My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding

[Witsec7]

These are also the same members of the christian community that go out of their way to set themselves apart so they can feel better than everyone else. I think if nothing else we can all agree on that, or we wouldn't be on FJ. The fact that this group is regressing is not new.

And ur always going to get those people that don't understand stupid. As a DTR student I almost lost it when I had a patient ask me if twizzlers counted as a fruit. Efforts are being made, though, and people are trying to educate themselves about food. Whenever I mention my major everybody seems to want to tell me about what they eat and why. Its hard to open a magazine without coming across articles about nutrition. I know magazine articles aren't always credible, but there mere heavy prevalence shows what sells magazines. There is definitely interest.

Dietetics is one of the few fields where the demand hasn't gone down, and has perhaps increased. Companies are adding dieticians to their teams, and more people are going for 1 on 1 counseling than before.

What the fuck does this have to do with Roma or Travelers?

[BlondeAgent007]

I'm typing on my phone and I'm not really checking things before I send them. It's hard enough to try to search for links without freezing the browser. The internet is incredibly slow on my phone.

[Witsec7]

Its a stigma against our culture that instead of avoiding, or denying its a problem, that people are trying to change.

The internet is your friend Lindsay. Please use a dictionary and parse your sentence. Rewrite it and try again. You are making zero sense based on what you just typed.

[emmiedahl]

Its a stigma against our culture that instead of avoiding, or denying its a problem, that people are trying to change.

stigma: .A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person: "the stigma of mental disorder".

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

[BlondeAgent007]

By fourth grade 80% of American girls have or are dieting. This startling figure is a good indicator of how well children pay attention to social messages of who is acceptable and who is not. In a study done with six year old children they were shown silhouettes of different people, then asked to talk about them. The children consistently labeled a silhouette of a fat child as "stupid, dirty, lazy, slow, etc.," regardless of the body size of the child identifying the picture.

http://www.radiancemagazine.com/kids_pr ... image.html

I would say this sounds like a stigma. People associate obese people with negative character qualities. Stupid, dirty, lazy, and slow aren't nice things.

[holierthanyou]

I am seriously trying to understand where you are coming from. I know you were asked your apx. age earlier.Did I miss your response?

I think she is a student at SUNY Buffalo campus... early 20s maybe?

Not sure if it is immaturity though, to me her posts make me think there might be some mental health struggles going on.

[emmiedahl]

By fourth grade 80% of American girls have or are dieting. This startling figure is a good indicator of how well children pay attention to social messages of who is acceptable and who is not. In a study done with six year old children they were shown silhouettes of different people, then asked to talk about them. The children consistently labeled a silhouette of a fat child as "stupid, dirty, lazy, slow, etc.," regardless of the body size of the child identifying the picture.

http://www.radiancemagazine.com/kids_pr ... image.html

I would say this sounds like a stigma. People associate obese people with negative character qualities. Stupid, dirty, lazy, and slow aren't nice things.

Okay, I agree there is a stigma against obesity and has been for decades, if not centuries. I don't see how this is a positive change. And the word still does not make sense in the sentence you used.

Remember, you started with the assertion that we are better than the Rroma because we are making positive change. So let's deal with that. Also, Radiance Magazine as a source? Just sayin'.

[holierthanyou]

update: spent a whole extra 10 seconds on google

Seems like Lindsay is 26, so I don't think her posts are a result of her age.

[BlondeAgent007]

I read a more complicated study about it in a medical journal a few years back, like I said I'm on my phone and the internet is really slow right now. I figured radar was better than "I read somewhere at some point..." :)

I didn't use the word better. People were questioning why I thought they should fight stereotypes and be more open about their culture. Why not let people get to know you instead? There are things that they're very secretive about, and secrets are rarely good. Avoiding these topics and not addressing them just strengthens distrust. Living in such secrecy has NEVER benefitted them. They have always been persecuted against. Why not take a different approach? Other groups are making headway in these areas, why can't they follow suit?

[JesusFightClub]

I'm simply snarking on this show just like I would the Duggars. Neither get a free pass from me. Everybody is so eager to post tid-bits they find from the Duggars and other fundie sites, but why not the people on this show? An admitted criminal (DUI & fighting were mentioned) pimping out his 14-year old daughter, slut shaming at a party, and running shady business deserves every bit of snark he gets.

Geniebelle, a. you are State and b. I am a criminal.

[emmiedahl]

I read a more complicated study about it in a medical journal a few years back, like I said I'm on my phone and the internet is really slow right now. I figured radar was better than "I read somewhere at some point..." :)

I didn't use the word better. People were questioning why I thought they should fight stereotypes and be more open about their culture. Why not let people get to know you instead? There are things that they're very secretive about, and secrets are rarely good. Avoiding these topics and not addressing them just strengthens distrust. Living in such secrecy has NEVER benefitted them. They have always been persecuted against. Why not take a different approach? Other groups are making headway in these areas, why can't they follow suit?

A lot of groups are not making such quick progress. Look at the one I belong to. We are a "model minority" and we have issues. I have never heard of meaningful change in a minority group happening from outcry in the majority community. And I understand why they would not share their problems with their oppressors.

