June 22
...serving up your daily dish.
Then it must be time to try out for reality television, or else to particate in reality-tv style stunt, like Meredith Roth's Wedding Gown Challenge! You remember Meredith Roth, the Millburn health nut who dared ruffle the class mom establishment in that town by trying to take away the darlings' treats. Now she's after the moms to put the donuts down. She challenges you to go up to the attic, find that old gown and squeeze into it by August 5.
Check out the Q&A on her Wedding Gown Challenge blog, in which "MeMe" metes out some tough advice, including what to do about fat friends. (Drop them. Like a hot potato, dripping in butter. Fast.)
Q: You’ve suggested dumping one's fat friends?
MeMe Roth: Your fat friends are more likely to suggest a Starbucks topped with whipped cream than your fit friends who might think a yoga class or quick jog sounds fun. This is about your health; it’s no different than alcoholics avoiding drinkers.
If you've got no chance of squeezing into that gown by August, there's still other reality to try out. A casting director for ABC has reached out to us in hopes of finding some moms for upcoming reality shows. There's Supermom ("ARE YOU A SUPERMOM, JUGGLING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF RAISING 5 KIDS OR MORE, AND DOING IT WELL?!") and Feminine Mom ("ARE STILETTO HEELS PART OF MOM’S EVERY DAY WARDROBE? DOES SHE REQUIRE PERFECT HAIR AND MAKEUP BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE? ARE ONE OR MORE ROOMS IN YOUR HOME PAINTED PINK? IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOUR FAMILY…WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU!") Note to ABC: Stop shouting! Anyway, if this is for you, call Jamie Roitman at 212.404.1473 or email her.
"Then again, perhaps that is why you frequently jog around town in nothing more than a sports bra -- you lust for the attention. Please consider moving."
Now the Playboy thing makes sense...
Posted by: Liz | Jun 22, 2005 12:23:15 PM
Ms. Roth must really enjoy being hated by her neighbors. In Colonial times, there really was an offense known as "acting as the village scold." It may be time to reinstitute it. Perhaps with a good dunking of Ms. Roth in the bond below the Paper Mill Playhouse.
Roth also claims to be a big fan of, of all weird people, Eddie Van Halen. (Now there's a role model for kids in s many ways.) Well, I think Aretha Franklin could sit on both of them (along with Valerie Bertinelli and little Wolfgang) and still have more talent in one hand that those four have in toto.
Posted by: cathar | Jun 22, 2005 12:28:40 PM
I'm actually 2 sizes smaller than my wedding gown and so are a bunch of women I know. BTW, I did it by eating in moderation-- which includes the occasional donut---not by proving to the world that my boobs still look perky in a sports bra. SO THERE Ms. Roth.
I'm a mom and a wife and a woman with a secure heart and mind who has much better things to do than worry about such crap.
Posted by: Dani | Jun 22, 2005 12:52:27 PM
I must admit, I can't squeeze into my 15 year old gown but what if I had gotten married in a dress my current un-Meme-acceptable size? Would I still be welcome? Why is she assuming that all brides are thin & healthy?
Posted by: grcanary | Jun 22, 2005 12:56:48 PM
Or that all women were/are brides? Sheesh! I'm beginning to despise this woman even more.
For the record, I still wear the same size jeans I wore in college!
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jun 22, 2005 1:06:49 PM
far be it from me to discourage anyone from keeping fit and healthy, but i'll take the caloric-laden, foodie friends over the shallow ones, thanks.
i'm not very surprised she takes the nickname "MeMe."
Posted by: E. | Jun 22, 2005 1:09:48 PM
I have only one thing to say about "MeMe": She is a very vapid, poor excuse for a human being.
Posted by: Disgusted | Jun 22, 2005 1:24:52 PM
since i was 7 months pregnant when i got married it shouldn't be a problem.
should we have the men in the families try this same stunt? i doubt that many of them would fit into their wedding gear.
Posted by: julia | Jun 22, 2005 1:45:20 PM
So, she's passionate about diet and excercise and is obviously making a stab at a career as a fitness guru. The Wedding Gown challenge is a cute gimmick and will probably get her the air time she is after. Who knows, it may even motivate a bunch of women to get some more exercise. More power to her and them.
You guys are just confirming my theory that if I got fit and beautiful everyone would hate me!
Posted by: Cheaplazymom | Jun 22, 2005 2:03:32 PM
Oh Goodness! With all the good works that need doing in this world, it boggles the mind that this obviously well-educated, affluent woman can't find something better to do with her time! Jeepers!
Posted by: MontclairMom | Jun 22, 2005 2:13:12 PM
I think its sad, and I wonder if theres a hint at an eating disorder there.
(Before you light the torches and gather the angry mob) I myself am recovered from an eating disorder, and like drugs or alcohol, the rehab process changes how you view food.
