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37 Comments

Villain: Fat-Phobic Rob Ford Haters

Nominated for: being judgmental for all the wrong reasons.

By • Illustration by Jeremy Kai

Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains—the very best and very worst people, places, things, and ideas that have had an influence on the city over the past twelve months. From December 12–23, the candidates for Mightiest and Meanest—and new this year, a reader’s write-in option! From December 26–29 you’ll be able to vote for Toronto’s Superhero and Supervillain of the year, and we’ll reveal the results December 30.

This may come as a bit of a shock, but there are some people who are critical of Rob Ford and his politics. Indeed, there have even been times when Torontoist has taken exception to Rob Ford’s decisions, press blunders, and generally poor leadership. But thwarting efforts to engage in reasoned debate are some people who undermine public discussions about why Rob Ford is a poor choice for Toronto.

We aren’t speaking about conservatives. No, the villains are fat-phobic Rob Ford haters. Or—giving the accused the benefit of the doubt that they aren’t actually fat phobic but still use Mayor Ford’s body size as ammo—they are people who criticize Rob Ford because of his weight.

Putting aside the fact that it is incredibly offensive, immature, and ignorant to ridicule someone because of their body, it also undermines legitimate criticism of the mayor. Rob Ford is a bad choice for mayor because he compared bike lanes to swimming with sharks, not because of his dietary choices. Rob Ford is embarrassing for Toronto because he makes stupid comments about homeless people, not because of his appearance, despite what a March 2011 cover of NOW Magazine that featured a nearly naked Rob Ford might suggest. (Not only did that weaken NOW‘s criticism of the mayor, but it gave Ford supporters an opportunity to collectively paint Toronto’s left, many of who use legitimate arguments against Rob Ford’s leadership, as idiots.) Rob Ford is a bad mayor because he is not knowledgeable about the HIV/AIDS population in Toronto, not because he may not have a healthy lifestyle (which is both debatable and none of our business).

And it is offensive, immature, and ignorant to make fun of someone because of their body. It is not entirely different than being derisive about someone’s face—remember the Kim Campbell/Jean Chretien fiasco?

In July, Julia Horel wrote a pointed and poignant piece for Shameless arguing that fat-phobic rhetoric against Rob Ford was personally hurtful: “When you tell Rob Ford that he’s a fat fuck who needs to get on a bike, you erase me as a fat cyclist.” It’s not unlike degrading someone because of gender or race. It really should go without saying. But in case any such villain is reading this post, we’ll say it: much like gender and race, obesity and body size are not always something that people have a choice about. No one’s body size, gender, or race makes them a bad mayor. Using it against Ford not only delegitimizes the reasonable arguments against his mayoralty, it also makes you look like a total jerk.

Comments

  • Jr Anm

    But he IS embarassing to Toront because of his appearance, among many other things.

    • Anonymous

      Because you believe fat people . . . are embarrassing? Wow — bigots like you are the real embarrassment.

  • http://joeclark.org/weblogs/ Joe Clark

    Obviously you don’t understand the issue is Rob Ford is fat and vulgar and stupid. Are we to excuse one or more of those features, which I argue are indivisible in understanding him, because someone somewhere might claim he never chose them?

    Skill-testing question for fat activists: Do you also defend his vulgarity and stupidity?

    • Clark Joe

      It’s a trick question. Being fat is not synonymous with vulgarity and ignorance. No one is defending that but by using the word ‘and’ you’re essentially equating being fat with being vulgar and stupid which is something anyone can be. But being fat is a completely different issue entirely.

      I don’t defend his vulgarity and ignorance, but I still don’t see what that has to do with being fat. I don’t think anyone can make an argument that equates those three things so the question that you pose is loaded unfortunately.

      I’ll do you one better: Why is his weight an issue? What is the correlation with between obesity, and vulgarity and stupidity?

