Why do people make fun of others' physical appearance?

[Zywiec]

Is it because they haven't grown up and still love to laugh at the fat person?

Let me know because I don't get it.

Thanks!

:hi:

[el_bryanto]

1. Same reason they like to make fun of anything; it makes them feel better about themselves.

I may be a loser but at least i'm not fat is the underlying message.

Bryant

[damntexdem]

13. In part, but also in part a defense mechanism:

they may see something they fear in the appearance of another, so make fun in an attempt to distance themselves from it. "I could never look like that" = fear of looking like that.

[MineralMan]

2. People who make fun of others are almost always

sensitive about their own shortcomings. It's compensation. It's ugly. It's childish.

It's the mirror that's bothering them, really.

[JuniperLea]

16. Yep

:thumbsup:

[emilyg]

35. +1

[REP]

3. "It's for their own good"

See, fat people are soooo stupid they don't know they're fat, and by helpfully laughing at them, fat people will recognize their disgustingness and change to please strangers.

[hlthe2b]

4. The insecure will always ridicule others to deflect attention from

their own inadequacies. Lingering stereotypes about the overweight and obese make it easy (and more acceptable) to use them as the target. It is wrong, it is painful and I have little doubt it causes every bit as much pain and lifelong trauma to young people as it does for our gay youth who are likewise targeted.

[JuniperLea]

18. Yep

It's like this guy who used to work with me... nice office, great comp and bens... he used to call people names. He called the two women who did the most work for him "Dumb and Dumber" yet pass their work off as his own. He was a frightened little boy who had no self esteem, so he tore others down in order to feel like he was elevating himself.

Thank Goddess that one left.

[seabeyond]

5. i dont either. my oldest son and i were talking the other day about this. worse, people overweight

making fun of overweight. i have seen that more times, and my mouth drops each time. or some ugly dude critiquing some gorgeous woman.

not my thing either

[RandomThoughts]

6. No need to laugh at anyone.

Although some things are funny, it is best to try and help a person learn that 'gluttony' is those that consume far more then they contribute. They take in things, but do not use that as energy to contribute to someone else. "Its a cookbook doctrine" is actually a deep inner mind connection to that form of action, the eaters of people, being the title of the book 13th warrior was based on, and the idea of taking more then you give back.

In the larger sense of the word it is those that take much from society, and give little back. Although the amount given depends on what you have to give also.

It also ties into the cow that eats and is never satisfied, since it tries to solve something with something else. Although avoid the trap in that, of someone saying you should be satisfied with anything, and run it by a view of what is just and fair also. There is a trap some fall into to accept wrongful servitude to things that take and do not care, those are things that should be helped to learn the reason to serve, as a service to them.

And I am due beer and travel money, and that will be sent.



Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5JkHBC5lDs

Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9Cu6GYqxo

Bonnie Raitt - Nick Of Time
http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?MovieID=407128

Dire Straits - Walk of Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxVC0GB838


Constantine - Bring me to life (Evanescence)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8d3K_hngw

[devilgrrl]

7. Anything to bring someone else down

eom

[KurtNYC]

8. sadly, these types would critique something else about the person

if it weren't weight.

Why? Insecurity, leveling and projection.

[hifiguy]

9. Point taken, but Mitch McConnell still looks like Yertle the Turtle.

Exactly like Yertle the Turtle.

[CarmanK]

11. People make fun of others because of the need for Power.

It is quite simple it is a power magnet. Make someone feel bad and you have power over them, even for a little while. It is all about power and domination and elevation of ego. And like in the cases of Rush Limbaugh and Beck, as long as society tolerates the abuse of others and rewards bad behavior the bully will prevail in his "little fiefdom". Men rape women for the same reasons: power, ego and domination over others.

[raccoon]

44. +1000. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. No, Yertle the Turtle looks like Mitch McConnel.

I will never be convinced that McConnell didn't pose as the model for Yertle.

