Ok, I just posted yesterday about celebrating the Imago Dei in everyone, regardless of their fallibility and finitude. Yeah, I know, smart sounding words that I learned from my husband that simply mean every person has worth. The whole thing about Abercrombie and Fitch has been bugging me. In An Open Letter from a "Fat Chick" to Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie + Fitch, Amy Taylor relates her own painful junior high experience and how similar to that Mike Jeffries' comments are.
Maybe you hadn't heard, so here's a little background. Mike Jeffries made some remarks in 2006 that seem to have gone largely unchecked until Business Insider exposed his arrogance. I do have to give him credit for one thing; at least he admits that he's catering to the shallow, "cool only" mindset of many of the product lines out there. Yeah, whatever. No one should view another human that way. The reaction by anyone larger than a size 10 has understandably been hurt and outrage.
I want to go on record as saying that size small people should be as incensed as anyone at his remarks. As I said on Facebook in response to a dear friend who said that she felt even big gals have something to offer, "Everyone of every sort; colour, dream, personality, coordination level (something that had me at the bottom of the "cool" list in my mind), size, quirk, disability, age, etc. has volumes to offer. I deeply cherish every one of my friends, and dress size is so beyond irrelevant that it's hardly worth mentioning. This CEO just infuriates me. How extremely shallow! His life choice to consider himself superior is sad indeed. Will he consider himself valuable when his face is covered in wrinkles or, if he pays to reshape his face, when his face is stretched like a tanned animal hide across his tired bones? I do hope we have enough grace at that point to allow him to rethink his presuppositions. In the meantime, he doesn't deserve a red cent."
Of course, as The Globe and Mail points out, all of us can stoop to that level. In my statement about his continued plastic surgery, I realize that I might have been leaning that way. I meant it to say that there will come a time when he looks in the mirror and sees his confidence slowly disintegrating with every wrinkle or, if he chooses, bit of stretched skin. In no way do I see that as making him more or less valuable. I do wonder how he'll deal with aging.
I would also like to mention that I have been judged for being small. Guess what, girls? It's hereditary! My mother was under 100 pounds for a long time. I'm much more than that, but the number is irrelevant. I just need to say that some of you have quickly remarked about your size and made apologies, as though it was something that I remotely cared about. Not! My size does not dictate my character, and please do not make a judgment call based on that. I'm small. So what. You're not. So what. I love you. You're my friend. Now let's move on to more relevant issues like the pride we have in our kids, the fact that we have an amazing God and the reality that He loves and died for every indidual; yes, for Mike Jeffries and believe it or not, for the likes of me.
I said that "it's hardly worth mentioning"; so why do I mention it? I have friends who still evaluate themselves based on size. I'd like them to quit. Please do not judge yourself by money driven, junior high level remarks. You're better than that; much better!
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