Sunday, February 24, 2008

GENERAL STUFF: Florida Manatees

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this, but I think the picture clears it up... the way that CNN presented it was "Fla. Marlins begin a all-male plus-size cheerleading squad called the Manatees."

Leave it up to me to not get the joke.

Duh. Fat men cheerleading = joke.

5 comments:

valereee said...

I actually kind of like it, in a weird way. It sort of plays off the whole bizarre idea that adding underdressed attractive women to a sporting event is somehow logical. I mean, does that really put more butts in the chairs?

Barry Floore said...

I have no idea. I'll be curious to see it all played out. See, being the queen that I can be, when I saw the ticker that said "plus size" I immediately bristled when they made a mockery by callign them the manatees (Can you imagine a big girl being called a MANATEE? it hurts my heart and my dear, sweet, nature)

LOL I missed the joke. I do like the idea, now.

valereee said...

Very true -- if it were women, I'd find the joke misogynistic.

Maybe it's just that for most straight men, their attractiveness isn't their deepest fear like it often is for even the most accomplished woman?

Interesting.

valereee said...

You know, it just occurred to me: if it were women, they'd get BOOED. These guys will get cheered, and they'll probably never buy a drink again in a sports bar. You know what I mean? The audience of other not-so-svelte guys will laugh WITH them, where they'd be laughing AT fat women dancing.

Barry Floore said...

Men share the same insecurities, IMHO, but I think it is expressed differently. Women's insecurities about their bodies are out there as insecurities. Men's are out there as jokes. They mock themselves to become acceptable.

I've long wanted to start a performance troupe called the Voluptuous Vixens reVue. As a man who gets to experience the joy of "plus-size shopping," I get the unique opportunity to feel that whole "does this make my butt look fat" thing (depending on how hard I tape, I'm a between a size 16 and 22).

There is value in loving curves. And, despite what Queen Latifah says, her becoming a weight loss spokesmodel and getting a breast reduction, IMHO, is setting back the movement.