“I love it when girls wear white shorts.” Not if those shorts show off some cellulite. Then the best come on you can muster is a cow noise as you walk behind her.
“I love it when a girl eats.” Not if she’s got some meat on her bones and some rolls in her bakery. Then you have nothing but concern for her health that you spit out as snide comments.
“I love a girl in yoga pants.” Not if that pants size is in the double digits. Then she just looks like a slob because we all know she doesn’t actually do yoga, am I right?
When I hear comments like these which remark on a woman’s appearance (which are almost always made by a man), I automatically add the asterisk to it. Because there’s a weight limit on that comment, a footnote on it about the exceptions.
Because there are always exceptions.
Now of course these are generalized comments so they’re not necessarily supposed to include everyone. Most people are just speaking from their own attractions and I suppose there’s no harm in that. But when you take a closer look at the exclusions that apply to those statements, you start to see a pattern.
You see the weight limit.
Even people who claim to be body positive will put that kind of asterisk on their declarations.
“People can wear whatever they want.” “But are you sure you really want to wear that?”
“People can eat whatever they want.” “But are you sure you really want to eat that? All of it?”
These asterisks are so internalized that we don’t even notice them. It’s not something anyone has to say out loud. It’s just automatically understood that these statements don’t apply to those of us over the max weight. And, yes, we even apply those asterisks to ourselves.
These terms and conditions are established by society and just by being born into it, we click accept. Not that we would probably read them anyway. But they are pretty insidious. We agree to look a certain way and be a certain way. And when we violate those terms, we get removed from the privileges the agreement provides us. No seconds for us. Not without further consequences.
Sometimes I feel the urge to call out these comments. To point out the weight limit and watch the scramble to defend or justify or dismiss it. “You’re too sensitive!” Do you not see all of the asterisks spilling out of your mouth? They’re covering the floor like jacks. Have you ever stepped on a jack?! You’d be feeling sensitive, too. Downright sore, even. That shit is harmful.
People don’t like to be called to the carpet over things like that, the internalized bits of societal rhetoric that they blindly adhere too without questioning. They don’t like to think about the harm that they’ve been inflicting on others -or on themselves. They don’t like to take responsibility for a wrong they didn’t realize they were committing.
And that’s why their scales tip when I wear the white shorts.
Max weight indeed.
Kiki Writes About... 
True, society teaches us to adhere to certain arbitrary “caveats.” Such as : Wear the shorts, “if” you are skinny enough. The problem ensues when we ask people to define “skinny enough.” It’s a matter of opinion. Sadly though, so many men, among others present opinion as fact. I’ve observed many different body types pull off certain looks- Only because they do it with confidence…. and to hell with trite little conventions.
I think there’s a lot that needs to be learned about just letting people exist in whatever their physical form happens to be on any given day and not trying to impose impossible, highly subjective standards on them. It’s okay not to find certain people attractive. It’s not okay to devalue their worth because you don’t want to bang them.