Trigger warning: Telling poor people to “eat less” is disturbing..
Two summers ago, my daughter Adrienne and I visited New York City and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of the highlights of that trip, for me, was the display of Vivenne Westwood’s 1970s punk clothes. The woman was a visionary.
If you look at these clothes and think about what most people were wearing in the 70s â€" she had her mind wide open. She just did.
So I’m not sure how this woman who was (and I’m willing to bet still is) so able to look outside the fashion box, could be so very, incredibly wrong this week when she made some remarks about poor people and fat people and organic food.
From a Huffington Post article about the incident:Â When a BBC Radio 5 Live interviewer pointed out to the catwalk icon that “not everybody can afford to eat organic food,” she replied: “Eat less!”
Here’s the thing. If you’re a wealthy white woman â€" very wealthy â€" chances are pretty good there isn’t an appropriate time to tell poor people to eat less. Even if your intent (if we’re giving Westwood the benefit of the doubt) was to show that they don’t have good choices (it’s GMO or nothing for them, seemed to be what she was going for). Even if you have a history of doing good work for the poor.
Here’s what else she said: “You’ve got all these processed foods, which is the main reason people are getting fat. They’re not actually good for you â€" they don’t give you strength; they give you weight.”
Vivinne Westwood has solved the obesity problem for us! Eat less. No one else, on earth, ever, has ever, ever thought of that before.
I want to be kind. I want to believe that she had good intentions. That she just had a problem with the delivery. I mean, surely she knows there are fat people who don’t eat any processed food? And surely she knows that a person can get fat eating organic, non-processed food. I mean, a calorie is a calorie. And she has to know that things like food deserts and food insecurity exist, and that telling people who don’t have access to the kind of high-quality, non-processed, organic food â€" and who are living with food deserts and food insecurity â€" to eat less kind of makes you a jerk.
She’s tried to backtrack.
I’m deeply upset if anyone would think I don’t care about starving people or don’t understand the terrible situation some people are in, quite the opposite, I have spent years campaigning for social and human rights issues.
That’s the equivalent of “some of my best friends are black” isn’t it?
It’s great that she’s campaigned for social and human rights. And that she cares about starving people. What she needs, though, maybe, is some sensitivity training.
- Repost by weffashion.blogspot.com - Hey Cuties!!!
THINGS HAVE BEEN CRAZIER THAN AÂ SATURDAYÂ AFTERNOON IN 1994 AT DC DISCOVERY ZONE. Tour is so fun and everyone that has been coming to the shows has made me happy cry all over the place. Plus, last night we roasted hot dogs (my favorite food group) and marshmallows and I didn’t think life could get any better, but THERE ARE EVEN MORE THINGS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT BEYOND NOSTALGIC PROCESSED FOOD.
First off, I’m so overwhelmed and humbled by the amazing things people have said about Heart on My Sleeve. I really poured my heart and soul into the record, so it’s amazing to hear that fancy people, like Good Morning America, The New York Times, NPR, and of course, YOU BABES, to have embraced it so lovingly. I am so touched. Thank you.
Another neat thing about an album release is that I GET TO PERFORM AT SO MANY NEAT PLACES AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, EAT ALL THE HUMMUS AND WHITE WINE ON ALL THE MANY HOSPITALITY RIDERS. So much kombucha, y’all.
First ridiculously super cool performance:
I’m a part of VH1′s You Oughta Know Concert on November 13th alongside some of my friends A Great Big World, Sam Smith, and Echosmith!!!!! Please watch it!!! I’m so excited for the TV THINGS and also SAM SMITH IS SUPER ADORABLE AND I ENJOY HUGGING HIM. My “You Oughta Know” commercials have been airing on VH1, and I maybe screamed in my hotel room the first time I saw them. You can watch here if you would like to freak out by proxy!
ALSO THEY INTERVIEWED ME WITH KITTENSÂ AND I HAD AN ALLERGIC REACTION BUT IT WAS WORTH EVERY MINUTE.
This year I was so honored to be a part of the OUT100 of 2013, and I’m equally honored to perform at this year’s OUT100 20th Anniversary Gala on November 20th! At the event, OUT will honor five remarkable individuals for their significant achievements including Samira Wiley, Zachary Quinto, Ellen Page, and Tyler Oakley. NEAT! Sidenote: Tyler Oakley is the cutiest of all the patooties.
THEN, I’m performing on the Red Carpet LIVE pre-show at the American Music Awards on 11/23!!! WHAT IS MY LIFE?!?? You can tune in via Yahoo Music and learn more about it here. I’m gonna wear a fancy dress or skirt or glitter or combination of all of those things.
More things! All of the things!:
I’m a VevoLIFT artist this month!! Some of the dear friends I mentioned before were previous LIFT artists, so I’m totally stoked to a part of this group!!! I get to launch exclusive videos with them this month! Yay! In the meantime, you can watch what we’ve launched thus far here.
But this might be the best part of the series.
I’m also an American Express Artist-In-Residence! Over the next couple of weeks, they’re also releasing super sweet videos that I did with them that include Betty Who and Rixton, too. Stay tuned!!! So many videos! All of the things!
I’m still on this crazy beautiful tour, so if you haven’t seen a show, there’s still time to come see Maiah, Heather, Tim and me out on the road!!!
I LOVE YOU BABES SO MUCH. I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS:
xoxo,
M
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- Repost by weffashion.blogspot.com -Dream come true to be on NPR. All Things Considered is how I discovered some of my favorite artists.
Listen to the interview here.
The post NPR!!!! appeared first on Mary Lambert Official Website.
- Repost by weffashion.blogspot.com -In case you missed it, boos!!
The post Good Morning America!!!! appeared first on Mary Lambert Official Website.
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