OPINION
Coming Tuesday, August 21...
Editorial: Darfur refugees seeking asylum in Israel are turned away.
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WWW.KANSAN.COM MONDAY AUGUST 20, 2007
Hudson: Flying should be an enjoyable form of transportation, not a chore
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MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2007
DRAWING BOARD
FRUIT FOR THOUGHT
Suffering from 'manorexia,' thin men feel pressure In a time when people are increasingly weight-conscious, tact goes both wavs
Every time I see actress/comedian/self-styled activist Mo'Nique on one of her programs, she seems to feel the urge to slip in some comment on how "bigger girls" (her jargon, not mine) somehow have "more love to give" because of their size. It is great to be comfortable enough in your own skin to love yourself, regardless of size; it's not great, however, to promote the idea that one's body type determines his or her capacity to love, or to feel any other feeling for that matter.
I'm not talking about every body type out there; I want to
focus on one in particular. It's the body type of those men who have a hard time finding a decent shirt to fit, because nowadays clothing seems equipped with extra fabric in the mid-section for those expected beer bellies or love handles.
It's the body type of those men who can eat a "Baconater" Extra Value Meal at Wendy's and shed off the poundage just by thinking about it. And finally, it's the body type of those men who are tired of being ridiculed just because they are skinnier than the average Tom and Dick. These men suffer from what is known as manorexia.
The term "manorexia" is not entirely used correctly, though. These men can eat what they want with a healthy exercise routine and maintain a manageable weight. An extra pound or two is not going to send them into catatonic shock or anything
of the sort.
I fail to see the reasoning in how skinny people can be less capable of any feeling because of how far their gut protrudes. The only feeling I could see them lacking is that nauseous feeling some people get after walking up "The Hill" because they are more in shape than most of society.
How dare M'o'nique promote that heinous idea. If a person of smaller size comments on a "bigger person's" weight, he or she is immediately deemed as rude, a chauvinist or, what have you. However, if a person of larger size remarks on a "smaller person's" weight, it is perfectly socially acceptable.
The remarks aren't necessarily mean-spirited, but it makes me wonder if their foot fell out of their mouth just before they spoke. Hearing "Oh my God, don't you ever eat?" can be daunting considering it now
seems to be a sin to look in the mirror and be comfortable with yourself even if there is not much to look at.
Yes, manorexics eat. And sleep, and study, and party, and are just as self-conscience as the rest of the diet-obsessed weight watchers out there. They just have a little more ease of mind because it's easier for them to keep the weight off.
You cannot look in a magazine, flip through a newspaper or turn on a television without being bombarded with ads for diet pills, stories about America's weight problems and pictures of super-skinny celebs. Manorexics have successfully avoided all of the former, so please, get off their backs, because you're too heavy.
Hirschfeld is an Augusta junior in journalism
FREE FOR ALL: 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recoded
Two girls in blinks laying out by Potter Lake means it's going to be a great semester.
I'd like to thank the freshman for making eight of us on the bus late for class.
I found a wallet in 1005 Haworth, and returned it to 2045 Haworth, so if anybody is missing one, check there.
For being a school full of educated people, KU sure has a lot of dumb driver
Another year, another lack of buses coming in on time. Oh joy. Oh rapture.
To the guy in the apartment above me:
853, you're a horrible guitar player.
My boyfriend just got a boner in Budig.
My roommate just got wasted off malta liquor for the first time. Isn't that sad?
To the guy on the second floor: I've got my eye on you. You're mine.
Yay! You fixed the crossword. Thanks!
Hey freshmen, stop wearing your high school shirts. No one cares. Damned fresh-
Porsche.
It's the man's obligation to stick his bonerion in the woman's separation to increase the population.
I got kicked out of KU, but I'm still going to be in the Free For All almost every day this year. Just wait.
I just saw a cop try and break into a
Free For All, I'm gay,and I wanted to come out to you first.
Stoned...check. Drunk...check. Facebook
Free for All...check. Ah...
To the idiot driving down K-10 with their brights on, in the left lane learn how to drive
Dare Fine For All, I just wanted to call and
you know that I got home safe.
Facebook Free for All makes my life post
graduation complete again.
John, you still owe me a sandwich.
I miss playing out.
Kansan is way better than KUJH because they have a Facebook application.
I am clenching my buttcheeks while Facebooking because I didn't work out today.
Something clever.
Editor's Note: You can now leave Free for All comments on Facebook, by downloading the University Daily Kansas application.
Vick case requires impartiality
Before rushing to judgment of the NFL player, wait for facts to emerge
chandise on sale because of everything that's happened?" As a cashier at Dick's Sporting Goods, I was asked plenty of ridiculous questions, but when I heard this one I sat in silence with my mouth open and the receiving end of the phone pushed to my ear. After a few more seconds of silence, I asked him to hold on while I transferred him to a manager.
So are you guys gonna like, put your Michael Vick mer-
Having to watch eight hours of ESPN a day at my register enabled me to learn more about Vick than I ever really cared to. However, I was able to draw some fairly sensible conclusions from the mess the media was creating about the Atlanta quarterback. Taking away his endorsements is wrong. As you may already know, Nike halted its endorsement deals with Vick indefinitely, while Reebok has taken all of Vick's replica jerseys out of retail stores and off of its Web site. ESPN and MSNBC say that both Reebok and Nike were facing pressure from animal rights protesters.
The public eye is certainly very important to Nike, but I never expected them to be pushed around so easily by animal rights protesters. If you want to be the judge and jury in your mind and believe this man is guilty, then do not buy his jersey. Taking away his big money endorsements before proof is presented in court, however, is a drastic and unnecessary step.
Tyler Botts, Wichita sophomore, feels similarly about the current treatment of Vick.
"The only reason he's getting treated like this is because he's famous. I think they need to take care of the problem, but they're treating him like he's guilty before even going to trial. They're making too big of a deal out of everything."
JOE GARVEY
The man is still innocent until convicted guilty in a court of law. It does not matter which obscure friend from Vick's high school days points the finger at him. The law says we need evidence.
I am worried that Vick will not receive a fair trial because of the events leading to his court date. I am also worried that most of the press is giving in to activists' pressure too easily.
Hearing about the animal cruelty allegations against Vick upset me. The dogs were subjected to starvation, severe beating, drowning and electrocution. Whoever is responsible should not just be considered dangerous to animals, but to people as well. Someone with a lack of empathy this severe is dangerous to all society. If responsible, Vick should be justly punished. For now, we must assume he is not.
So before you throw him to the dogs, remember that an indictment is not a conviction.
Garvey is a Valley Center sophomore in journalism and political science.
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Erick R. Schmidt, Eric Jorgensen,
Darla Slipke, Kelsey Hayes, Bryan
Dykman, Brandon T. Minister, Angelique
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