MEET ROBBIE TRIPP.
Robbie Tripp is a self-described “wordsmith, public speaker, and creative activist,” whose work has been featured in The Huffington Post and Entrepreneur.
Tripp is currently making headlines after he penned an Instagram tribute to his wife, Sarah Tripp, which subsequently went viral.
“I love this woman and her curvy body,” the post begins. “As a teenager, I was often teased by my friends for my attraction to girls on the thicker side, ones who were shorter and curvier, girls that the average (basic) bro might refer to as ‘chubby’ or even ‘fat.’”
Then, as I became a man and started to educate myself on issues such as feminism and how the media marginalizes women by portraying a very narrow and very specific standard of beauty (thin, tall, lean) I realized how many men have bought into that lie.
For me, there is nothing sexier than this woman right here: thick thighs, big booty, cute little side roll, etc.
Mate, I’m going to stop you there. This kind of reads like you’re looking for praise for fancying your wife. Surely that isn’t your intention, right? You know that admitting to being attracted to and deigning to have sex with a woman who isn’t a model doesn’t warrant praise, don’t you?
Oh no. It gets worse.
A real woman is not a porn star or a bikini mannequin or a movie character. She’s real. She has beautiful stretch marks on her hips and cute little dimples on her booty. Girls, don’t ever fool yourself by thinking you have to fit a certain mold to be loved and appreciated. There is a guy out there who is going to celebrate you for exactly who you are, someone who will love you like I love my Sarah.
A few things.
I understand that this man may have had good intentions going into this. Indeed, he makes a very valid point when he points out the media’s propensity for only featuring certain types of bodies that conform to conventional beauty standards.
But the whole thing reads as though he wants a pat on the back for not being repulsed for cellulite.
“I’m no hero, but my wife is a size 14 and I don’t even think of her as some sort of hideous beast!”
“I’m no hero, but I’m not even ashamed to be seen in person with my curvy wife. Sometimes I let her hold my hand!”
“I’m no hero, but I actually regularly make eye contact with women who don’t look like models. I assume my medal will be mailed to me?”
What’s more distressing than this is the hysterical media reaction to the post. The Huffington Post described it as “required reading” while E! News stated that the couple were “redefining relationship goals”.
Or: Man Objectifies His Wife And Congratulates Himself For It.
Needless to say, the whole saga has left people with a bad taste in their mouth.
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It’s worth noting that Tripp has form in this regard. Last month, he contributed a post to his wife’s fashion blog in which he detailed his “predilection for girls on the softer side”.
It is… insufferable.
There’s no need for me to talk about the most obviously lovable parts of girls with curves (big boobs and large booty), so let’s talk about all the things you’ve probably never heard a guy say out loud. I love Sarah’s soft stomach and adorable little rolls. So many girls are worried about the fact that their stomach isn’t flat, but all I see in soft stomachs are gorgeous 17th-century nude paintings. Curves are art as far as I’m concerned.
*eye roll*
Men: liking women with stomach rolls or cellulite or stretchmarks or body hair doesn’t make you some sort of feminist hero. You don’t get a trophy for fancying women who don’t look like Emily Ratajkowski.
In fact, it’s condescending nonsense to suggest that women who don’t conform to beauty norms are an acquired taste that can only be appreciated by truly woke bros. Your curvy wife isn’t a craft beer – you don’t get to brag about how much you like her and act as though it makes you weird or unique or special.
Look around you. There are women of all shapes and sizes – curvy, fat, plus-sized – walking around the place with boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives. And, surprise, their partners and spouses aren’t heroes for being with them.
So next time you feel the urge to write a piece about your “predilection for girls on the softer side,” save everyone the trouble and throw your phone in a fishbowl.
