I was feeling pretty outraged, disgusted, and saddened already by this situation (click the links in the post for additional information).

And then I saw this (not related, just even way more mind-bogglingly disgusting and upsetting than the Rachel Moss fiasco). I had more or less given up on the world a long time ago, but this was the last straw. And this without actually viewing the video.

But this thread at Jezebel, related to the first item, restored my faith in humanity a teeny bit. 134 comments on a topic related to fatphobia and only TWO concern trolls (granted, along with a couple other weird fat haters, but even those seem generally of the live-and-let-live variety)? One of whom is not even “that bad”? And gems like the following quotations from the comments to boot? On a NON-FA blog? I swear, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a discussion about fat this respectful at a place that does not actively and constantly both enforce rules against fat hatred, and delete trollish comments.

Okay, I don’t care what else there is to know about this person. She is not cool. She is awful and mean.

She is a female misogynist who believes she is the exception to the rule that women are inferior to men.

The new one I hear is that I use too many resources…I guess fat is not green. Neither is douchebaggery, world.

What I don’t understand is why someone who hates fat people would attend so many fat-themed workshops?

I mean, if you’re grossed out by fat people, and you attend a workshop called “Fat sex,” then you pretty much got what you asked for, yes?

As a fat person, I would like everyone to know that being fat is not the worst thing a human being can be. I am trying to lose weight for the sake of my own health, and the way people congratulate me on this endeavour goes beyond just an appreciation for my efforts to be healthy – it’s like they’re so relieved that I am saving myself from FAT, that terrible place of social exclusion and invisibility, the most terrible thing a female can possibly be. My flatmate is trying to give up smoking, and no one is especially delighted by that. I honestly believe that people would rather be almost anything than fat – rather be a bitch, rather be mean, rather be a disgustingly cruel person, rather be unhealthy on the inside.

I hate this attitude that you can be any kind of dropkick, but as long as you’re skinny, that’s all that matters.

And the best of all (emphasis mine):

I admit that I am a recovering fat-phobe. I did think it just couldn’t be that hard for people to be healthy, and I thought they were being lazy. But I’ve learned a lot from feminist blogs, and I’ve realized that a) being overweight is not necessarily a choice and b) even if it is a choice, SO WHAT? I accept lots of people’s choices that I wouldn’t choose for myself, why not that one? Simply because I wanted to feel superior, and that is an awful reason to judge anybody. […] I do know people who are incredibly lazy who happen to also be fat. But I know not-lazy fat people, lazy skinny people, not-lazy skinny people, etc. What I don’t know is anyone who tears other people down and who is a happy, well-adjusted human being.

Maybe, just maybe, there is a little hope. Have a good weekend!