TEDxSydney
Kelli Jean Drinkwater: Enough with the fear of fat
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In a society obsessed with body image and marked by a fear of fat, Kelli Jean Drinkwater engages in radical body politics through art. She confronts the public's perception of bigger bodies by bringing them into spaces that were once off limits -- from fashion runways to the Sydney Festival -- and entices all of us to look again and rethink our biases. "Unapologetic fat bodies can blow people's minds," she says.
Kelli Jean Drinkwater - Artist, activist
Kelli Jean Drinkwater is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist recognized for her creative practice and voice in radical body politics. Full bio
Kelli Jean Drinkwater is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist recognized for her creative practice and voice in radical body politics. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'm here today to talk to you
about a very powerful little word,
about a very powerful little word,
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one that people will do almost anything
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to avoid becoming.
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Billion-dollar industries thrive
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because of the fear of it,
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and those of us who undeniably are it
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are left to navigate a relentless storm
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surrounding it.
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I'm not sure if any of you have noticed,
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but I'm fat.
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Not the lowercase,
muttered-behind-my-back kind,
muttered-behind-my-back kind,
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or the seemingly harmless
chubby or cuddly.
chubby or cuddly.
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I'm not even the more sophisticated
voluptuous or curvaceous kind.
voluptuous or curvaceous kind.
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Let's not sugarcoat it.
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I am the capital F-A-T kind of fat.
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I am the elephant in the room.
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When I walked out on stage,
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some of you may have been thinking,
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"Aww, this is going to be hilarious,
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because everybody knows
that fat people are funny."
that fat people are funny."
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(Laughter)
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Or you may have been thinking,
"Where does she get her confidence from?"
"Where does she get her confidence from?"
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Because a confident fat woman
is almost unthinkable.
is almost unthinkable.
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The fashion-conscious
members of the audience
members of the audience
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may have been thinking how fabulous I look
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in this Beth Ditto dress --
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(Cheers)
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thank you very much.
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Whereas some of you might have thought,
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"Hmm, black would have been
so much more slimming."
so much more slimming."
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(Laughter)
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You may have wondered, consciously or not,
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if I have diabetes, or a partner,
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or if I eat carbs after 7pm.
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(Laughter)
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You may have worried
that you ate carbs after 7pm last night,
that you ate carbs after 7pm last night,
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and that you really should renew
your gym membership.
your gym membership.
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These judgments are insidious.
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They can be directed
at individuals and groups,
at individuals and groups,
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and they can also
be directed at ourselves.
be directed at ourselves.
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And this way of thinking
is known as fatphobia.
is known as fatphobia.
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Like any form of systematic oppression,
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fatphobia is deeply rooted
in complex structures
in complex structures
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like capitalism, patriarchy and racism,
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and that can make it
really difficult to see,
really difficult to see,
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let alone challenge.
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We live in a culture
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where being fat
is seen as being a bad person --
is seen as being a bad person --
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lazy, greedy, unhealthy, irresponsible
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and morally suspect.
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And we tend to see thinness
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as being universally good --
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responsible, successful,
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and in control of our appetites,
bodies and lives.
bodies and lives.
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We see these ideas again and again
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in the media, in public health policy,
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doctors' offices,
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in everyday conversations
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and in our own attitudes.
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We may even blame fat people themselves
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for the discrimination they face
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because, after all, if we don't like it,
we should just lose weight.
we should just lose weight.
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Easy.
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This antifat bias has become
so integral, so ingrained
so integral, so ingrained
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to how we value ourselves and each other
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that we rarely question why
we have such contempt for people of size
we have such contempt for people of size
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and where that disdain comes from.
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But we must question it,
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because the enormous value
we place on how we look
we place on how we look
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affects every one of us.
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And do we really want to live in a society
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where people are denied
their basic humanity
their basic humanity
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if they don't subscribe
to some arbitrary form of acceptable?
to some arbitrary form of acceptable?
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So when I was six years old,
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my sister used to teach ballet
to a bunch of little girls in our garage.
to a bunch of little girls in our garage.
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I was about a foot taller and a foot wider
than most of the group.
than most of the group.
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When it came to doing
our first performance,
our first performance,
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I was so excited
about wearing a pretty pink tutu.
about wearing a pretty pink tutu.