      • http://joeclark.org/weblogs/ Joe Clark

        Since this site is so badly run that it allows anonymous cowards to spoof real people’s identities, the time has finally come to stop reading Torontoist.

        Do you really think Dave Topping would allow this sort of thing?

        • Anonymous

          Joe: identity theft and identity fraud are very, very serious issues that plague our society like giant locusts. If you have any suspicions or worries, please do not delay, refer directly to the RCMP’s information web page, and take action! The RCMP can help. Here is the internet address, and please, please have a safe holiday season.

          http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/id-theft-vol-eng.htm

        • Anonymous

          “the time has finally come to stop reading Torontoist.”

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHJoj9IqeKg

        • Andrew Sullivan

          It beats your website and blog where you make comments and criticisms about various people, products, and establishments but have no common comment section for people to respond directly and publicly!

    • Anonymous

      How would you possibly argue that Ford’s fatness, vulgarity, and stupidity “are indivisible in understanding him” unless you believe fatness itself to be a negative human quality? What do you mean by “excusing” his fatness? Fat bodies are simply fat bodies — do we need to “excuse” someone’s disability, sexual orientation, or race as well?

      And why on earth would you think that a fat activist would defend someone’s vulgarity and stupidity? Vulgarity and stupidity are among the qualities that feed anti-fat bias. Fat activists fight for a world in which natural bodily diversity is not stigmatized and body-bias is not used against those whose bodies are not “in fashion” at a given moment in history.

      • Blah

        What differentiates being fat from being gay, for example, is that in the vast majority of cases it is a choice. In those cases it’s a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, whether it’s through laziness or a bad diet.

        If you choose to be a severely obese slob who breathes heavily from the most minor of physical activity, I’m not going to stop you, but I certainly won’t approve of it.

    • Eric S. Smith

      Skill-testing question for fat activists: Do you also defend his vulgarity and stupidity?

      Skill testing question for Joe Clark: why are you the only one allowed to hurt people’s feelings on the Internet?

  • Carla

    When someone has photos that go out into the public, featuring them at their desk with TWO empty “big gulp” cups behind them…then yeah, that’s embarrassing. It’s not becoming when someone you’re supposed to be able to look to as a leader is fat and out of shape, reflecting their slovenly personality, because they just don’t CARE about their health. It’s not about being overweight or a certain body type; it’s about giving the impression that you don’t care.

    • Anonymous

      So, what about very fat people who are in good shape and practice what you consider to be suitable dietary and other health habits? And, what about fat people who also happen to have disabilities preventing them from from being considered ‘healthy’? Or, how about a thin person who is known to drink alcohol, eat meat, and/or smoke? What would a fat person have to do to give you the impression that they “do care”?

      I think you need to seriously reconsider how your biases contribute to perpetuating fat hatred, and hinder fat progressive people from succeeding in politics — people whose political victories could prevent narrow-minded and regressive politicians like Ford from reaching office in the first place.

      • Anonymous

        “very fat people who are in good shape”

        Say what?

    • Bevan

      Are you in healthy and fabulously fit? Good for you. I may see you on the street and think nothing of you, as you’d be just a regular person. Or, am I supposed to see your svelte body and assume you are a wonderul, successful and together individual because of it? Give me a break. To see a fat person and make false assumptions about their “slovenly personality” and the degree to which they care about their health and themselves is just plain ridiculous. It exposes a lack of logic in your thought process. Criticize Ford for all the things that he does in office that you don’t agree with, but for the sake of basic decency and integrity, lay off slamming his physical shape. It is NONE of your business.

  • Ali McMillan

    You know what I hate about Rob Ford’s appearance? It’s not that he’s fat, nor merely that he’s sweaty, red-faced, and toadlike. It’s just that, irrespective of his weight, he is an all-round ugly person – and that’s just physically speaking, Not to mention all of his ugly policies. Now, I don’t have a problem with ugly people. What I have a problem with is the fact that most people DO have a problem with ugly people, on average: in what’s called the “halo effect,” ugly people tend to fare worse in all kinds of areas, receiving lower incomes, longer prison sentences, poorer evaluations, etc.

