This is a hilarious piece. It's equal opportunity skewering. It's not just teasing the plumpsters, it also takes swipes at skinny, status-obsessed New Yorkers and finally builds to a paean to Penny's for trying to make affordable clothes that are (not too frighteningly) on-trend. You were caught in a New York Times pearl-clutching hurricane, which builds up in power and destructiveness as it speeds through the city room. (I know firsthand. I've been caught in them myself. Luckily, I had a staff job and a union.) Their loss. You are a wonderful writer.
As I said when I reposted this piece on Xwitter, I was flabbergasted (at the time) by the avalanche of bad will and crabby publicity you incurred for what was a quintessentially superb and on-song “Cintra Wilson Article,” like so many others. I couldn’t believe my eyes: there you were on a morning news show, with your name passing through the paper-cut that was Katie Couric’s mouth—only Katie was brandishing her “concerned hardcore journalist look,” furrowed brow and all, for the occasion.
Clearly there were a number of media mechanisms at work in the orchestrated vilification of your piece, but the ad hominem shit must have been wrenching. The irony of it all was that such widespread press made you more Q-rating famous than ever you’d been, but my thought was, “I don’t think this is what she wants to be renowned for”—just one article in a wide body of work that ought to have been taken into account.
Then again, that JC Penny critique was classic Cintra. You were doing your JOB. You were writing in the style for which you had long already become known and loved. The style your readers expected from you. Wanted from you. THEY published it. The Times honcho, Keller, should have castigated himself for being thoroughly unaware, apparently, of the capabilities of one of his own popular columnists! The groveling blubber about his “Mom” being a devout JC Penney shopper really took the cake. One could just imagine his Mom and her milieu gathering at Penney’s and forming impromptu prayer circles around the mannequins or sharing tidbits of Scripture and recipes with the staff. Soooo … FOLKSY and HOMEY.
Just like the NYT.
They hung you out to dry, girl. But you were doing your thing as you were paid to do it, in your unique voice. Take heart in that, at least, Warrior Mama. And let me tell you: one day this entire hivemind trend of masochistic wailing and reupholstering of fainting couches at every micro-detectable perception of offense is going to die in a brilliant bonfire sparked by the very lint extracted from those rash-infected navel gazers who spawned the cancer.
You used the word “waddle.” At a writers conference critique session I described a young woman as “waddling” and was horribly pitilessly excoriated for using that one word. I have a ballet background and there’s a duck like waddling that comes from turning out the feet. That was the image in my mind, not anything involving weight. The agent supposedly there to supervise the group - herself obese- smiled with satisfaction at my public beating.
I never understood the back lash. So sad. I absolutely love your JC article. I sent it to so many friends, and they too loved it. So few people have a sense of humor, especially the larger-than-life crowd. Let them stew (yummy) in their anger and stretched out black leggings paired with Crocs and oversized zip up hoodies. I am over it.
Wow. You must forgive me, but I'm an out-of-touch Puerto Rican male who didn't know you existed until you showed up on Substack. Because I'm a repressed snark, I live vicariously through writers like you even if our worldviews are, at times, the polar opposite. I also tend to sympathize with underdogs.
Keep doing what you're doing, Cintra. I'm larfing.
will read this full piece and listen later but wanted to just share impression of first paragraph alone before being tempted to weigh in with the usual suspects, accolades, "opinions" which come far too easily and hmmm warily, wearily, and of course negligible re-stacks (fine with me as with you i'm at an age where what we have accomplished is what it is and my role will never be as "influencer" ha and yet.. so much more to be done) :
you never pretend to be other than what you are and it is purely delightful a survivor
Read the article! Only crime I could possibly find was it was TOO witty! And this enraged people! I LOVED it. My favorite of many favorite lines: ...."announces your inferiority to evil classmates as surely as if you were cursed to be followed around by a tuba section.”
So funny. Based on the backlash you describe, I was expecting the article to be much more snide. It was true, fair, and hilarious. And educational: I never knew obese mannequins even existed.
You stepped in it, a la J K Rowling, by telling the truth.
Possibly more than stepped in, rolled around in it, managing to offend via brutal accuracy and humor committed by a woman as well as by failing to support the 2009 myth of Our Classless Democracy, a myth even then on its way out but necessary to the NYT circulation figures.
If it’s any consolation, I had to stop drinking my morning coffee for fear of spit takes while I read original article; the image of the Liz-wearing senior manager at the DMV may never leave me.
