Friday, August 14, 2009

The New York Times hates you

The New York Times hates people who aren't size 2. Who shop at Penneys. Who don't live in New York. Who can't afford designer clothes.

That's pretty much what this appalling style column says.

And I cannot tell if author Cintra Wilson's apology is sincere or not, but it's not like the article was subtle, so I'm leaning towards "not."

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Her apology was as spare as her article was vituperative. I'm not buying the apology for a second.

First the Wall Street Journal takes on cankles, now this. It just depresses me that these two once-great newspapers have sunk to this.

I wish this Penney's all the best in their new location.

Anonymous said...

Oh that is nasty. If I were a regular reader of the NY Times, I wouldn't be after that! A size 8 or 10 is a 'hard to find' size?! "Obese mannequins"? Whatever. I hope that woman gains 20 lbs so she'll look like an actual person, and not the size 2 skeleton she writes about being.

astruc said...

I loved her column, and I am far from a size 2.

Jackie said...

I almost never give this kind of stuff even 10 seconds of my time--because I'm too busy buying my fatty fat fat clothes by the pound heehee--but this really made me angry. And that "apology". MEH.

KatK said...

Nasty as the article was, I think "retail Island of Dr. Moreau" is one of the funniest things I've read all day, and I agree with her opinion of the Kimora Lee Simmons stuff that Penny's carries, because it always kind of frightens me.

lightbulb oven said...

i've read a lot of cintra wilson's writing, and i'm not a huge fan. that said...

i live in new york and am not a size 2 (i am sack in the middle of the double digits) and the whole "hard-to-find size" thing is not Wilson being snotty-it's a fact. More often than not, finding anything in a size larger than an 8 or 10 is very difficult; when you ask, you're et with blank stares and "that's all we have." (And I'm talking about mainstream stores, like the Gap and H&M)
So while I am do think she tends to be a little condescending in general, i think the article was written with that in mind. We can say "the size is just a number" till we're blue in the face, but if we're honest, we have to admit that seeing a single-digit (or smaller double-digit) in the back of our clothing is pretty enticing.

Again, i find her writing a little self-important, but i don't think she meant anything she said as a judgement; I think she really is coming from an objective place and is just reporting what she sees.

And I think she apology was sincere... what was she going to do, retract the whole thing? Come on.

Fraulein N said...

I think someone's still pissed because she got her ass kicked for wearing ugly clothes in junior high. Jeez! I can't believe she's cracking on "obese mannequins."

Anonymous said...

I love JcPenney and shop there all the time, but it is very hard to find smaller sizes. And I'm not talking about a 2, I mean 6 or 8. Sometimes I'll look through an entire rack of 12's and larger.

NYCGirl said...

I read the article the other day and greatly disliked its snobby tone, but I don't think it's fair to say that her feelings reflect those of everyone at the Times.

K said...

The article was in bad taste, but the names that they are calling the author are disturbing at best and misogynistic at worse. Wow. Depressing all around.

Carol Elaine said...

The article is offensive, to be sure, but I'm more offended by the clothes that places like J.C. Penneys and Sears carry that are targeted towards big people. I'm a big girl on a budget and I like to dress fashionably. I've not seen any large women clothes at either Sears or Penneys that come close looking good. Many of us don't like to wear boxy blazers with patch pockets or those g-dawful shirts with patterned vests sewn on the front.

Oddly enough, I get most of my clothes at Ross. Sure, it takes some searching, but I get inexpensive, super cute clothes that actually look good on my size 22 frame.

Cintra? She's just a bitter, obnoxious person who thinks the sun rises and sets on her non-witty bon mots. People like that are a dime a dozen. It is unfortunate, though, that the NY Times chose to publish the column. It's far more suited to a blog than a newspaper of note.

Judi Sunshine said...

She's a writer for the TIMES??? The TIMES??? That would be embarrassing in the POST!

"AND herein lies the genius of J. C. Penney: It has made a point of providing clothing for people of all sizes"

That is one of the dumbest lines I've ever read. How is that genius?

And when did size 2 become the new 6?

The Times should be thoroughly embarrassed.

Christina said...

NY Has certainly changed since I moved away! We used to be nice and I've spent the last 8 years defending it's reputation to Texans. Apparently I've been wasting my breath.
Incidentaly, I purchased my size 14 wedding dress for $20 on the clearance rack at Pennys. I looked fabulous and unlike most brides, I could still breath and sit comfortably.

NYCGirl said...

Don't tar all of us with the bitchy brush, Christina! :)