And Just What Makes YOU So Desirable Anyway?

I've been so wrapped up in my own sorrows that I've not spent as much time following comments over at NiT as I normally would. Given what I just saw, that's probably a good thing.

I am OUTRAGED by this. Not peeved. Not purturbed. Outraged.

Brittney posted a YouTube video of Pink Kitty at one of her dance shows. Anyone who reads PK or knows her in person knows several things about her. She loves to dance and has a passionate spirit that matches her love for belly dancing and enough fiery romance to fuel her love for ballroom dance. They also know that she is overweight, but less than she used to be, due to a very serious diet that she takes very seriously. Also due to the hours she slavishly devotes to her intense love of dance. PK is very open on her blog about her struggles with weight and body image, and she's very open about her personal journey. (Full Disclosure: I love Pink Kitty. She's my friend.)

I can't get the video to play on my computer, because Safari and YouTube don't always play nice, so I can't vouch for the content, although I'm sure that--like other photos and videos I've seen of PK's dancing--it's full of beauty, confidence and a fun spirit that embraces the best in life. Which is why the comment from Wintermute made me so mad. His only response to this video was a rude comment about PK's weight. That was completely rude, completely uncalled-for and boorish and churlish and about fifty other words.

Funnily enough, insults about my own weight don't bother me all that much. I mean, I know I'm not thin. In fact I know that "thin" describes absolutely nothing about me except perhaps my earlobes and top lip. And I've generally chosen to adopt the attitude that if all you see is the fat, you're missing the best parts and it's your loss and by the way you yourself are not Errol Flynn or Clara Bow.

Which brings me to my next point. Wintermute's comment was specifically

Skip It Dudes. Another blogging whale.

I've met a lot of us women bloggers. None of us are fashion models (except maybe Kate O'), that's for sure. We're all fantastic women of various shapes and sizes who look like real people. We're not all one size, because one size does not fit all in this real world. But we're all fantastic in our own ways.

Here's the thing. I've also met a lot of the men bloggers out there. The same holds true for them. The same various shapes and sizes and degrees of head hair. This appeal to some brotherhood of "dudes" with the power to dismiss a woman based on her (supposedly inferior) looks is a gross misunderstanding of who the internet population actually is.

I'm so outraged that I can't think of an appropriate closing for this post. But hey, congratulations to Wintermute who not only pulled me out of my own self-absorption long enough to actually write on a Saturday but also very nearly gave me enough incentive to drive to Memphis.