To be declared morbidly obese by a doctor. Being told about your weight when you consult for a simple sore throat. Traveling, when airplane seats are anything but suitable for your stature. Deal with blunders and prejudices.
All of this (and more) is part of life for fat people. Rather than crying about it, the show F*ck ta grossophobia, which will be presented at ZooFest on July 14 and 16, proposes on the contrary to laugh about it.
“Everything becomes less awkward once you laugh about it. It’s like naming the elephant in the room”, summarizes comedian and columnist Josiane Aubuchon, during a videoconference interview with author and comedian Marie-Hélène Racine-Lacroix – who will host both parties – and photographer Julie Artacho.
On the program: their two numbers, that of the columnist and author Catherine Éthier (who will address the clumsiness of the thin friend), and those of two personalities who are not comedians: the burlesque artist Rosie Bourgeoisie and the photographer Julie Artacho.
According to Julie Artacho, laughing helps to de-dramatize things. “There are plenty of hyper-universal experiences with big bodies,” she says. Fatphobia, discrimination, it’s not fun, but being fat is not serious. I think laughing about it can kind of bring that too. »
Julie Artacho gladly accepted the stand up challenge. Militant messages, she says, go much better when there is humor. She seems comfortable doing it. “I think we all have a sense of self-mockery that we’ve developed to protect ourselves. Her issue, she explains, will be about accessibility. Accessibility in transport (“for me, traveling is super terrifying”, accessibility in sports (“there is no machine suitable for doing sports and there are always limits of weight ! “).
Josiane Aubuchon, for her part, will address the fatphobia she experienced in a medical setting. When a doctor officially declared her morbidly obese, it opened a Pandora’s box in her home. “I was like, come on, morbidly obese, I’m active!” There would be no way to change the words and call it, I know don’t know me, chubby or juggernaut? “, asks Josiane Aubuchon, triggering the laughter of the other girls.
Marie-Hélène Racine-Lacroix will speak for her part of the “nonsense” she heard when she was dating men, but she would also have a lot to say on the medical side. “A doctor has already taken my blood pressure several times because he didn’t think I had good blood pressure,” she says.
These will be the seventh and eighth performances of the show F*ck ta grossophobia. The first took place last summer, at the Minifest. And each time, say the artists, a beautiful bond is formed between the comedians and the public, already aware of the codes. Julie Artacho, who was part of the public last year, confirms this. “It’s fun to hear about our reality from people who actually live it, and not from people who imagine it in some kind of grotesque fantasy. »
“I like to say that even if we wanted to keep the thin ones from coming, they’re so skinny they might sneak in anyway!” laughs Marie-Hélène Racine-Lacroix.
And fatphobia concerns everyone, says Julie Artacho, who points out that pretty much everyone is afraid of gaining weight.
“It’s above all a fun comedy show, a funny show, which can do good to everyone,” concludes Marie-Hélène Racine-Lacroix.
