Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Food Fights
In yesterday's NY Times, Susan Domins devoted her column to a woman named MeMe Roth and her fight over cupcakes with PS 9 (one of the best and most coveted Upper West Side public school in a district with apartment prices to match). According to the story, Roth sends heated messages to the school every time her children have to endure a confrontation with a cupcake or ice pop. It seems she doesn't really know from moderation or self-control in eating or emailing. I'd read, or skimmed, some of a story about Ms. Roth in Elle a few months back. I couldn't read the whole thing because it gave me a headache. Roth's mother and grandmother are both severely overweight and her crusading for healthy habits, which, I don't know, may have something to do with her family history, takes the shape of browbeating anyone who wants a cookie, and you know how I feel about wanting a cookie. (This is how I feel: if you want a cookie, have a cookie! You'll feel better after one and won't eat a pile of other food to replace the cookie.) Granted, I have no memory of cupcakes at school for birthdays when I was a kid and it's probably a habit that can be eighty-sixed, but by the end of Dominus' column all I could think was, "Please, please, please when my kids go to school, please don't let there be a parent like her there. Please." At least they won't be at PS 9.
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For more insight read this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/24/meme-roth-obesity-nutrition
thank god someone else posted a link about mememe roth's hatefulness so i didn't have to. she isn't about health or moderation or joy -- she is about shaming and berating fat people. i wish the media would stop paying attention. there are other advocates for nutrition and healthy eating and school lunch reform who aren't actually about encouraging discrimination and hate. i wish i thought she were a performance artist, like ann coulter, but i think she's just a really troubled person, and media attention isn't helping her, her children, or our society in any way. but she sure gives good quote.
Mamele, you're exactly right. She's a hateful person with a good sound bite. She reminds me of that woman who used to stand on the street corners and shout, "Sign the Petition, Ladies!" Remember her? She was berating, not helping in her fight against violence against women. Meme Roth is like that but circa 2009 and media savvy and a dollop of shame. I feel badly for her children....and that's a good article from the Guardian. Thanks for the link.
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