, I just want you to put in print what you told me: that I was grabbed because I was the last guy on, not because I didn’t fit with the arm rests down, or because I couldn’t buckle the seat belt. Because I did.”
To date, Southwest has not yet made this statement. In fact, by reiterating the "Customer of Size" policy on the second blog post on the subject, the airline tacitly suggested that Smith was indeed too large to fly with only one seat.
In short, what Southwest has failed to do is respect Smith as a person.
Smith is Unwittingly Speaking for Many Overweight Individuals
The press coverage of this incident has run the gamut. From stating that it's a publicity stunt just before Smith's new movie is released, to social media mavens and PR consultants pointing it out as yet another example of how those mediums can work against a company if used incorrectly.
It should be noted that obese people are frequently treated with disdain and disrespect. Companies receiving complaints throw money at them, just as Southwest has done with Smith, instead of treating them with human dignity.
That Smith has 1.5 million people reading his tweets is the only reason this has been brought to light, and it should perhaps be considered more carefully:
- How is obesity treated in the media? Do news outlets deliberately show slovenly individuals who are making poor food choices? Or do they show put-together people going to work or headed to the gym, who are also overweight?
- How seldom are reasonable, attractive fashion choices available for larger men or women?
- Why are celebrities ridiculed for gaining weight, or if they dare to show cellulite or wrinkles in non-Photoshopped real life?
- Why are Americans sent the marketing message that they aren't smart enough or strong enough to lose weight on their own? (And therefore they need chemically processed "low fat" or "low calorie" food options, or magical weight loss pills?)
- How do doctors treat their overweight patients? Do they recommend sensible solutions? Or diets that might result in further yo-yo dieting?
While there are few answers to these questions, it is worthwhile to start a dialogue. For the overweight and obese struggling with these conditions, it is also a good place to start behind the mentality of weight loss marketing, and their own goals for weight management.
Alicia King - Alicia King has been writing for Suite 101 since June of 2007. For over a year, she was the Featured Writer for the Suite section about ...
