There's an article up right now about fat people. Basically, fat people get shafted majorly when people are hiring for upper management. The recruiters and HR act as filters. Basically, they're looking for taller white guys who are not fat. They want thin women too.
Fat people also get paid less, generally.
I used to dismiss fat people who said that they got shit on worse than people of color. I am starting to think that I'm wrong. Appearance is yet another factor with measurable effects.
Just some side notes: at the DNC protests, I noticed that the crowd was thinner than what I'm used to seeing around LA. Well, at least the women were, because I was checking them out. They had that lean "educated" look. Is it okay to get fat on the left, or are lesbians the only ones allowed? Also, unrelated: a couple of fat people have complained to me that the current vogue of getting naked and/or swinging is really unfair, because fat people are being discouraged over and over from participating. That seems pretty "lookist" to me. Are these "radicals" just showing off the fruits of their workoutaholic habits?
Perhaps the real revolution isn't a hammer to the windows of starbucks, but a hot pot of coffee to the CEO's face, and a 2x4 to the knees. Permanent physical disfigurment could render key captains of industry incapable of leading and negotiating, leading to the erosion of captialism.
(That was a bleak joke.) --
-------------------------------------- John Kawakami johnk at cyberjava.com, johnk at firstlook.com