[BlondeAgent007]

I just don't think continuing the secrets helps anything. Mainstream polygamist families are highly discriminated against, but more and more information continues to be available about them. People have put their families and careers on the line to set the record straight, that not all polygamists live on compounds, marry teen girls to old men, live off welfare, etc. That a lot of polygamists live mixed in with normal communities and lead normal lives. They expose the negatives - jealousy, money issues, keeping their home life secret. Tolerance and trust are easier to build with understanding. I don't care if you have three wives if its a consensual thing, just like I don't care if you live in a trailer or wear a ridiculous wedding dress so long as people are getting proper educations.

[emmiedahl]

I just don't think continuing the secrets helps anything. Mainstream polygamist families are highly discriminated against, but more and more information continues to be available about them. People have put their families and careers on the line to set the record straight, that not all polygamists live on compounds, marry teen girls to old men, live off welfare, etc. That a lot of polygamists live mixed in with normal communities and lead normal lives. They expose the negatives - jealousy, money issues, keeping their home life secret. Tolerance and trust are easier to build with understanding. I don't care if you have three wives if its a consensual thing, just like I don't care if you live in a trailer or wear a ridiculous wedding dress so long as people are getting proper educations.

It is not a secret. We are talking about it despite having no insider information.

[BlondeAgent007]

25-30% of my school district was Jewish. I was really shocked when my cousins from mississippi didn't know what yom kippur was, and that they didn't get the day off from school for it. Around here they are a tight-knit community, but they were also my close friends and neighbors.

[BlondeAgent007]

I also don't see cultural change as such a terrible thing. Cultures are constantly changing over time, adopting new things and dropping things that don't work anymore.

[Guest Anonymous]

25-30% of my school district was Jewish. I was really shocked when my cousins from mississippi didn't know what yom kippur was, and that they didn't get the day off from school for it. Around here they are a tight-knit community, but they were also my close friends and neighbors.

The only gypsy I knew about was Esmerelda from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and from the Prince of Egypt, when Moses was rescued by the gypsies. How would I know it was a real culture? I have never been to Europe. Before I came to FJ I didn't know anything about fundies, I live in WNY, not really in the bible belt. Buffalo is pretty heavily populated with roman catholics. For the longest time I didn't know that other denominations didn't pray to saints. what I meant was that I thought it was a culture that died out a long time ago.

You said you didn't realize not all Christians prayed to saints, and you thought the Roma were a myth, but it's somehow shocking to you that someone doesn't know what Yom Kippur is? Do you realize that you aren't making the slightest bit of sense? You certainly hold other people to different standards than the ones you hold yourself to. At this point you're just wandering all over the damn place and blurting out random anecdotes and unrelated snippets of who knows what. I also suspect you're a fat shamer from your posts on that subject. I wish you and geniebelle much joy of one another in your new friendship, though. Bigotry and an apparent aversion to logic is such a stellar foundation to build on, and we know you two have that in common.

[emmiedahl]

Moses was not saved by gypsies? What?

[Guest Anonymous]

Moses was not saved by gypsies? What?

God speaks to Lindsay through the medium of Disney...

[Guest Anonymous]

Moses was not saved by gypsies? What?

Gypsies, Egyptians, same thing, amirite!?!

(The above does not represent my actual feelings and I don't refer to people as Gypsies unless they tell me that is their preference.)

[Maul the Koala]

God speaks to Lindsay through the medium of Disney...

Brings new meaning to "A Whole New World".

[BlondeAgent007]

It was recognized as a holiday at my district, just like a whole host of other holidays. I considered it a holiday just like all the others I got to miss school for. I didn't know that was a problem.

I said I had never met a gypsy, they're not particularly prevalent in this country's news. That is until over 300 of them trashed my work.

[BlondeAgent007]

And i don't see why my first exposure being a movie for kids is insane. I haven't been combing the internet for this stuff my whole life.

[Guest Anonymous]

It was recognized as a holiday at my district, just like a whole host of other holidays. I considered it a holiday just like all the others I got to miss school for. I didn't know that was a problem.

OMFG. Way to miss the point. :angry-banghead: It's hypocritical when you expect your ignorance to be indulged and catered to but then you turn around and say you're shocked when other people are ignorant.

Someone help me out here. Is she really denser than lead or is there something else going on?

[Guest Anonymous]

OMFG. Way to miss the point. :angry-banghead: It's hypocritical when you expect your ignorance to be indulged and catered to but then you turn around and say you're shocked when other people are ignorant.

Someone help me out here. Is she really denser than lead or is there something else going on?

She's either an ignorant 26 year old who grew up in a box or a troll, jealous of geniebelle's attention-seeking prowess.

Both have irritated the fuck out of me, so I've stayed out of it until you specifically called out for another opinion...

[formergothardite]

I also don't see cultural change as such a terrible thing. Cultures are constantly changing over time, adopting new things and dropping things that don't work anymore.

No one said that it was. In fact, it has been said, over and over and over that there are some fucked up stuff going on in the Roma culture that needs to need to drop. But this is totally different than Genie saying that the whole cutlture needs to be destroyed.

And remember, we are talking about a culture who is so hated that if they often have to keep who they are a secret so that they can get a job. Maybe that is what makes them so secretive about their culture.

And I am still waiting for Genie to explain why when it comes to a racist from the South who "gets their buttons pushed" and they lash out with the "n" word, she is all "I understand where they are coming from" but she won't do this with the Roma culture.