    This is unjust. The thing that infuriates me is that this well-demonstrated and unjust effect didn’t keep this ugly asshole out of office. Second order rage comes from the fact that women are disproportionately judged by their appearance: imagine electing a FEMALE mayor as ugly as Rob Ford. It’s unthinkable. I’m sad that this effect often works to keep qualified, forward-thinking people out of office. But my fondest hope in the mayoral election was that at least it would hurt the irredeemably evil candidate.

    Joe Clark’s comment is vulgar and stupid, but not fat. See, there’s no intrinsic or necessary link between those characteristics!

    • Bevan

      So, you’re ultimately not in favour of the halo effect, but in this instance, you are upset that it didn’t work to keep Ford from winning election? ….wha?? There is another factor in play, and it is called connections. Ford is well-connected in the social spheres that count. If you begrudge him this, well, that is called envy. Remember, no one ever said life is fair.

  • Anonymous

    Fat aside, he’s a millionaire who dresses and acts like a slob. That’s his choice and he has a right to it, but it’s also an embarrassment. These things aren’t mutually exclusive.

    Remember when he opted to go north instead of going to the Pride parade? People said as mayor he had obligations to the people of the city that trump his personal preference. Well he has obligations not to be a slob when representing us.

  • rootsdown

    kudos Keren Katz, you got it right on. i can’t believe people are even debating the legitimacy of your ideas. speaks to how uncomfortable we are with examining ourselves… or not some muddied thought.

  • TrrCtt

    I think there exists a bit of a problem in North American in that on the one hand, we recognize obesity as an epidemic and a real health problem, but on the other, we vilify any criticisms of a person’s weight.

    That’s not to say I condone bullying or tormenting of fat people, nor do I believe Rob Ford’s weight has anything to do with his political acumen. I simply think that being fat is a (usually) self-imposed health risk, and should be seen as such.

    • Guest

      So it is a self-imposed health risk. So what? And, you’re point is? What about people who continue to smoke, or drink heavily? Those who do often operate under the radar because their self-imposed health risk isn’t visible when you see them — some drunks are actually quite slim and stylish! And have you ever heard of those people who are fat-skinny? They survive on junk food, never exercise and are, possibly, even not very inside (meaning they have nasty characters), but they never get caught out because they are Mr. and Mrs. Everyman. Get off your high horse and stop judging people!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bryan-Cook/507835870 Bryan Cook

    The fact that he is fat is not the reason why he is attacked for being fat. He is attacked for his weight because he acts fat. He is openly opposed to cycling and drives a large SUV everywhere. He is a mulch-millionaire with a house that receives free leaf clearing courtesy of the city (http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1091062–pricey-etobicoke-leaf-pickup-escapes-budget-axe). He also has a DUI under his belt which he got out of with his City Councillor status, and he wears shirts that are too small for him.

    By comparison Miller (Who was fat) pushed for green programs, rode and bike or transit to work, and pushed for better health programs all while fighting down a bigger deficit than Ford without cutting programs. And his shirts fit.

    The fact is people hate Ford, hopefully for his policies and generally poor behavior and not because he is fat. But those who do hate him will attack him in any way and his weight (made more obvious by the aforementioned shirt) has become the most common target.

  • Stopitman2001

    While I agree, I think the whole thing might stem from the fact that the ridiculous ideas are so ridiculous that people don’t think that they merit much of a valid response. In the end, he only got where he is because of Daddy’s name and work. Sure, he ran an election campaign, but he wouldn’t have become councilor in the first place if his name wasn’t known.

  • Anonymous

    It’s true, I am one of those haters and I will likely always be one. Why? Because our mayor represents our city and his image is what is portrayed to the rest of the county and the world.