[Zywiec]

10. Thanks for the replies!

I agree with just about all of them and will continue to watch in amazement how others will mock people for nothing more than their physical appearance.

[JuniperLea]

19. Racism and bigotry are part of this mix too...

A lot of people are chastised due to their DNA... it doesn't get much more stupid than that.

[KittyWampus]

12. Discomfort at seeing someone different?

[Fumesucker]

14. They have small minds..

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt

[pnwmom]

15. Because, mentally and emotionally, they're still early adolescents. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

17. They feel inferior and physical appearance is usually the only thing

they have to use as a weapon. They can't claim as bullies that they're smarter, more articulate, funnier, more well liked, etc. They fall back on society's reliance on "norms" for standards of beauty or handsomeness.

What has always made me wonder is how others who don't agree with the bullies remain silent and don't confront them and/or stand up for their victims.

[ejpoeta]

41. people are afraid of becoming the target so that is why they don't speak up.

or they are afraid of confrontation. maybe they'll get beat up or something. i was picked on growing up. i was spit on. didn't matter. even at catholic school where we wore uniforms. they'll find something to pick on you about.

[snagglepuss]

50. Interesting observation that bullies fall back on societal norms; however,

I wonder whether it'd be more accurate to say they fall back on their group's norm. Thoughts?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. Let me tell you about a grownup with the mind of a 6 year old.

This is the stupidest, most ridiculous attack on me I've heard of.

I was singing in a local amateur opera company's production of The Elixir of Love, in Italian, of course. It was a lot of fun. Except for all the ego wars that went on. The propmaster left a fake log out in the traffic, and the conductor fell over it and hurt himself. The conductor was a seventy-five year old man who was very nice and used to work with Leonard Bernstein in New York at the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. Completely unnecessary. Also, I heard loud noises at intermission which were patrons falling down the too-narrow stairs at the back of the auditorium. It was an old small church.

This woman was a soprano in the chorus, as I was. She kept asking me stupid questions like, "Why don't you get Lasik surgery? Why do you wear glasses? You can't wear them on stage".

My answer was, "I have to wear my glasses, because I could take three steps, fall off the stage, or down the back stairs, and sue this little non-profit out of existence if I was injured". She was horrified.

I went to the director and I told the director that if I couldn't wear glasses on stage, I was out of there. She let me wear them. This witch that got on my case was NOT the director. I think she was on the board and thought she was God.

I told the director I had seen people in the Houston Grand Opera Chorus wearing glasses in their production of "Mefistofeles" with Samuel Ramey, world famous bass, and that was a first-class production.

But I got my satisfaction. When we were in full heavy stage makeup, the baritone told me how beautiful I was!!! :D
I glowed for a week after that!!!


And before that, there were the stupid big fat redneck in-laws that got on my case for being SHORT. :wtf: :wtf:

I should have just walked out on people, but I was a slow learner. :wtf:

[raccoon]

45. Morans used to get on my case about being short too.

:hug:

Heard that a lot as a kid and young adult. Haven't heard it for several decades now. One good thing about getting older.

[Iggo]

21. .

:rofl:

[Warrior Dash]

23. Intellectual impairment.

[TaupeDem]

24. I see a lot of well thought out responses here but I do have a question

It drives me crazy that every time the name Rush Limbaugh is brought up that people feel the need to throw derogatory names having to do with being fat out there, how do you think it makes people who are overweight feel when they have to see the term "fat pig" and so on being used? attack his politics but why attack his weight? Yes it bothers me when I see hypocrisy.

[Taverner]

25. Fuckifiknow

Did you see this happen recently?

[Zywiec]

27. Yes, if you look around you will see what I'm talking about.

I'm sure we're no more than a couple of minutes away from yet another thread.

[REP]

28. It happened in this thread!

Someone complaining about her treatment demeaned others by calling them 'big fat stupid rednecks.'