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I was going to sparkle.
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As the other girls slipped easily
into their Lycra and tulle creations,
into their Lycra and tulle creations,
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not one of the tutus
was big enough to fit me.
was big enough to fit me.
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I was determined not to be
excluded from the performance,
excluded from the performance,
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so I turned to my mother
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and loud enough for everyone to hear
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said, "Mom, I don't need a tutu.
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I need a fourfour."
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(Laughter)
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Thanks, Mom.
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(Applause)
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And although I didn't
recognize it at the time,
recognize it at the time,
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claiming space for myself
in that glorious fourfour
in that glorious fourfour
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was the first step towards becoming
a radical fat activist.
a radical fat activist.
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Now, I'm not saying
that this whole body-love thing
that this whole body-love thing
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has been an easy skip along
a glittering path of self-acceptance
a glittering path of self-acceptance
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since that day in class.
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Far from it.
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I soon learned that living outside
what the mainstream considers normal
what the mainstream considers normal
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can be a frustrating and isolating place.
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I've spent the last 20 years unpacking
and deprogramming these messages,
and deprogramming these messages,
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and it's been quite the roller coaster.
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I've been openly laughed at,
abused from passing cars
abused from passing cars
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and been told that I'm delusional.
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I also receive smiles from strangers
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who recognize what it takes
to walk down the street
to walk down the street
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with a spring in your step
and your head held high.
and your head held high.
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(Cheer)
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Thanks.
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And through it all, that fierce
little six-year-old has stayed with me,
little six-year-old has stayed with me,
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and she has helped me
stand before you today
stand before you today
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as an unapologetic fat person,
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a person that simply refuses to subscribe
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to the dominant narrative
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about how I should move
through the world in this body of mine.
through the world in this body of mine.
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(Applause)
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And I'm not alone.
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I am part of an international
community of people
community of people
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who choose to, rather
than passively accepting
than passively accepting
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that our bodies are
and probably always will be big,
and probably always will be big,
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we actively choose to flourish
in these bodies as they are today.
in these bodies as they are today.
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People who honor our strength
and work with, not against,
and work with, not against,
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our perceived limitations,
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people who value health
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as something much more holistic
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than a number on an outdated BMI chart.
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Instead, we value mental health,
self-worth and how we feel in our bodies
self-worth and how we feel in our bodies
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as vital aspects
to our overall well-being.
to our overall well-being.
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People who refuse to believe
that living in these fat bodies
that living in these fat bodies
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is a barrier to anything, really.
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There are doctors, academics and bloggers
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who have written countless volumes
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on the many facets
of this complex subject.
of this complex subject.
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There are fatshionistas
who reclaim their bodies and their beauty
who reclaim their bodies and their beauty
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by wearing fatkinis and crop tops,
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exposing the flesh
that we're all taught to hide.
that we're all taught to hide.
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There are fat athletes
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who run marathons,
teach yoga or do kickboxing,
teach yoga or do kickboxing,
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all done with a middle finger
firmly held up to the status quo.
firmly held up to the status quo.
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And these people have taught me
that radical body politics
that radical body politics
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is the antidote
to our body-shaming culture.
to our body-shaming culture.
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But to be clear, I'm not saying
that people shouldn't change their bodies
that people shouldn't change their bodies
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if that's what they want to do.
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Reclaiming yourself can be one
of the most gorgeous acts of self-love
of the most gorgeous acts of self-love
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and can look like
a million different things,
a million different things,
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from hairstyles to tattoos
to body contouring
to body contouring
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to hormones to surgery
and yes, even weight loss.
and yes, even weight loss.
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It's simple: it's your body,
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and you decide what's best to do with it.
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My way of engaging in activism
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is by doing all the things
that we fatties aren't supposed to do,
that we fatties aren't supposed to do,
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and there's a lot of them,
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inviting other people to join me
and then making art about it.
and then making art about it.
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The common thread
through most of this work
through most of this work
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has been reclaiming spaces that are
often prohibitive to bigger bodies,
often prohibitive to bigger bodies,
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from the catwalk to club shows,
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from public swimming pools
to prominent dance stages.
to prominent dance stages.
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And reclaiming spaces en masse
is not only a powerful artistic statement
is not only a powerful artistic statement
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but a radical community-building approach.
