Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Sports and Dance Stereotypes Laid to Rest in FatLand

More dance activity is now occurring in FatLand - not just belly dancing, but jazz dancing, ballet, rock. It took a while for FatLand to stop buying into stereotypes of fat dancers - that they were not graceful, that they didn't look "right" while dancing.

FatLand ran an entire campaign to undo these stereotypes, and not just about dancing, but about running, gymnastics, and all sports which were supposedly the domain of slimmer people. The campaign was called "If you do it well, it looks right!" They had really excellent fat dancers and fat sportspeople showing their moves in many kinds of dance and sports. They also showed fat athletes training for various events, including a marathon, an ice dancing competition and a beach volleyball tournament.

This campaign hit home and helped dispel the stereotypes so well that people of various weights on the Other Side/USA were encouraged by it (now that there is no net blackout on either side) and started to take part in all kinds of sports and activities that they didn't think they could participate in previously.

And a word about fat people in different sports activities.

We have been brainwashed with these stereotypes for so long that many of us actually believe/d that we can't/couldn't do them.  Ironically anotherv one is swimming, a sport in which fat people might actually have certain advantages (broad chest and shoulders, muscles, good buoyancy), but  which many of us were told to rule out because we didn't fit the swimsuit image that advertisers sought.

 The answer by FatLand swimmers is now, "We can indeed swim well. We are quite competitive. Why don't you change your advertising?"

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