Since my wife won't be home till the end of the week I've got a lot of time to bitch about stuff. So today I thought I'd share an observation -- that BBW events used to be better in the good old days.
I went to my first BBW event in 1994 -- a dance put on by the Seattle NAAFA chapter. The hall was packed with people when I got there fashionably late. The crowd ranged in age from early twenties to fifties -- and everyone was extremely friendly -- I was invited to go to breakfast with a large group of people -- by the next morning I had the beginnings of a new group of friends. When I left the northwest for the east coast after grad school I had similar experiences at NAAFA dances in Baltimore, and BBW events in New Jersey (inc. Philly Bashes) and Massachusetts (circa 1999-2001). When I returned to the west coast in 2001 the BBW events in Martinez (Bay Area) and LA (Pam's Big Difference dances) were pretty cool.
Then somewhere between 2003 and 2005 things changed. Where previously BBW dances catered to a fairly wide age range the new BBW clubs (i.e. Club Bounce and its like) catered to the youngest cohort only. Previously it wasn't uncommon to hear a DJ play rock, Latin, country, and rap in one night -- now the DJs spun club and rap almost exclusively. In my opinion BBW clubs became fat parodies of trashy skinny girl nightclubs.
Bashes require more money -- and since older people with a few years in the workplace tend to have more money -- bashes didn't immediately follow this trend. At the 2004 and 2005 Vegas Bashes there was still good community spirit and a good mix of people. Unfortunately by 2007 the Vegas Bash had turned into a great big version of Club Bounce.
My personal theory is that 15 years ago fat people went to BBW events to get a break from a world that was not always easy to deal with -- they'd have fun, dance, and socialize without having to worry about what people thought and then on Monday went back to the real word. Now with the internet its possible to live in the BBW world 24/7. Ironically this spread of BBW culture has had the unintended consequence of undermining the social importance of BBW events. In 1994 Seattle the bi-monthly NAAFA dances were the only game in town so BBWs, FAs, BHM, and FFAs of all ages took advantage. Now, everyone has there own little online group and only the young party animals go to the BBW events.
I'm not sure I'm right -- it just seems to make sense. Or maybe I've become the old fart I never wanted to be.
I went to my first BBW event in 1994 -- a dance put on by the Seattle NAAFA chapter. The hall was packed with people when I got there fashionably late. The crowd ranged in age from early twenties to fifties -- and everyone was extremely friendly -- I was invited to go to breakfast with a large group of people -- by the next morning I had the beginnings of a new group of friends. When I left the northwest for the east coast after grad school I had similar experiences at NAAFA dances in Baltimore, and BBW events in New Jersey (inc. Philly Bashes) and Massachusetts (circa 1999-2001). When I returned to the west coast in 2001 the BBW events in Martinez (Bay Area) and LA (Pam's Big Difference dances) were pretty cool.
Then somewhere between 2003 and 2005 things changed. Where previously BBW dances catered to a fairly wide age range the new BBW clubs (i.e. Club Bounce and its like) catered to the youngest cohort only. Previously it wasn't uncommon to hear a DJ play rock, Latin, country, and rap in one night -- now the DJs spun club and rap almost exclusively. In my opinion BBW clubs became fat parodies of trashy skinny girl nightclubs.
Bashes require more money -- and since older people with a few years in the workplace tend to have more money -- bashes didn't immediately follow this trend. At the 2004 and 2005 Vegas Bashes there was still good community spirit and a good mix of people. Unfortunately by 2007 the Vegas Bash had turned into a great big version of Club Bounce.
My personal theory is that 15 years ago fat people went to BBW events to get a break from a world that was not always easy to deal with -- they'd have fun, dance, and socialize without having to worry about what people thought and then on Monday went back to the real word. Now with the internet its possible to live in the BBW world 24/7. Ironically this spread of BBW culture has had the unintended consequence of undermining the social importance of BBW events. In 1994 Seattle the bi-monthly NAAFA dances were the only game in town so BBWs, FAs, BHM, and FFAs of all ages took advantage. Now, everyone has there own little online group and only the young party animals go to the BBW events.
I'm not sure I'm right -- it just seems to make sense. Or maybe I've become the old fart I never wanted to be.
