kids are funny

**Daniel Craig** · Mar-30-2005, 05:49 PM

"Find the fatties."

How seemingly innocent... I enjoy how the "fatties" are marked with big black ovals for midsections. Did the teacher not see these letters before they were submitted? Or ... Is "Find the fatties" the game of the future? A "Where's Waldo" for 2005? Only time will tell.

**Steven Ragatz** · Mar-30-2005, 07:11 PM

"Find the Fatties" - wow. This is why my kids are home-schooled...

Steven Ragatz

**gav** · Mar-31-2005, 05:20 AM

innocent children

Are you telling us you never ever called anyone fat as a child or adult? or are you just saying you home school your kids in the hope they will never call any one fat ?

**Steven Ragatz** · Mar-31-2005, 06:55 AM

One of the reasons (there are several) that we home-school is because of our local public school system.

I raise an eyebrow at a learning environment that would produce that letter - and a teacher who would not direct the student to express their enthusiasm for the convocation in a more socially positive way.

Nothing profound, but no, my kids don't refer to others as "fatties". That's all.

The student was obviously touched by Evan's program, and a message was learned. It just seems that the way the student chose to express his approval of the program is more telling of the educational environment than of the student himself.

Steven Ragatz

**gav** · Mar-31-2005, 11:18 AM

fair enough

Personaly i don't think there is anything wrong with the word fat. It's the easyest way to say it sometimes, after all, isn't it fat that is inside people that makes them look fat. I think it's actually more important to disempower words that have been over 'pc'ed into becoming something bad. Sometimes I get fat and have no problem with anyone who tells me that. I know fat people who have no problem calling them selves fat or being called fat or fatty.
I can certainly understand that it's your choice to teach your kids what ever you like however, and I'm sure the schooling system in the U.S leaves a lot to be desired.
By the way, I found your lesson on making your own hats very informative and will be trying it out as soon as I can find a supplier of felt here in Zagreb. I'm going to try using a space filling foam to make a block, using the hat I already have as a mould. I'll let you know how it goes.

**Evan Young** · Mar-31-2005, 01:37 PM

I posted this letter because I thought it was a surprise and I got a laugh out of it. But I guess it could have implacations about the school and the values they are impressing on the children.
This letter came out of Mansfield Ct. In the same stack of letters I also got a detailed drawing of an apple that showed perspective, shading, shadows and other advanced art technique, she said "I like drawing". My point is that I wouldn't jump to conclusions about the school system; but I do believe that you (steven) are probably the best possible teacher, role model, parent, etc. that a kid could possibly ask for.
I'm assuming that the teacher didn't read the letters over because they were delivered to us as we were loading out less than a half hour after the show.

How it is the kids fault: we have a part of our show where we say "people do come in all shapes and sizes", and we say that it's a great thing. We juggle a basketball, wiffle ball bat, and a bean bag to demonstrate how cool different is. This is after jonny tells coach that he's gonna go on a diet so he can look like a magazene model. So the kid really didn't grasp that concept of the show, or just didn't care. we cover a lot in the hour show, so he could just be too dumb to get it all.
the message of the show is to have a healthy diet, exercise, see through media messages, and have a strong self esteem. The production has recieved rave reviews for quality and success in its mission. (but they suck to work for)

and gav. labeling kids as "fatties" is kind of like labeling kids as "four eyes", "freckel face", "nigger", "cracker", etc. there is a difference between fat and fattie, and even fat can hurt a kids self image.

anyway. In reality I don't care. This gig has been so frustrating and exausting that I'm becoming bitter. Finding evidence of corrupt kids makes my life better. (but I still put on a killer, wholesome show!)

**jester** · Mar-31-2005, 01:53 PM

In Britain, healthy eating at school is Hot News and has become an election issue.

One of our celebrity chefs went into some schools and made a program about how bad school meals are and how unhealthy the nations kids are by diet.

For some parents trying to stop your kids being fat is a living nightmare and I really pit them, however, let us not pretend otherwise:

FAT is FAT

I am FAT at the moment. I would be stupid to pretend that I am some kind of oppressed minority or victim of social stigma. I am overweight. This is caused by lack of excercise (and my broken leg is no excuse there are many things I could have done but I could not be bothered.) and eating crap.

