pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on mon 2 feb 04
representative place in these old 'figurines' and so on...(one of two
for brevity in ramble)
Hi all...
I too (as we may gather) have mused on these matters, and, I
wonder how we may
guess of the rigors (or varied politics amid possibly
localized or disparate groups) of Glaciated Europe being an
encouragement to people, or, to Women specifically, being
profoundly,
clinically,
obese? ( As at least some of these 'figurines', 'statues',
'figures' , 'statuettes' or 'godesses' would seem to
anatomicly be?)
We gather that it is thought charming that some peoples
regard obesity as beautiful, and some as a sign of 'wealth'.
Okay...
Where, I should think it (obesity) would have been a
liability and not an
asset. Too, nothing like an obesity of this kind is known
among
those peoples as inhabit
the extremes of cold now-a-days, (nor but few places else,
cold or not, as where people
still Live in old ways upon the Land,) and, for what I would
guess
to be the same 'reasons' I find it improbable for them to
have prefered or encouraged or abided it in or during the
last Ice Age.
Were they corrupted in absurd accrued obligatory burdons of
sex politics as 'Mauretannia' is still said to be?
I do not know of course, but I wonder...
I can see someways 'plump' maybe, as some ( broader, so to
speak)
Esquimaux and other remote, surviveing, erstwhile neolithic
Cold
dwelling peoples may sometimes be, where, many, if not most
of them
were and are slender. And, some more moon-face peoples or
individuals ( as some
Chineese) and tending to be more short, 'stout' or
plump...but almost never obese. Or never obese in their
native climes and contexts.
The only culture now-a-days as comes to mind, as highly
values obesity, and, demands it of their Women whether they
want it or not, are the
people of Mauritannia ( if memory serve, and there are
likely others as I do not remember right now or know of at
all TO remember,) whose survival in their landscape is
not regarded as posessing or requireing too much rigor, nor
is it
confronting those pesky
glacial perdicaments as may be imagined to encourage
resoursefulness, physical agility, occasional fleet flight
of foot, lightness and general svelt, as we (or I anyway,)
may suppose made sense in old Glaciated Europe, if not
anywhere, anytime.
But rather, Mauritannia, as a culture, (or so I recall, or
recall to have been told, )
values a profoundly obese Woman as a sign (or acceptible
pretense of at least an effort to respect the tradition of
the embuement of the 'sign',) of the 'wealth'
her husband posesses ( she being approximatly nothing in
herself BUT that potential or actual 'sign' or advertisment
for him,
and a
burdon on her family untill fat enough, protractedly fed
enough, and just barely old-enough to be
married 'off'
AS a desireable or at least settled-for 'sign' or
advertisment for some husband to
show off, ) or, to represent the use OF the wealth he
will somehow manage TO posess, or must posess, or be
inferred to posess, or must
learn to posess, to
feed her.
Even to where girls are force-fed, and,
forced to be obese long before marriage, to flatter
obligeing
appearances (so the family may get rid of them in a marriage
to someone, eventually, and not have to keep feeding her
themselves,) for even a prospective and in fact 'poor'
husband who
wishes to be seen as 'wealthy', or that tradition of
respecting appearances, and appearances opf respect, may be
respected anyway.
Or, as having and possessing
a
conspicuous attribute OF 'wealth' at any rate ( like a
'hummer', say, is ), as 'if' he
were 'wealthy' in the form of a non
entity as herself, (even as a 'hummer' is a non-entity
Automobile wise,) an obligingly obese 'woman' to show off,
or at least
untill he cannot
anylonger afford to keep feeding her as much as she may in
fact 'eat'...or need to eat to remain fat 'enough'...but the
appearance
and
association which obesity (or rather the apperception of it)
has obtained (or as a 'hummer' or a 'corvette' or any number
of 'desired' totem-things for that matter) as (an allusion,
of an
evocation, of an associatiative connection with) 'wealth',
for them, ( and 'us')
is very
important, even if practically absurd, in poor taste, cruel,
and a hardship on all
concerned...or only on as many as are 'concerned'...or, as
one may think should be, ''concerned'...
Yours,
Phil
lasvegas
John Rodgers on tue 3 feb 04
representative place in these old 'figurines' and so on...(one of two
for brevity in ramble)
Hmmm!
Some interesting questions, ideas.
My first hand experience with views on "largess" (or should it be
"largest!"........
In my more "portly" days, I was introduced by a friend to his (recently
new) girlfriend .... a Chinese woman from Manchuria. When she saw me
there was a bit of bowing and head nodding, and then she said something
to him in Chinese, which he interpreted for me. She said, essentially,
"Congratulations on your success in life!" I was puzzled by this but he
later explained. In her culture, in the region she was from, to be fat
meant that you had to have done well in life and become financially
successful, to be able to afford enough food upon which to grow fat. In
her eyes, being fat and being financially successfully were synonymous.