The no snacks for kids parties issue reminded me of a person with an eating disorder because of the level of control it displayed (if I can't have any no one can)
This new fit into your dress thing also reminds me it because it stating that you were perfect, and had a perfect body on that one special day, and if your body isn't the same then you've failed. (Yes, eating disorder people do think like that, with mantras like "Thin is a skill")
While I'm always for people getting into shape, do it healthy, and don't worry about the scale, a specific dress, but about how your body feels and how you feel in your own skin.
Posted by: hrhppg | Jun 22, 2005 2:52:46 PM
While I applaud the Barista for her journalistic resource if that's in fact a photo of Meredith Roth above, dang but it doesn't also bear an uncanny resemblance to the late Carolyn Bessette, speaking of someone who famously had eating, and apparently relationship, problems.
Posted by: cathar | Jun 22, 2005 3:25:22 PM
I dont see the big deal?
There are like 5000 "get fit" or "diet" gimmick's out there and this is just another one. What's wrong with giving women a challenge to get in shape.
We can make fun of it, call it pretentious, call it sexist, blah blah blah - but, I've been in a LOT of all-women environments (!!) and no matter whether they are straight/lesbian/mom/single/etc dieting always seems to be a constant topic of conversation.
A key component seems to be that you shoudlnt just fad diet to lose 10 pounds for your wedding day (or that day on the beach) but rather focus on living a healthy lifestyle and being fit every day - seems like pretty good advice to me.
Posted by: butchcjg | Jun 22, 2005 3:37:38 PM
I think where a lot of people had problems, Butch, is MeMe telling women who are trying to stay svelte to "ditch their fat friends."
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jun 22, 2005 3:51:21 PM
On the one hand, I really like the idea of getting back into my wedding dress-- that dream garment that I fantasized about for the better part of 38 years, and then got to wear for a fleeting 9 hours!!
On the other, I highly resent the notion of dropping my beautiful big friends. How shallow can you get?
But this woman probably does have an eating disorder, since hanging around with plump people is equivalent in her mind to an alcoholic frequenting the local gin mill. If it feels that dangerous to her, she definitely has issues.
Posted by: latebloomer | Jun 22, 2005 4:02:07 PM
Individuals such as ME!ME! are usually just miserable people with very low self-esteem who find that they can only find even a liitle joy in this world by trying to make others as miserable as they are.
They are, of course, doomed to failure.
It's really kind of sad.
Posted by: bob | Jun 22, 2005 5:22:19 PM
That does it. I've decided to ditch my skinny friends. For now on, if you don't have at least a 38-inch waist, you're not getting invited to my house for dinner and rich desserts.
Posted by: walleroo | Jun 22, 2005 5:44:48 PM
The problem seems to be with the goading question. I have friends who are technically fat, but they eat better and exercise more than I do. And I know skinny people who eat junk. If one were seriously trying to loose weight one would not want to hang out with people (fat or thin) who are constantly offering one cakes and cookies. That is an unhappy place to be and those people are not being supportive. This makes good sense to me. But one should never make the assumption that fat people eat badly and skinny people eat well.
Posted by: Cheaplazymom | Jun 22, 2005 5:54:59 PM
I'll hang out with whomever I want! I have the self-control to refuse something I don't want to eat or drink so what's the big deal?
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jun 22, 2005 6:53:10 PM
i was flipping through my issue of New York yesterday...and guess who i see in the letters section (third down)...
it's responding to an article on "Alpha Moms" - as one of the few supportive voices.
all MeMe, all the time. :P
Posted by: E. | Jun 23, 2005 10:03:45 AM
"After the delivery room, women tend to abandon their brains..."
Pot, meet Kettle.
I saw this letter and I THOUGHT the signature looked familiar.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Jun 23, 2005 10:35:15 AM
She's crazy. You should starve yourself now because you starved yourself then ?!?!
Q: Why now?
MeMe Roth: June Brides all over the country are starving themselves silly as we speak. They’ll get to an unhealthy and unrealistic weight just in time for their wedding day.
Posted by: eleVate | Jun 23, 2005 11:47:06 AM
You guys are unbelievably harsh...I am a fierce lesbian feminist (and, terribly out of shape as well!), and her words just aren't bothering me that much!
"After the delivery room, women tend to abandon their brains, body, and libido."
Is that not often true? Very often, women become "moms" and then they give up their aspirations, dreams, fitness, well-being, and sex life. It's unfortunate that this happens to so many women and I definitely think that you can be a mom who doesnt give those things up! But, women are socizlied to think that all that matters is their family, not their own wellbeing - so, they stop taking care of themselves.
<>
Her point is that this is not anything new...women ARE starving themselves to lose that "10 pounds", but they aren't looking at the bigger picture - which is that just starving yourself to lose 10 pounds for one day is ridiculous. Rather, you should focus on just living a healthy life ALL of the time.
Posted by: butchcjg | Jun 23, 2005 12:47:34 PM
