Fat

The other day I was surfing facebook as I tend to do and there was status about disliking Adele. Someone had commented on it saying they liked Adele "well, I like her voice, I hate fat people"

What? I do not like Adele's music myself. It's very much not my thing, although I do appreciate that she writes this stuff herself and got where she has done despite not being what record exec's traditionally feel they can sell.  But there's so much in that short statement that just fries my brain. Someone can like her talent, her voice, maybe buy her records but still hate her simply because of her body shape?
Someone can, even in this day and age, in this country, feel hate toward an entire group of strangers based solely on their outward appearance?
Gods forbid you gain a few pounds lass.

It's not that I don't get prejudice. Everyone is prejudiced in some way or another about something. I suppose prejudice against fat people is quite an honest prejudice, I've never heard anyone try to justify the hate by talking about religious differences, or economic reasons, or claim that they're biologically inferior. They just hate em.

And why not? Fat people are by definition lazy, greedy, selfish, feckless and stupid. And often deaf, or assumed to be so. Oh, except fat people you actually know, or are related to. At least while they're listening.

I've been fat and I've been thin and I know the difference in how you're treated by strangers. I will accept though that a degree of the difference can probably be assigned to my own increased confidence. I still believe it's a last bastion of prejudice. That commenter I'm sure wouldn't have dreamed of making such a bold statement about a race of people, or a sexual orientation, or disability. Not necessarily because they didn't hold the views but because they know you can't say stuff like that. But it's ok with fat people because they choose to be fat. They could always do something about it if they don't like the comments they get.

With a shotgun, for preference.