Yes, it’s funny.
It also shows the disconnect between what we expect people to look like. We expect people to look like what we’re used to seeing — and if we mostly see other people in magazines or on TV or in movies, that’s what we expect people to look like.
And when the movie’s over, we are surprised that reality hasn’t conformed to our fantasies.
I love fiction. We call the living room of our house “the library” for good reason. I not only go to fan conventions, I help organize them. I also am aware that the near-homogeneous size of the actors on TV is as much fantasy as the huge sizes of the New York apartments or the never-ending variations of the characters’ wardrobes. You think superheros are wish fulfillment, try civil servants who never wear the same clothes twice!
But we suspend our disbelief. And then we feel unhappy with our bodies, our homes, and our incomes. I don’t watch as much TV as most of my friends. I avoid fashion magazines. I don’t think I’m any less entertained. I know I’m happier with myself.
Living ~400lbs 
Leave a Reply