February 15, 2010

The National Association To Advance Fat Acceptance

This weekend, a Twitter-fight blew up after Southwest Airlines asked filmmaker Kevin Smith to get off a flight because he was too big.  The plus-sized Smith had bought two seats but then got switched to a SW flight with only one seat.  Since then, he's been bitch-slapping the airline on his Twitter feed and they've been trying to make nice on theirs.


ABC's World News Sunday's did a story about the incident, quoting a spokesperson from the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance who said this was a case of fat discrimination.  When I heard the name of this organization, I was like....come again?  Is that for real?  After Googling it, I found that NAAFA is actually a legit and serious group that's been around for more than 40 years, trying to "build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality". 


I'm not sure if Kevin Smith is a member but I'm sure they can count on a hefty (ha) donation from him now that he's felt the sting of anti-Fat Acceptance.  Anyway, in a time of skyrocketing national obesity rates and a Presidential initiative to reduce the country's waistline, NAAFA may want to reconsider their mission. Or at least their name....just a suggestion.