I think people are more upset about the pro-ana comms. And I've been to those comms, and they're pretty disturbing. Mostly anorexic girls helping other anorexic girls be MORE anorexic. How to hide it from your parents and teachers, how to make it look like you're gaining weight when you're not. They post pictures of themselves (usually half-naked) and say things like, "95 pounds, soooo fat :("
I've always been disturbed by pro-ana comms, but I never really thought it had anything to do with fandom or that LJ had some sort of say in what they did, so. *shrug* To me, the only way they're connected is that there are certain cultural pressures and prejudices concerned with both fandom and eating disorders--the way our society portrays women, the pressures to be so thin it's almost impossible to achieve via healthy means; and then the prejudice fandomers feel, ie, that gay sex is still so taboo, that none of the presidential candidates are in favor of gay marriage, that gays are second-class citizens by federal LAW.
It's sort of a stretch to connect them, but prejudice is an overarching issue that does connect us all in some way. Of course, I think that in fandom, we celebrate our differences, whereas pro-ana comms are trying desperately to conform, to the point of really hurting themselves physically and mentally.
no subject
I've always been disturbed by pro-ana comms, but I never really thought it had anything to do with fandom or that LJ had some sort of say in what they did, so. *shrug* To me, the only way they're connected is that there are certain cultural pressures and prejudices concerned with both fandom and eating disorders--the way our society portrays women, the pressures to be so thin it's almost impossible to achieve via healthy means; and then the prejudice fandomers feel, ie, that gay sex is still so taboo, that none of the presidential candidates are in favor of gay marriage, that gays are second-class citizens by federal LAW.
It's sort of a stretch to connect them, but prejudice is an overarching issue that does connect us all in some way. Of course, I think that in fandom, we celebrate our differences, whereas pro-ana comms are trying desperately to conform, to the point of really hurting themselves physically and mentally.