People need to lighten up! Pretty much everyone is offended by something and they're ready to pounce at the slightest thing, like they enjoy it. It's tedious and the world needs more people like you, Cintra. I'm currently "Fear and Clothing" and loving it!
Every treasure comes with a curse. The gift of wit comes with the inevitability that you will one day "go too far," and in a way that the wit's self finds inexplicable. This leads to genuine bewilderment: But, but, but I've gotten away with much worse before. As noted theologian St. Tom Waits says: 'Doncha know there ain't no devil, it's just God when he's drunk.'
And Bill Keller: the man who, at Bush's request, spiked the story about Bush's illegal spying on American citizens until after the 2004 election -- may he be spat on in the street by the decent, then rot in hell.
Cintra, there are many people who cannot appreciate social satire and lack a sense of humour. They are invested in being personally triggered by everything , regardless of whether it is aimed at them. Whether it is intended in malice or cleverly crafted editorial content for the sake of humour. I read your article- it was biting and funny.
I was involved in a project with a designer brand launching a masstige line in this
“ new “ iteration of JC PENNEY. Apparently, every single idea in my brain was far too radical to be considered acceptable and vetoed.
In retrospect I consider this rejection a supreme compliment.
I think you should do the same ...People who can’t laugh or think outside the big box are not our people .
You have always stayed true to yourself! Nothing to regret there. 🖤
"A leading reporter on the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. McNeil announced his departure last month in the wake of an article in The Daily Beast about his comments and behavior during a Times-sponsored trip for high school students to Peru in 2019. Several students and their parents complained that Mr. McNeil, who was serving as an expert guide on the trip, had used a racial slur and made other insensitive remarks."
i actually lost a friendship with a solid liberal buddy over this nonsense a few years ago...when some people dig their heels in with self righteous identifiers of purity or whatever they are ungovernable... no doubt this "incident" caught your attention as well ugh he was only repeating the word for clarity after a student's question
Yeah, sounds like they were pretty happy to rake in all the cultural cachet that came from publishing Cintra Wilson in the 2000s, until they had to spend more than thirty seconds a day sending assholes the bedbug letter.
Cintra,
This is a hilarious piece. It's equal opportunity skewering. It's not just teasing the plumpsters, it also takes swipes at skinny, status-obsessed New Yorkers and finally builds to a paean to Penny's for trying to make affordable clothes that are (not too frighteningly) on-trend. You were caught in a New York Times pearl-clutching hurricane, which builds up in power and destructiveness as it speeds through the city room. (I know firsthand. I've been caught in them myself. Luckily, I had a staff job and a union.) Their loss. You are a wonderful writer.
As I said when I reposted this piece on Xwitter, I was flabbergasted (at the time) by the avalanche of bad will and crabby publicity you incurred for what was a quintessentially superb and on-song “Cintra Wilson Article,” like so many others. I couldn’t believe my eyes: there you were on a morning news show, with your name passing through the paper-cut that was Katie Couric’s mouth—only Katie was brandishing her “concerned hardcore journalist look,” furrowed brow and all, for the occasion.
Clearly there were a number of media mechanisms at work in the orchestrated vilification of your piece, but the ad hominem shit must have been wrenching. The irony of it all was that such widespread press made you more Q-rating famous than ever you’d been, but my thought was, “I don’t think this is what she wants to be renowned for”—just one article in a wide body of work that ought to have been taken into account.
Then again, that JC Penny critique was classic Cintra. You were doing your JOB. You were writing in the style for which you had long already become known and loved. The style your readers expected from you. Wanted from you. THEY published it. The Times honcho, Keller, should have castigated himself for being thoroughly unaware, apparently, of the capabilities of one of his own popular columnists! The groveling blubber about his “Mom” being a devout JC Penney shopper really took the cake. One could just imagine his Mom and her milieu gathering at Penney’s and forming impromptu prayer circles around the mannequins or sharing tidbits of Scripture and recipes with the staff. Soooo … FOLKSY and HOMEY.
Just like the NYT.
They hung you out to dry, girl. But you were doing your thing as you were paid to do it, in your unique voice. Take heart in that, at least, Warrior Mama. And let me tell you: one day this entire hivemind trend of masochistic wailing and reupholstering of fainting couches at every micro-detectable perception of offense is going to die in a brilliant bonfire sparked by the very lint extracted from those rash-infected navel gazers who spawned the cancer.
And FUNNY shall rise again.
