Re: Skinny-Bashing

I’ve decided that any time I get multiple complaints about a strip, I’ll probably do a blog post about it.

The March 9th Sunday strip struck a cord with some readers (sorry, contractually, I can’t post the actual cartoon for another two weeks). Okay, let me set the record straight. I’m not skinny-bashing.

I myself am a slender, small-framed woman who tries to exercise regularly. I wasn’t trying to slam thin women. I was using humor to portray that busy moms who often don’t have time to exercise may feel envious of the ones who do (completely unfounded, of course). Although I try to stay in shape, I still sometimes feel soft and mushy compared to the ones with gravity-defying body parts (moms, I mean – not teenagers. Well, them, too). The cartoon is satirical and spoofy. I think it’s safe to say that the rock-hard moms with “yogafied butts” are more of a rarity. If you are one of them, all the power to you.

It’s always interesting for me to see which strips touch a nerve. Usually I’m just writing from the heart, either through casual observation or pointed opinion. Sometimes the strips that I think will cause offense slide on by, while others that seem safe to me will cause my inbox to go on red alert. In the case of this strip, I’m not very surprised I got feedback. Just remember: it is satire.