I have just started being healthy again. I gave up being healthy for lent. Lent is over.

Fat is fat. It is unhealthy. It can be funny and I have the right to be treated as an adult. If my leg is broken I expect people to advise me that my leg is broken. If I am FAT the same thing applies.

I know loads of FAT People. They agree. It is the same as smoking. Smokers know it is fucking stupid but they like it. They shouldn't whinge about the fact that most of us hate smoke. (I'm a reformed smoker, the worst kind of non smoker.)

Go watch "Crazy People." I'm FAT. Stop pretending I'm a victim.

Parents who let their kids get fat and refuse to even try and keep them healthy are SCUM! Of course I realise that for some parents it is a nightmare and that weight is not easily controlled, but let's not pretend otherwise. Obesity is dangerous.

What you are doing is important Evan. All of my childrens grandparents have serious health problems which are caused by poor diet in earlier life.

**Evan Young** · Mar-31-2005, 02:45 PM

Originally posted by jester

FAT is FAT

Many people are not able to judge what fat is. Judgemental behavior should not be encouraged in a nine year old.

My girlfriend is a slim, trim, image of her mother. My girlfriends 18 year old sister is a stocky, strong, image of her father. This stocky girl was the captan of her high school soccer team, dominant force in basketball, a key player on her softball team, maintains good grades, and a healthy lifestyle. She is in incredible shape, but she is not slim like her sister and she never will be. The girl is beautifull, but her mother has told her to loose weight, which is impossible. So now she judges her own self worth because she doesn't look like a swimsuit model. with proper perspective, a reasonable person can tell that the girl is not fat, and focus more on her truly winning personality.

Unfounded judgemental behavior is bad! I think it even hints at that in the bible. So don't tell your kids that fat is fat.

again, I don't actually care. find the fatties is one of the best things to come out of this stupid gig.

**jester** · Mar-31-2005, 02:52 PM

Very good point.

However, Stocky is not fat and most people can tell the difference can't they? Fat is Fat and wide is wide. Big difference..

Fat is the stuff that sags down over the elastic on your pants.

That said. It is not for my kids to be judgemental and I don't allow them to say nasty things about anybody. Everybody has their own problems and it isn't for us to judge.

However, my kids do know that I am fat and they know that I am slowly losing weight and why.

One of my daughters friends is Fat but we love her and we never comment on the amount of mars bars she eats..

Also fat on kids is different to fat on adults. Girl on our street, the fat just fell off her when she turned 14 and now the plump little cute ginger kid looks like Jessica Rabbit and is going to break a few hearts in my opinion.

But that doesn't mean kids should not understand what fat is or joke about it. Acknowledgement is not Malice.

**the scarecrow** · Apr-10-2005, 11:31 AM

Jester, you may be happy being a little over weight, but for other people it is a traumatic problem.

You are bloody insensitive. Do you think fat people don't know they've got a problem?

**jester** · Apr-11-2005, 08:22 AM

Ah Scarecrow.

You are skinny as Daisy Lou. I often get young people lecturing me about laughing with old people, and able bodied people get cross when I acknowledge a zimmer frame or crutches or a wheelchair. I've had rich people lecture me on my attitude to the poor.

I'm not happy being fat. I accept it and I know it is not good. The one advantage is... who was shivering two weeks ago even though he had a thermal vest and which one of us was not. Sometimes fat is useful. (I still wore a thermal vest though.)

**Jimbo** · Apr-11-2005, 10:04 AM

I found 5 fatties, ahhhh fatties, when will you learn. No matter how much black you ware the only thing that will make you appear slim is a salad.

what the hell is that pyramid at the bottom left corner? Perhaps a decoder for the letter. Maybe this letter goes into a deeper sickness. Perhaps it will decode to mean this child is a Nazi, and that "find the fatties" really means "find the darkies"

hmmmm, come to think of it I went to public school, maybe I'm a Nazi.... perhaps a decendant of Hitler himself, a jewish Nazi.

Thats going to be my new street persona, I'll call myself the "Great Gestapo"

kids are funny

kids are funny

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