[Johonny]

26. because physical humor seems rather basic in humanity

and one of the few things that can translate culture. For some reason fat can get a giggle out of people? Not sure why. Big feet, red nose, puffy hair... physical humor particularly a trait that exaggerates a quality everyone has seems to get humorous reactions from people.

[applegrove]

29. Weak characters attack others.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Obamanaut]

32. That's something that NEVER happens on DU. Well, maybe once

or twice.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. I try not to but aren't most of us guilty of it?

I've had my share of stating that GWBush looks like a chimp.

[HFCanMan]

34. I don't, mostly because I know what I look like.

[Sirveri]

36. I like to call skinny people fat. Sometimes I call my wife a fatty too.

But since I am fat, it actually is comedic. As for the wife, that's just a thing we do with each other, one of those complicated relationship thingees.

[idiotgardener]

37. I think it's a combination of some of the answers here

and the fact that our society places more importance on looks than most, and equates good looks with success. So if youre "unattractive" you're a loser.

And the media makes it worse, especially for women. I've lost count of the articles I've seen that mention a man and a woman, and the man is described as being "multi-platinum recording artist" and the woman will be "beautiful". Notice next time you watch an awards show. The presenters will be introduced as "funnyman Steve Carell and the gorgeous Reese Witherspoon" or similar.

[Dorian Gray]

38. Some people

need to knock other people down in order to build themselves up. It's a sad and unlikable character flaw.

[SmileyRose]

39. Simply because it's easy.

And humans are generally lazy.

[Lance_Boyle]

40. 'Cuz they U - G - L - Y, they ain't got no alibi?

:shrug:

[flpab]

42. I work at an airport and do we see some unreal people

Come on, look in a mirror, it is not fat people, it is all people that come to the airport dressed like it is halloween or they are going to work at a strip club. It is clothes that are size two on a size 16. It is boobs hanging out of a tube top, some people just love to draw attention to themselves. We have one lady that is a female body builder that is plastic from her face down to her implanted butt. She wears little to nothing and turns heads but she looks like a cartoon. People like to look like a freak show and people laugh or stand there with their mouth open. It is human nature. Stinky people, dirty people, people with so much perfume on they choke you. it is a freak show. Better than people of Walmart.

[GeorgeGist]

43. I'll keep my liberty ...

to laugh at what I find funny. Sorry if that makes you feel insecure.

[LanternWaste]

48. Who is attempting to deny you that...?

Who is attempting to deny you your "liberty" to advertise a lack of civility by mocking others? I simply saw a valid question... :shrug:

[Zywiec]

49. No one said you can't laugh. It's not against the law.

Regarding insecurity, I think the majority of people in this thread believe it is those who laugh at others solely on their physical appearance have the insecurity issues.

[LanternWaste]

46. I imagine we all feel a visceral desire to mock others...

I imagine we all feel a visceral desire to mock others for whatever reasons. Physical appearance seems to be little more than simply one additional type of bullet used in our arsenal of rationalized rudeness and self-validated incivility. Maybe we simply like to see others hurt so we feel less hurt about our own situations. :shrug:

Going above and beyond mere looks, I would hazard that the answer to your question is the same answer one might get should we ask "why do people make fun of others' beliefs/clothing/tattoos/careers/type-of-family/etc.

Or we may also ask ourselves why are jokes made about things that we choose are deemed not simply defensible, but admirable in many cases, while our jokes about those things that cannot be changed are not tolerated; as it seems they both lead down the precise same path and to the precise same destination.

And as thread after thread after thread will aptly illustrate, mocking others is very trendy, very popular, and given quite a bit of thought in many cases (as is its defense).

:shrug:


ed: sp

[snagglepuss]

51. you're right people do have a viseral desire to mock others. It is an emotional release

but people can be divided into two camps, those who mock others and those who mock themselves. I fall into the second camp and there is nothing worse than having someone miss the humor by taking my comment at face value rather than ironically.

[crazyjoe]

47. Because they have no self esteem, and try to bring down others

to make themselves feel better or important. Sad really