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Hello, hello!

I was invited to be part of a body acceptance seminar in SL tomorrow from noon SLT to 1:30pm. I’m rather lazy, so I will just copy/pasta the notecard about the event:

Second Life provides us with a great deal of freedom in constructing our avatar bodies. We can choose to be greenskinned or furry or steampunk mecha-mice. Despite this freedom, there is a lot of conformity in how most residents construct their avatars. One of the dimensions of conformity has to do with avatar body size–most of us construct avatars with little body fat, either muscular or thin. Why is this so? How does it impact our senses of self? What is it like to live in a plush avatar body–how do others react, and how does the grid support or limit fat acceptance? The next seminar at the Avatar Identity Research Center will explore these questions. The session will be held on Saturday, 19 July, at the AIRC from noon to 1:30 SLT. Presenting will be special guest Jubilant Quackenbush, and AIRC director Rivka Rau.

If you are interested in attending, here is the slurl! I hope to see a lot of you there!

I’d like to preface this article a little before you get to it. This was an idea I proposed in November or December to the Fat Studies panel chairs at the National Popular Culture Association/American Studies Association Conference that was held in March of 2008. The project itself began in January and I stopped collecting data in February. Everything you see here was presented to around 20-25 people in the panel to which I spoke in March. Being a procrastinator, I put off writing this article until now and got around to posting it in the beginning of June 2008. I hope this clears up any confusion on my intentions and about the purpose of this project.

- Marissa

It’s pretty easy to be skinny in Second LifeTM. In fact, because it’s so easy, why would anyone choose not to be? In pretty much all westernized cultures around the globe, being svelte and attractive (you can’t forget attractive) are some of the most desirable traits to have. No, your sense of humor does not matter here. Even if someone had a choice between a skinny ugly person and a pretty fat person, I guarantee the skinny ugly person would be chosen. What’s up with that?

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This is the group shot of all those who chose to participate in my fat project:  

Hello! I’m writing here in the hopes that someone out in the fashion scene might be willing to help me with a project.

I am set to present a paper at a conference about being fat in a virtual world. I’m looking for both guys and gals to help me by wearing a fatvatar around for about 12 days while keeping documentation of the experience that includes answers to some pre-written questions that I have come up with. I also want to go out as a group a few times and document what happens and how people react.

I can ensure complete privacy in my paper and presentation, but I would prefer if you would be willing to participate as yourself and not as an alt.

If you are interested, please IM me in world (Marissa Racecourse) and I will give you some more information.

By the way, the 12 days does not have to be consecutive. I will be giving three weeks to work on this. The project begins on Monday, however, so the sooner the better!

I just want to wish everyone a fabulous new year. I hope it is your best yet! 

As for 2007, I reached two important milestones in my life: I graduated college and I met the love of my life.

Enjoy yourselves :)