This season begins as a slow autumnal descent into aspirational family propaganda in late October into the icy height of fat shaming on January 1. I prioritize fatphobia because that's my area of expertise, but push the reader to see my analysis on class, family, and capitalism as completely connected to discrimination based on body size. I wanted to examine the history of Christmas in the United States and its connections to several types of marginalization, including fatphobia. The unfortunate truth is that punishing and alienating non-conforming and marginalized people is as significant of an American value as gathering around the Christmas tree. The holidays affirm our culture and its values. It occurred to me that it was no coincidence that one of the peak moments of culture-wide fatphobia coincides with the holidays.

I just don't understand why all those amazing things have to come with a side of fat shaming and nuclear family propaganda, ya know? Like, you don't get to hand me a steamy cup of buttered rum and then tell me I also have to uncritically celebrate capitalist heteropartriarchy, America. Before continuing this admittedly kinda-bummer essay where I essentially read Christmas, I have to say as a disclaimer that I really like warm sweaters and the seasonal Jack Daniels apple cider whiskey and watching Scrooged on repeat and fireplaces and my snowflake screensaver.

Christmas in America by Penne L. Restad