- (Click to enlarge. HAR!!!)
This is a thing I noticed today. This is a cartoon—affixed to windows of Barneys New York locations around the country—of a pair of fat women who physically could not shop at Barneys New York (because Barneys New York would burn itself down before carrying anything above a size 12) looking comically horrified as they hold up tiny, tiny pieces of clothing that they can’t fit their fat asses into—the kind of tiny, tiny clothing sold for a million dollars inside the Barneys New York upon which the fat women are so hilariously painted. It is essentially a cartoon of what a fat person would experience if they entered Barneys New York and attempted to purchase clothing. Okay. So. Whaaaaaaaaat does that mean?
I (Lindy West, Girl Reporter) spoke to an extremely nice and cautious employee of Barneys New York at Pacific Place (who asked not to be identified), who told me, “I don’t know that there’s any real message,” and directed me to the artist’s website (describing her as “a larger Russian woman”—apparently this is large in the Barneys universe), explaining, “Without the context it does just look like random cartoon ladies, but if you actually look at the drawings in context it makes a lot more sense.” I asked what the drawings meant in context. “There’s just a lot of great imagery,” I was told. I asked if the displays might be construed as insensitive. “Your observation—you wouldn’t be the first to have that,” the Barneys employee said, “but yeah. I mean, for people who aren’t in on the joke, I can see how it could be offensive, but…”
“I’m still not totally clear on what the joke is,” I said. “Yeah, I’m not either,” admitted the Barneys employee. “That’s why i don’t want to say anything.”
Personally, I actually feel the opposite of the Barneys employee—I don’t think the artist’s drawings are offensive in and of themselves; in fact they are rather cute. It’s the context that made me do a “GWUUUUHHHH???” It is certainly Barneys New York’s prerogative not to carry plus-size clothing. Not a problem. No big deal (no pun intended, etc etc). But fat women are acutely aware that it’s difficult for them to find fashionable clothing (choices are limited to about three stores—get ten fat women in a room [HIDE THE DORITOS!] and six of them will be wearing the same dress) and physically impossible for them to buy high-end designer pieces. But does Barneys New York have to broadcast, as a big fat punchline (a self-described “joke”) stenciled on their store windows, the disappointment and mild humiliation that awaits any foolish fat woman who dares to enter their store and attempt to purchase some stupid $4,000 shorts?
What an odd comment to make about the artist’s size!
Where’s the cake?
I just saw these window displays this morning and was really confused, but I think you did miss the joke. On another window, there are decals of two women with weird faces on their dresses that seems like a weird sexual innuendo. I think the large women with small clothes image is actually making fun of the store not making fun of the women, and it’s not tone deaf because the whole point of the image is to draw attention to the crass business of shopping for teeny tiny clothes to begin with.
I am Joshua’s total lack of compassion. You should try being a 28 year old male with a 28 inch waist and NOT shop at Barney’s. Seriously. Target sells clown pants and Urban Outfitters sells denim leggings. Where the hell do I buy reasonable looking pants?
Barney’s proved their complete stupidity a few years ago by displaying phrases like “Go Green” and “Green is the New Black” in bright lights in all their windows. This little brain fart (do rich people fart?) doesn’t surprise me at all.
Now back to more important matters, like finding those damn Doritos!
@6 – lol that would be awesome!
my take? As a size 12. . . I get totally peeved when everything is a size ‘0’ . . . and built for women shaped like little boys.
So yeah, I saw myself in the cartoon getting pissed at yet another piece of clothing that’s either “menswear” or “military” or “boyfriend” styled . . . and size ‘0.’ wtf!? urgh.
At first, I thought they were making fun of fatties, and sending a no-fatties-need-apply vibe. Then I went to the artist’s website, which shows her art, featuring plus-size women looking great and doing strong and/or beautiful things (see ‘Arm-Wrestling’ ) I think that if you recognized the artist’s work, it would seem that the artist is poking fun at Barney’s and it’s tiny clothes, and making a statment about society that prefers skinny women and would consider Marilyn Monroe to be a cow. Of course, the artist is obscure, and her website isn’t part of the window display. So, to sum up, my guess is the display’s purpose is to a) stir up controversy featuring the name “Barney’s” and b) promote the artist.
That said, I don’t shop at Barney’s, but they’re a high-end retailer, like, for example, Nordstrom, and they practice “vanity sizing’. That means that if you actually need a size two, and not a four marked two, you can’t buy them outside the teen department, where they are often cheap and trashy. That pisses me off, as it makes me go around in baggy pants, making me look even more like a prepubescent boy than I already do.
There’s clearly a great business opportunity out there selling high fashion [and high-priced] clothes to plus-size women.
If the U.S. Government were to end Corporate Welfare, perhaps our great nation’s entrepreneurs could focus on satisfying this need, rather than hiring lobbyists to kiss Congressional a– to accompany a relative pittance in campaign contributions.
If Barney’s chooses not to cater to plus-size women, well, those plus-size women will spend their money elsewhere, where it is welcome, and some smart businessperson will do very well serving this market.
Who cares if the media ignores such a company? ‘No need to hire publicists to kiss reporters’ a–es either, as word-of-mouth – for free – is the most credible advertising anyway. Media bias against people of size doesn’t affect the cash register.
Fuck the Doritos, I want Lindy!
@ 57 – Yes, that’s the way to respond to our society’s fat-phobia. By calling thin women without much in the way of breasts “little boys.” How enlightened and progressive of you.
Also, please stop abusing ellipses.
you don’t have to be plus sized to be frustrated by cute things that don’t fit. its a universal experience. and those women in the drawing arn’t fat. they’re just feminine. its like an r.crumb thing. cartoons.