    Do I despise larger people and treat the differently due to their weight? No, no I don’t.

    Our mayor’s weight is a clear representation of his style, which doesn’t in the slightest mirror the image Torontonians would like to have of their city.
    - He doesn’t take public transit (even though he lives close to a station)
    - He doesn’t believe in bike lanes, because he wants our city to be more accessible to drivers
    - He wants our city to go on a fiscal diet, but has no issue with the 65 million bill from cancelling the Transit City plan.
    - Toronto in 2015 will host the Pam Am games, we should be getting our city into shape, getting trim and ready to host and promote healthy living and good sportsmanship. That last sentence doesn’t resemble anything of what our mayor is known for.

    His appearance and actions will keep coming up with Torontonians until he truly tries to represent our city and its style rather than fashion it in his own.

  • Irk_and_Ire

    No, one’s size is not linked to how well they’ll fare as a politician, but Ford ran his campaign on the concepts of “belt tightening” “stopping the gravy train” and “scaling down”. I can’t help but see the irony in those words coming from a man who looks like he’s never met an indulgence he could say “no” to.

    • guest

      That’s because he thinks he is better than the unwashed massed. For that reason alone, I would say he should not be mayor, but it’s not the first time nor will it be the last time someone with that mindset gets into a position of power.

  • Cooper Brown

    I’m really sick of the fact that people think we shouldn’t point out that Ford is fat. That’s B.S. and is a huge “Elephant-In-The-Room” type of argument. Being fat is a result of poor dietary choices and lack of exercise. It is scientific fact that that is the largest cause of obesity in North America. He is fat, and we judge him for that. The reason his weight is a target is because it presents a package to the rest of the world. And we have a loud mouthed, ignorant, racist, homophobic, conservative, arts-hating mayor representing this city. The fat part is an extra argument that even creates a more disgusting image. So leave the fat haters alone, maybe we’d all be a little healthier if we had role models that don’t look like they dine regularly on Kentucky Fried Chicken.

    • Not an apologist

      The concern is that there are some fat people who are fat despite exercising and eating right. I’m not sure what proportion of the fat population they are, but they do exist. Also, while Rob Ford doesn’t come across as one of those types of people, it’s very likely that his fatness is genetic – look at his brother.

    • Merton

      Rob Ford certainly entertaining and not being my Mayor or effecting me in any way I couldn’t care less what he does but it is pointless siting the mans weight when there is so much more to talk about like his lack of class and being dishonest and trying to hide things.

      • Bevan

        Hear, hear!

  • Eric S. Smith

    Ah, I see that the usual exchange is well under way:—You know, calling Ford a fatass unnecessarily hurts people you have no quarrel with.—But he is!Repeat.

  • Brett
  • bigbikewoman

    Wow, a more misguided interpretation of NOW cover could not be written. Congrats. Didn’t know Torontoist would be so ignorant to link NOW with bigots.

  • Anonymous

    Totally agree. There are lot of obese people who care passionately about the environment, social justice and other issues, so you are undermining the movement by dismissing critics who don’t fit your narrow scope of what an activist should look like!

  • http://twitter.com/Daavq Dave Hamel

    I already wrote about why Rob Ford’s Weight matters. He’s a poor role model, both as a mayor and as a person.

    http://www.davehamel.com/index.php/?p=3132

  • Guest

    Okay, so this is what I gleaned from reading the comments: Torontonians are hating on Ford because his image doesn’t jibe with the cosmopolitan, “world-class”, green and progressive image that the city wishes for itself. Interesting. If he and his ilk are so disliked, who the heck voted him in? Perhaps Toronto isn’t actually what most people think it is.

  • pickanumber

    ridiculous. People hate on ford because he is not the mayor Toronto voted for. Ford got voted in by the outskirts of Toronto. Not Toronto. Toronto core did not vote for Ford. If any of you lived in Toronto, you would know that.