Letter: Megan McShannon on ‘Muffin Tops’

Dear Editor:

It started off being another sunny day on the CSC campus. I was walking to Old Admin building, ready for class. For once, I was actually early and decided to grab a school newspaper. I have always enjoyed reading The Eagle and the wonderful articles it consists of.

At least that had been the case, until I got to a specific article. I felt alone, even though there were other students reading the same paper, laughing and smiling to each other. Were they laughing at me?

All of the sudden, I’m self-conscious and hurt. A seemingly harmless article about muffin tops turned out to be one of the most hurtful and disrespectful things I have ever read.

Here is this boy, Marquez, trying to be helpful. Who died and made him Dr. Phil? If his goal really was to give people tips about how to “unmuffin” themselves, I think he failed miserably.

His targeting of girls with a little extra cushion, girls with more to love, is no better than a judgmental conservative targeting him because he is gay.

Sorry to disappoint all you people who read that article and found it to be true, but not everyone is made to be a size 4 or smaller. Look at your mothers, look at your sisters, look at your aunts and your friends; it is likely that several of them have muffin tops.

If you think telling girls that they need to reduce the size of their muffin top is your responsibility, then it’s my responsibility to tell you that you were flat-out rude and everything you said was uncalled for.

It would not surprise me one bit if, after reading your article, the girl with the pink Aeropostale hoodie feels humiliated. Marquez, you want to be helpful, but you targeted a defenseless girl personally, publicly.

How is that being a role model? You say you were there and you know what it is like, but you used your experience in a negative way. You weren’t encouraging, you were demeaning.

So, in the end, Marquez, you can say all these mean, hurtful things and say you’re doing it just because you care, but not one of those girls feels that way.

Also, I want you to remember one important thing: “I am somebody special. If you don’t like me, tough, because I am cool enough, smooth enough, and doggone it I am hot enough to be who I want to be.” Sound familiar?

——Megan McShannon,
senior of La Vista