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This was so true of "AQUAPORKO!" --
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(Laughter)
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the fat fem synchronized swim team
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I started with a group
of friends in Sydney.
of friends in Sydney.
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The impact of seeing
a bunch of defiant fat women
a bunch of defiant fat women
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in flowery swimming caps and bathers
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throwing their legs in the air
without a care
without a care
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should not be underestimated.
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(Laughter)
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Throughout my career, I have learned
that fat bodies are inherently political,
that fat bodies are inherently political,
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and unapologetic fat bodies
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can blow people's minds.
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When director Kate Champion,
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of acclaimed dance theater
company Force Majeure,
company Force Majeure,
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asked me to be the artistic associate
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on a work featuring all fat dancers,
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I literally jumped at the opportunity.
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And I mean literally.
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"Nothing to Lose" is a work made
in collaboration with performers of size
in collaboration with performers of size
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who drew from their lived experiences
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to create a work as varied
and authentic as we all are.
and authentic as we all are.
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And it was as far from ballet
as you could imagine.
as you could imagine.
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The very idea of a fat dance work
by such a prestigious company
by such a prestigious company
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was, to put it mildly, controversial,
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because nothing like it had ever been done
on mainstream dance stages before
on mainstream dance stages before
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anywhere in the world.
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People were skeptical.
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"What do you mean, 'fat dancers?'
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Like, size 10, size 12 kind of fat?
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Where did they do their dance training?
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Are they going to have the stamina
for a full-length production?"
for a full-length production?"
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But despite the skepticism,
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"Nothing to Lose" became
a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.
a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.
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We received rave reviews, toured,
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won awards and were written about
in over 27 languages.
in over 27 languages.
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These incredible images of our cast
were seen worldwide.
were seen worldwide.
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I've lost count of how many times
people of all sizes
people of all sizes
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have told me that the show
has changed their lives,
has changed their lives,
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how it helped them
shift their relationship
shift their relationship
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to their own and other people's bodies,
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and how it made them confront
their own bias.
their own bias.
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But of course, work
that pushes people's buttons
that pushes people's buttons
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is not without its detractors.
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I have been told
that I'm glorifying obesity.
that I'm glorifying obesity.
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I have received violent death threats
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and abuse for daring to make work
that centers fat people's bodies and lives
that centers fat people's bodies and lives
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and treats us as worthwhile human beings
with valuable stories to tell.
with valuable stories to tell.
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I've even been called
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"the ISIS of the obesity epidemic" --
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(Laughter)
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a comment so absurd that it is funny.
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But it also speaks to the panic,
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the literal terror,
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that the fear of fat can evoke.
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It is this fear that's feeding
the diet industry,
the diet industry,
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which is keeping so many of us
from making peace with our own bodies,
from making peace with our own bodies,
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for waiting to be the after-photo
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before we truly start to live our lives.
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Because the real elephant
in the room here is fatphobia.
in the room here is fatphobia.
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Fat activism refuses to indulge this fear.
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By advocating for self-determination
and respect for all of us,
and respect for all of us,
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we can shift society's reluctance
to embrace diversity
to embrace diversity
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and start to celebrate the myriad ways
there are to have a body.
there are to have a body.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kelli Jean Drinkwater - Artist, activistKelli Jean Drinkwater is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist recognized for her creative practice and voice in radical body politics.
Why you should listen
Kelli Jean Drinkwater uses the fat body as a site to investigate the complex relationship we all have with our bodies and how that defines the world we live in.
Recurring themes in Drinkwater's work are notions of taking up space, queering fat embodiment and how this reclamation can transform and reimagine the potential of self and community. Her work is motivated by how these ideas intersect with gender, race, class and ability.
Drinkwater's work has featured in major international galleries, festivals and magazines. Now based in Sydney, Australia, her recent performances in include Force Majeure's "Nothing to Lose" for Sydney Festival, "NightCraft" for the Museum of Contemporary Art, "Tableau Vivant" for Underbelly Arts Festival, and "MonstaGras" at The Red Rattler Theatre.
Drinkwater's film Aquaporko! won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Mardi Gras Film Festival 2013. Drinkwater is currently in production on a documentary feature that follows the making of the "Nothing to Lose" live show.
Kelli Jean Drinkwater | Speaker | TED.com