You used the word “waddle.” At a writers conference critique session I described a young woman as “waddling” and was horribly pitilessly excoriated for using that one word. I have a ballet background and there’s a duck like waddling that comes from turning out the feet. That was the image in my mind, not anything involving weight. The agent supposedly there to supervise the group - herself obese- smiled with satisfaction at my public beating.
I never understood the back lash. So sad. I absolutely love your JC article. I sent it to so many friends, and they too loved it. So few people have a sense of humor, especially the larger-than-life crowd. Let them stew (yummy) in their anger and stretched out black leggings paired with Crocs and oversized zip up hoodies. I am over it.
I think I see the problem. Your hilariously on-point observations were the polyester pants that they worried made their asses look big.
And who needs Pilates? This experienced weight fluctuator laughed her flat ass off long enough to burn up a couple Grand Slams’ worth of calories.
Wow. You must forgive me, but I'm an out-of-touch Puerto Rican male who didn't know you existed until you showed up on Substack. Because I'm a repressed snark, I live vicariously through writers like you even if our worldviews are, at times, the polar opposite. I also tend to sympathize with underdogs.
Keep doing what you're doing, Cintra. I'm larfing.
will read this full piece and listen later but wanted to just share impression of first paragraph alone before being tempted to weigh in with the usual suspects, accolades, "opinions" which come far too easily and hmmm warily, wearily, and of course negligible re-stacks (fine with me as with you i'm at an age where what we have accomplished is what it is and my role will never be as "influencer" ha and yet.. so much more to be done) :
you never pretend to be other than what you are and it is purely delightful a survivor
Fucking hilarious!!
Read the article! Only crime I could possibly find was it was TOO witty! And this enraged people! I LOVED it. My favorite of many favorite lines: ...."announces your inferiority to evil classmates as surely as if you were cursed to be followed around by a tuba section.”
Beautiful job, as with all your writing.
So funny. Based on the backlash you describe, I was expecting the article to be much more snide. It was true, fair, and hilarious. And educational: I never knew obese mannequins even existed.
You stepped in it, a la J K Rowling, by telling the truth.
Possibly more than stepped in, rolled around in it, managing to offend via brutal accuracy and humor committed by a woman as well as by failing to support the 2009 myth of Our Classless Democracy, a myth even then on its way out but necessary to the NYT circulation figures.
If it’s any consolation, I had to stop drinking my morning coffee for fear of spit takes while I read original article; the image of the Liz-wearing senior manager at the DMV may never leave me.
I’m truly sorry you got hurt.
People need to lighten up! Pretty much everyone is offended by something and they're ready to pounce at the slightest thing, like they enjoy it. It's tedious and the world needs more people like you, Cintra. I'm currently "Fear and Clothing" and loving it!
Every treasure comes with a curse. The gift of wit comes with the inevitability that you will one day "go too far," and in a way that the wit's self finds inexplicable. This leads to genuine bewilderment: But, but, but I've gotten away with much worse before. As noted theologian St. Tom Waits says: 'Doncha know there ain't no devil, it's just God when he's drunk.'
And Bill Keller: the man who, at Bush's request, spiked the story about Bush's illegal spying on American citizens until after the 2004 election -- may he be spat on in the street by the decent, then rot in hell.
Cintra, there are many people who cannot appreciate social satire and lack a sense of humour. They are invested in being personally triggered by everything , regardless of whether it is aimed at them. Whether it is intended in malice or cleverly crafted editorial content for the sake of humour. I read your article- it was biting and funny.
I was involved in a project with a designer brand launching a masstige line in this
“ new “ iteration of JC PENNEY. Apparently, every single idea in my brain was far too radical to be considered acceptable and vetoed.
In retrospect I consider this rejection a supreme compliment.
I think you should do the same ...People who can’t laugh or think outside the big box are not our people .
You have always stayed true to yourself! Nothing to regret there. 🖤
"A leading reporter on the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. McNeil announced his departure last month in the wake of an article in The Daily Beast about his comments and behavior during a Times-sponsored trip for high school students to Peru in 2019. Several students and their parents complained that Mr. McNeil, who was serving as an expert guide on the trip, had used a racial slur and made other insensitive remarks."
i actually lost a friendship with a solid liberal buddy over this nonsense a few years ago...when some people dig their heels in with self righteous identifiers of purity or whatever they are ungovernable... no doubt this "incident" caught your attention as well ugh he was only repeating the word for clarity after a student's question
Yeah, sounds like they were pretty happy to rake in all the cultural cachet that came from publishing Cintra Wilson in the 2000s, until they had to spend more than thirty seconds a day sending assholes the bedbug letter.