Kelli Jean Drinkwater: Enough with the fear of fat
Kelli Jean Drinkwater: Xa basta de medo á gordura
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.
about a very powerful little word,
pequena e poderosa palabra,
quere ver lonxe de si
que innegablemente o somos
en implacable treboada
muttered-behind-my-back kind,
do que xera murmurios,
chubby or cuddly.
voluptuous or curvaceous kind.
voluptuoso ou con curvas.
que a xente gorda é graciosa."
that fat people are funny."
"Where does she get her confidence from?"
"De onde saca esa seguridade?"
is almost unthinkable.
de si mesma é case impensable.
que estean ao día en moda
members of the audience
so much more slimming."
conscientemente ou non,
pasadas as sete da tarde.
that you ate carbs after 7pm last night,
carbohidratos pasadas as 7 da tarde
your gym membership.
abono do ximnasio.
at individuals and groups,
be directed at ourselves.
is known as fatphobia.
coñécese como gordofobia.
de opresión sistemática,
in complex structures
en estruturas complexas
ou o racismo,
really difficult to see,
is seen as being a bad person --
con ser unha mala persoa
con mala saúde, irresponsable
bodies and lives.
nas políticas de saúde pública,
we should just lose weight.
tan só deberiamos perder peso.
so integral, so ingrained
volveuse tan integral e arraigada
a nós e aos demais
we have such contempt for people of size
deste desprezo pola xente con sobrepeso
we place on how we look
que lle damos á aparencia
their basic humanity
a súa humanidade básica
to some arbitrary form of acceptable?
a unha forma arbitraria do aceptable?
to a bunch of little girls in our garage.
a un grupo de nenas no noso garaxe.
than most of the group.
e ancha ca a maioría.
our first performance,
about wearing a pretty pink tutu.
por vestir un fermoso tutú rosa.
into their Lycra and tulle creations,
facilmente nos seus traxes de licra e tul,
was big enough to fit me.
abondo grande para que me servira.
excluded from the performance,
a que non me excluísen da actuación,
para que todos escoitasen
(soa como 'twotwo' [dous-dous])
(en inglés catro-catro)"
recognize it at the time,
in that glorious fourfour
nese glorioso 'fourfour'
a radical fat activist.
nunha activista radical da gordura.
that this whole body-love thing
de amor ao corpo
a glittering path of self-acceptance
dun brillante camiño de autoaceptación
what the mainstream considers normal
do que se adoita considerar normal
and deprogramming these messages,
e desprogramando esas mensaxes,
abused from passing cars
insultáronme desde coches que pasaban
to walk down the street
para andar pola rúa
and your head held high.
little six-year-old has stayed with me,
de seis anos ficou comigo,
stand before you today
se negou a ser unha subordinada
through the world in this body of mine.
polo mundo co meu corpo.
community of people
de persoas
than passively accepting
no canto de aceptar con pasividade
and probably always will be big,
e probablemente serán sempre grandes,
in these bodies as they are today.
nestes corpos tal e como son hoxe.
and work with, not against,
e traballan con, e non contra,
de índice de masa corporal.
self-worth and how we feel in our bodies
mental, e como nos sentimos no noso corpo
to our overall well-being.
do noso benestar xeral.
that living in these fat bodies
que vivir nestes corpos
of this complex subject.
deste complexo tema.
who reclaim their bodies and their beauty
os seus corpos e beleza
e tops curtos,
that we're all taught to hide.
que lles ensinaran a agochar.
teach yoga or do kickboxing,
ou practican kickboxing,
firmly held up to the status quo.
contra o statu quo.
that radical body politics
política radical no que a corpos respecta
to our body-shaming culture.
do odio ao corpo.
that people shouldn't change their bodies
non deba cambiar os seus corpos
of the most gorgeous acts of self-love
máis fermosos actos de amor a un propio
a million different things,
nun millón de cousas distintas,
to body contouring
modelado corporal,
and yes, even weight loss.
incluso perder peso.
that we fatties aren't supposed to do,
que fagamos os gordiños
and then making art about it.
e facer arte sobre iso.
through most of this work
often prohibitive to bigger bodies,
lles están prohibidos aos corpos grandes,
to prominent dance stages.
is not only a powerful artistic statement
unha poderosa declaración artística
na construción dunha comunidade.
de gordas
of friends in Sydney.
a bunch of defiant fat women
un grupo de gordas atrevidas
without a care
sen preocupación ningunha
that fat bodies are inherently political,
corpos gordos son por natureza políticos,
company Force Majeure,
Force Majeure,
todos os bailaríns estaban gordos
in collaboration with performers of size
colaboran bailaríns con sobrepeso,
and authentic as we all are.
como o somos nós.
as you could imagine.
que poidades imaxinar.
by such a prestigious company
de gordos feita por unha compañía
con suavidade, controvertida.
on mainstream dance stages before
en escenarios de baile convencionais
for a full-length production?"
para unha produción completa?"
a sellout hit of Sydney Festival.
de público no Festival de Sydney.
in over 27 languages.
en máis de 27 idiomas.
were seen worldwide.
víronse en todo o mundo.
people of all sizes
que persoas de todas as tallas
has changed their lives,
lles cambiou as vidas,
shift their relationship
a mudar a súa relación
their own bias.
os seus propios prexuízos.
that pushes people's buttons
unha obra de tal calado emocional
that I'm glorifying obesity.
de enxalzar a obesidade.
that centers fat people's bodies and lives
centrada nos corpos e vidas dos gordos
with valuable stories to tell.
con historias valiosas que contar.
que aínda resulta gracioso.
the diet industry,
o que alimenta a industria dietética,
from making peace with our own bodies,
vivir en paz cos nosos corpos,
realmente as nosas vidas.
in the room here is fatphobia.
aquí é a gordofobia.
négase a aceptar este medo.
and respect for all of us,
e o respecto por todos nós,
to embrace diversity
da sociedade para acoller a diversidade
there are to have a body.
que hai de ter un corpo.
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