And it increased desirability ...........but that's another story!!
But how that gets turned around with the women of the time I don't know.
Perhaps being fat meant the woman's family was well off, since she could
feed so well, and thus a large dowry would go along with any marriage.
That certainly caught the attention of any suitors!!
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET wrote:
>Hi all...
>
>
>
>I too (as we may gather) have mused on these matters, and, I
>wonder how we may
>guess of the rigors (or varied politics amid possibly
>localized or disparate groups) of Glaciated Europe being an
>encouragement to people, or, to Women specifically, being
>profoundly,
>clinically,
>obese? ( As at least some of these 'figurines', 'statues',
>'figures' , 'statuettes' or 'godesses' would seem to
>anatomicly be?)
>
>We gather that it is thought charming that some peoples
>regard obesity as beautiful, and some as a sign of 'wealth'.
>
>Okay...
>
>
>Where, I should think it (obesity) would have been a
>liability and not an
>asset. Too, nothing like an obesity of this kind is known
>among
>those peoples as inhabit
>the extremes of cold now-a-days, (nor but few places else,
>cold or not, as where people
>still Live in old ways upon the Land,) and, for what I would
>guess
>to be the same 'reasons' I find it improbable for them to
>have prefered or encouraged or abided it in or during the
>last Ice Age.
>
>
>Were they corrupted in absurd accrued obligatory burdons of
>sex politics as 'Mauretannia' is still said to be?
>
>
>I do not know of course, but I wonder...
>
>
>
>I can see someways 'plump' maybe, as some ( broader, so to
>speak)
>Esquimaux and other remote, surviveing, erstwhile neolithic
>Cold
>dwelling peoples may sometimes be, where, many, if not most
>of them
>were and are slender. And, some more moon-face peoples or
>individuals ( as some
>Chineese) and tending to be more short, 'stout' or
>plump...but almost never obese. Or never obese in their
>native climes and contexts.
>
>
>The only culture now-a-days as comes to mind, as highly
>values obesity, and, demands it of their Women whether they
>want it or not, are the
>people of Mauritannia ( if memory serve, and there are
>likely others as I do not remember right now or know of at
>all TO remember,) whose survival in their landscape is
>not regarded as posessing or requireing too much rigor, nor
>is it
>confronting those pesky
>glacial perdicaments as may be imagined to encourage
>resoursefulness, physical agility, occasional fleet flight
>of foot, lightness and general svelt, as we (or I anyway,)
>may suppose made sense in old Glaciated Europe, if not
>anywhere, anytime.
>
>
>But rather, Mauritannia, as a culture, (or so I recall, or
>recall to have been told, )
>values a profoundly obese Woman as a sign (or acceptible
>pretense of at least an effort to respect the tradition of
>the embuement of the 'sign',) of the 'wealth'
>her husband posesses ( she being approximatly nothing in
>herself BUT that potential or actual 'sign' or advertisment
>for him,
>and a
>burdon on her family untill fat enough, protractedly fed
>enough, and just barely old-enough to be
>married 'off'
>AS a desireable or at least settled-for 'sign' or
>advertisment for some husband to
>show off, ) or, to represent the use OF the wealth he
>will somehow manage TO posess, or must posess, or be
>inferred to posess, or must
>learn to posess, to
>feed her.
>
>
>
>Even to where girls are force-fed, and,
>forced to be obese long before marriage, to flatter
>obligeing
>appearances (so the family may get rid of them in a marriage
>to someone, eventually, and not have to keep feeding her
>themselves,) for even a prospective and in fact 'poor'
>husband who
>wishes to be seen as 'wealthy', or that tradition of
>respecting appearances, and appearances opf respect, may be
>respected anyway.
>
>Or, as having and possessing
>a
>conspicuous attribute OF 'wealth' at any rate ( like a
>'hummer', say, is ), as 'if' he
>were 'wealthy' in the form of a non
>entity as herself, (even as a 'hummer' is a non-entity
>Automobile wise,) an obligingly obese 'woman' to show off,
>or at least
>untill he cannot
>anylonger afford to keep feeding her as much as she may in
>fact 'eat'...or need to eat to remain fat 'enough'...but the
>appearance
>and
>association which obesity (or rather the apperception of it)
>has obtained (or as a 'hummer' or a 'corvette' or any number
>of 'desired' totem-things for that matter) as (an allusion,
>of an
>evocation, of an associatiative connection with) 'wealth',
>for them, ( and 'us')
>is very
>important, even if practically absurd, in poor taste, cruel,
>and a hardship on all
>concerned...or only on as many as are 'concerned'...or, as
>one may think should be, ''concerned'...
>
>
>Yours,
>
>
>Phil
>lasvegas
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
>
| |
|