Why 'Pretty Porky and Pissed Off' is the Most Predictable Group You've Never Heard Of
Imagine a world where everyone is offended all the time—wait, that's today! Stepping into this melodrama-filled reality is "Pretty Porky and Pissed Off" (PPPO), a collective of plus-size individuals who made waves in the 1990s. Founded in Toronto, Canada, PPPO aimed to combat sizeism, which they felt was an overlooked form of discrimination. Now, before one feels inclined to side-eye the geriatric debates of yesteryears, consider this: they were angry about runway models being thin. Absurdly riveting, right?
In Your Face Name: Let's start with the name, "Pretty Porky and Pissed Off." It’s like ordering a steak and complaining it's rare. Their name screams for attention while also candidly summarizing their grievances—being plus-sized and tired of not fitting the commercialized standards of beauty. It’s like naming a football team "Big Lads with Balls." Blunt but lacking the elegance of subtlety.
The Glorious Era of the 90s: The 1990s was an epoch filled with grunge, scrunchies, and emerging internet culture. More notably, it was a time when movements like PPPO could still claim to be rebellious and anti-establishment because the establishment wasn't flooding every social media feed with virtue signaling memes.
Artistic Demonstrations: PPPO members engaged in performance art and public disruptions. These acts were intended to challenge societal norms around body image. Imagine disrupting a Starbucks today with a flash dance about body positivity and no one pulling out their phone to hashtag the moment. Please, the world seemed less like an attention-seeking mosh pit of feelings back then.
Rage Against the Machine—Literally: PPPO took a bite out of the metaphorical apple by staging supermarket "shop-ins" to protest the lack of size-inclusive clothing. You know, because nothing says activism like raiding a Mega Mart in oversized cardigan vests, bellowing for more options in the plus-size section. Their notion was simple: transform the consumer landscape. Yet, here we are, decades later, still looking at runway models with waistlines more elusive than a Netflix password share.
From Public Speaking to Guerilla Tactics: Ah, the magic of 90s activism! PPPO didn't just limit themselves to marches and banners. Their members became known for delivering pointed speeches with the rhetorical finesse typical of, say, a zesty PTA meeting. Add in the delightful guerrilla tactics like disrupting fashion shows and one starts to wonder if they were pioneers or just playing at activism.
An All-Girls Club: PPPO was a single-gender group, exclusive to females. Quick—they're women; let's start a no-boys-allowed clubhouse! But perhaps they missed the irony that by declaring themselves a public collective open to ideas, they simultaneously closed the proverbial door.
Showcasing the "Real Body": They created a space where plus-sized bodies could be publicly displayed. While the motive was body-positive freedom, it occasionally channeled the performative gimmicks of a sideshow rather than a sincere conversation starter.
A Movement Stuck in Time: Despite the potential for societal bucking, PPPO remained a niche movement without broad reach or lasting change. Debates around body image can only go so far without the insight of diversity beyond just size—ironically, they were pigeonholed by their singular focus.
Lost to the Pages of History: However evocative their name or noble their cause, PPPO has largely been forgotten. Their plight is now a topic of academic chatter in some circles, but hardly registers in the mainstream consciousness.
Their Legacy Amidst Blurred Lines: In an era where the definition of beauty is allegedly 'expansive', and every sector is brimming with politically-correct interpretations of almost everything, PPPO’s movement remains lodged in the era of tapes and Walkmans. Their grievances, while perhaps less vogue today, didn’t go unanswered, contributing to the ever-gurgling voice clamoring for inclusivity.
Pretty Porky and Pissed Off forged their way into a niche historical moment that reflects more on persistence in a sea of predictability rather than a transformation that history books will remember. Enjoy this icebreaker at your next politically-charged, irony-filled dinner table discussion.