Friday Freakout: SELFish Bully

So yesterday I read about how SELF magazine contacted a runner who was wearing a tutu during a race. She didn't know how the photo was going to be used, but just like everyone else, she was flippin' excited and said "sure!" Little did she know, they would bash her for wearing a tutu. It turns out she was wearing a Superwoman outfit complete with her tutu for being a cancer survivor. It motivated her to get through training and to complete this race. She ran a dang marathon WHILE undergoing chemotherapy. Do I really need to pull out the four-letter c-word here for what SELF has done to this poor woman? Yes, I do.

As a runner myself, this is not only offensive because of her personal story conquering her battle with cancer, but because I feel that SELF magazine is being a giant bully. And I don't like bullies. Shove that subscription up your ass, SELF. You can find the full story and details here. It makes me so mad and so sad for this amazing woman to have felt so humiliated.

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But really, I've participated in quite a few races myself, and I think it's all too common for people to just have fun by wearing a costume or whatever else with the daunting task of finishing a race no matter what the distance is. If a tutu gives a runner the momentum to keep going and finish that race, you go girl! Work that damn tutu! Want to wear a cape throughout the whole race? More power to ya! This whole debacle really rubbed me the wrong way. A fitness magazine such as SELF should be all about empowering people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle, not bashing them. I have no time for bullies. And seriously, do your homework, SELF! Usually runners have a reason why they dress up for races! Fricken idiots! She was rocking that tutu for charity. I hope you feel real dumb, SELF.

 

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The editor-in-chief took time out of her day to apologize...if you want to call it that. Really she just hair flips the whole thing and says "oh we didn't know she was a cancer survivor" yeah well really that's an excuse? You can read the the "apology" here. You know what's on the "BS Meter" now?? Your magazine, SELF! I hope you feel like reaallll big jack-holes, SELF. Have fun dealing with the decline in revenue for this really awful snafoo. And ya know what? I'm going to wear a damn tutu in my next race in honor of Monika Allen. If wearing a tutu apparently makes me "lame" according to them, then I want to be lame 100% of the time. Forget about the tutu, what about rolling around in colored dye on the gravel and running through it? Yeah that's me and proud of it. You have one less subscriber, SELF. TGIF!

I embrace my lameness. Come at me, bro!

Cheers to all of you other LAME race participants who wear costumes and other things that make us so high up on SELF's lame meter. I know I'm heated about this topic. Do you participate in runs? How do you feel about this? I feel like going all Tony Montana on their asses, but I'll just stick with this passive aggressive blog post instead.