You people realize the body positivity movement is literally a political movement right. Like it’s a movement that was started to improve the rights of fat people and stop discrimination against fat people. You realize that. It’s not a tea party where everyone just compliments everyone else on their looks.
One time I was teaching undergrads and we were talking about how you can even define what is “fair” in employment. And I was explaining how there have been court cases about employers forcing their employees to wear makeup or do their hair/nails, etc, so of course we end up talking about flight attendants. And my students, predictably, are like, “Well ok but in the case of flight attendants, being good looking is literally just part of the job description.” So I point out how applying this principle universally would basically make it so that any employer could refuse to hire someone who was fat or ugly. And That One Kid was like, “Well if it affects the business’s ability to make money, I mean, that’s just smart.” And so I say, “Yes, that is certainly what a capitalist would say. But don’t you think that allowing that capitalist interest to take precedence would lead to a world in which it’s legally permissible to refuse to hire someone just because they’re fat or ugly? Basically legalizing discrimination and blocking access to work and livelihood?” And this motherfucker is like, “Well, yeah. 💁🏻”
When I tell you I almost had to leave…I was full-body shaking and afterward, my queer students came up and were like, “omg are you okay?”
So yeah, it’s fucking political. What you think is about personal aesthetic preference is actually oppressing huge groups of people, so.
This is a fascinating example because I actually am a flight attendant, and no the fuck it isn’t a part of my job description to “be good looking.” It hasn’t been since the 60s. We’re literally first responders. Should your ER nurse have to wear makeup in order to save your life?
