Thomas Ridgewell

Thomas Ridgewell Instagram – No, I’m not Charlie fuckin’ Chaplin. Being a large unit I really hate the idea of, even subconsciously, being assessed as merely a fat take on whatever I’m dressed as. So, whenever I receive an invite to a costume/themed party, I give myself the limitation of only dressing as historically fat characters or figures. 1920s themed party? That leaves me Al Capone or Oliver Hardy. Circus theme? Bearded lady. Royalty? Henry VII. Santa Claus. The Fat Controller. You get the idea. Why, even for a second, allow someone to relegate me to the status of an imposter? To internally accuse me of pretending to be something I’m far too fat to ever pass off convincingly? Of course, I know full well that everyone can and should wear whatever they want and in reality so few people would think the way I’m describing. However, a lifetime of gaining and losing weight, both in the public eye and in a family with a very self-loathing approach to fatness, has made my relationship with my own body one of obsessive awareness and scrutiny. I don’t want my “struggles” with my weight to be a topic of discussion anymore – I’ve kept that to myself for over a year now – but how I inhabit this body is an entirely different conversation. Anyway, happy new year. Here’s to overcoming insecurity and self-destructive habits in 2020! | Posted on 01/Jan/2020 21:26:27