Carnie Wilson and stereotypes about obese people

 As many of you know, Carnie Wilson had gastric bypass about 10 years ago, had several plastic surgeries, wrote a book about her experience (and about the mental aspects of WLS), but then gained a significant portion of her weight back after having children.  News reports have talked about her "failed" gastric bypass.

Tonight, she is on an episode of "Celebrity Wife Swap" where she is swapping places with actress Tracey Gold (who struggled with severe anorexia years ago).  Tracey's home is neat and tidy and she and her husband emphasize good manners.  Carnie, on the other hand, has a house that is a mess even though she has half as many kids, an aunt that helps out, a nanny, and a part-time housekeeper. She goes around burping and passing gas and doesn't know how to use a washing machine.  Nothing like perpetuating the stereotype of obese people as lazy, slovenly, and ill-mannered!  The only thing missing is the "unintelligent" part of the stereotype.

Carnie talked in her book and on the talk shows about the press of inner transformation to match the outer transformation of losing the weight and skin.  (I cannot help but wonder what her tummy looks like with the regain,  but that's just my morbid curiosity.) it would seem that regaining the weight also brought about an inner transformation of the negative kind... or perhaps the image she portrayed after the WLS was phony.

This really bothers me.  It makes me sad.

Lora

Dang I can't believe I missed that I wanted to see inside Tracey's life I saw the previews but didn't realize that was Carnie Wilson. I understands why it bothers you. One of the girls on my daughters softball team said once all fat people smell and are dirty. I don't know where that came from but it hurt me deeply.
My Aunts RNY didn't fail she did and I keep that in the back of my head frequently. I don't get mad if I eat stuff that I shouldn't and don't dump. I do my best not to eat unhealthy because my surgery was a tool not the end to my bad habits.

I agree.. I watched in disbelief at her behavior and the state of her home. 
(how could you leave the house with sausage on the stove and half eaten fruit on the counter knowing someone was coming to stay?)

It was very sad.

 my roommate does stuff like that. i had a panic attack when i walked into the kitchen this morning and spent 45 minutes cleaning up after her. just need to keep telling myself 4 more months lol

Lora, much as I love you I think you might be stereotyping a stereotype.

Much as I hate to admit it, I'm kind of a slob. I keep the house tidy cuz of the kids but my natural inclination is NOT to be a neat freak.

So if I happened to be overweight and famous and happened to be a slob by nature, that's perpetuating a stereotype? Or is that just me being myself?

Celebrities are people too. Faults and all. Let them have their imperfections!

 I, too, am untidy by nature.

It was not just Carnie's housekeeping, it was the whole package: the fact that her house was such a mess despite all the "help" she has, her repeated burping and passing gas (and discussing it and laughing about it), AND the contrast between her and the nice, orderly house (and good manners) of Tracey... who is thin.

Lora

 i didn'****ch it but i bet a good amount of it was editing too and taking things out of context. not like they've never done that before... 

I had wondered about her when I saw her at the end of the movie Bridesmaids. I couldn't remember if she had WLS or if I was confusing her with someone else.

Yeah, I also hadn't seen her recently till Bridesmaids. I knew it was her, but I hadn't realized exactly how much weight she'd gained. ::sigh::

I feel sorry for her. I wonder if her messiness is in part a way to cope with the public humiliation of rebuilding fame through weight loss only to gain a lot of it back. But that's me pathologizing her, which is probably also unfair. She might just be a slob (I'll admit, I'm one too) and disgusting (the burping, farting -- that is gross but might not be a fat depression thing.)

I didn't like her behaviour either but I didnt mind her house being messy. I did mind the food being left out though because that can lead to mice and bugs. But organized clutter is ok. Filth is not. I didnt associate her behaviour with being fat though. I dont know if thats because I am fat too but I didnt think about that at all. I am sure other people watching probably did think that but Tracy's husband is also overweight and he was neat and clean and well mannered. So hopefully people will see that whether thin or overweight people will  be people and not everyone has manners or is neat.