# Captain Midnight is a Fat-Ass! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 6, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787 "2010-09-06T12:53:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/41 "2010-09-06T20:26:52Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Pitting him for not understanding that one’s sexuality is innate is one thing. Pitting him for being fat is another. Let me attempt to explain, once again, that the post that started this thread very clearly was drawing an explicit comparison between Captain Midnight’s attitudes towards his own weight and his unwillingness to change it, and Captain Midnight’s attitudes towards other people’s sexuality and his demands that they change it. If you’re not capable of appreciating the point of that comparison, I don’t know what to say. Reading the post as some sort of general condemnation of fat people is, well, off-base at best. > [@](#): > > All the OP is doing is demonstrating his own insensitivity to fat people. He’s not doing anything to further the cause of gay acceptance; hell, he’s probably setting it back. I always find it sort of mind-boggling how often someone explains that the way to achieve acceptance of gay people is somehow based around being unshakably nice, even in the face of bigotry like this fellow’s. I’m guessing you’re straight, right? I don’t really know many names around here yet, but if you knew anything about the history of the gay rights movement, you’d know how unsuccessful that tactic is. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/42 "2010-09-06T20:31:00Z")
I understood the OP quite well. **Captain Midnight** ’s attitude is based on his inability to understand that sexual orientation is innate. That is totally unrelated to the fact that he’s fat, or his attitude to his weight. ---
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/43 "2010-09-06T20:36:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I understood the OP quite well. **Captain Midnight** ’s attitude is based on his inability to understand that sexual orientation is innate. That is totally unrelated to the fact that he’s fat, or his attitude to his weight. No, clearly you didn’t. Because even if sexual orientation weren’t innate (I’m not particularly convinced that it is), there’s still a major disconnect between his refusal to live a healthy lifestyle and his demands that other people change their sexual orientation to suit his preferences. Even if people can do that, there’s quite a large degree of hypocrisy in demanding they do so while failing to do things like eat healthily and get exercise. Of course, I suppose I’m biased in that I’d much rather see two men or two women holding hands in public than a fatty being, well, fat. But, then, of course, I’m capable of recognizing that my own aesthetic preferences and personal comfort are vastly less important than other people’s right to live their own lives as they see fit. Captain Midnight, clearly, is not. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/44 "2010-09-06T20:59:46Z")
I’m not arguing that he’s right. I’m arguing that his personal failings are totally irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/45 "2010-09-06T21:07:13Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m not arguing that he’s right. I’m arguing that his personal failings are totally irrelevant. His personal failings are relevant precisely because he is demanding that other people change themselves to suit his preferences, while he is unwilling to change himself. I don’t understand how you can find something this simple to be so hard to understand. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/46 "2010-09-06T21:15:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m not arguing that he’s right. I’m arguing that his personal failings are totally irrelevant. While you have a point, my impression is that the OP is Pitting **Ca[tain Midnight** not (as one might first presume) for his obesity, but rather \*for his hypocrisy. \* I think that’s the key point. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/47 "2010-09-06T21:24:44Z")
First link doesn’t work… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/48 "2010-09-06T21:30:51Z")
Pit him for his anti-gay rants. The fat post is not pertinent. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/49 "2010-09-06T21:33:07Z")
> [@splankt](#): > > Look, I’m sorry if you feel sensitive about your weight (as your misplaced comment about the thread being an insult to all fat people suggests) but there’s a perfectly valid, clear juxtaposition here. > > I’m getting the idea that weight is a very sensitive topic around here, apparently so much so that the fellow’s anti-gay commentary is much less important to posters here than the fact that someone else pointed out that he’s fat. Amazingly enough sometimes people who are not members of an insulted group can still comment that the insults are out of line. No I am not sensitive about my weight and am neither obese or even overweight. Quite fit actually thank you very much. Nor am I unable to read or to comprehend that which I read. I read what I read. A jerk being Pitted by another jerk not for specific jerkiness but by calling him a “fat-ass” “hose-beast” and wishing he would have a heart attack soon. Using a level of insulting speech that was way more offensive in its kind than the simply stupid and ignorant homophobia that its target demonstrated. If **CM** had been a Jewish homophope and had posted in another thread about how he feels that Jews are being stereotyped or something, then the equivalent would be saying it’s fair game to call him a hook nosed kike because he said something that you felt was insulting to gays because you, and I, and most of this board, know it to be untrue. Yup, great way to influence people. I may not be fat, but over a third of America is at least overweight … yeah, insulting the whole class of people is bound to get more people flocking to the cause. **Polycarp** , thing is that **CM** does appear to be an ignorant homophobic jerk, but he wasn’t being hypocritical. He was not claiming that he couldn’t help being fat, he was, for God knows what reason, explaining what his failings were that result in his being fat. Pit the jerk’s ignorance, Pit his homophobia, fine. If you don’t have the Pitting skills to do that, then don’t start a Pit thread. **Freudian** try [this link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=577169). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/50 "2010-09-06T21:37:55Z")
> [@splankt](#): > > …there’s still a major disconnect between his refusal to live a healthy lifestyle and his demands that other people change their sexual orientation to suit his preferences. Please show me where the **Captain** demands or even desires others to change their sexual orientation? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/51 "2010-09-06T21:39:28Z")
An exercise in futility, I know but I’ll help you out. [QUOTE=Captain midnight] I want gays to quit lying to us stating obviously wrong things that people are born gay. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/52 "2010-09-06T21:41:18Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > An exercise in futility, I know but I’ll help you out. > > [QUOTE=Captain midnight] > I want gays to quit lying to us stating obviously wrong things that people are born gay. [/QUOTE] that doesn’t answer my question. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/53 "2010-09-06T21:46:21Z")
Are you for real? ---
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/54 "2010-09-06T21:47:11Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Amazingly enough sometimes people who are not members of an insulted group can still comment that the insults are out of line. No I am not sensitive about my weight and am neither obese or even overweight. Quite fit actually thank you very much. So you’re incredibly sensitive about the plight of fat people, but much less sensitive about gay people. Okay. > [@](#): > > Nor am I unable to read or to comprehend that which I read. The fact that you still can’t understand that the person who started this thread was making a point not about Captain Midnight’s weight but about the incongruities of his attitude toward gay people and his attitude toward weight means that yes, you are unable to comprehend what you read. You don’t realize it, naturally, because how would you recognize your own failure to understand the point of something? In the future, you should realize that your sense of having read and understood something is largely an illusion. You overestimate your ability to understand written text because the same skills required to understand it are required to evaluate your understanding of it. > [@](#): > > I read what I read. A jerk being Pitted by another jerk not for specific jerkiness This reflects a profound failure to understand what you read. I don’t know what to do here – I doubt you can understand what I write either, so I guess I won’t bother. I’m sorry about your condition; I bet it causes a lot of difficulties in your life. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/55 "2010-09-06T22:22:50Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever seen a thread where so many people displayed a basic inability to read. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Are you for real? If you’re wondering why so many people see things differently than you, could it possibly mean than you need glasses ? All I heard from the **Captain** is that he doesn’t accept the Gay Creed that sexual orientation is innate. And that he isn’t impressed with incessant promiscuity or vulgar displays of sexuality in public. That is only directed at the behavior of a segment of the gay population. I have read no suggestion that he is desirous of gays to \*\*\* change their orientation\*\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/56 "2010-09-06T22:25:34Z")
Amazingly enough I can believe that _both_ of these people are jerks. Obviously there are plenty around. But your claim is that **CM** ’s being fat in public is the same gay public displays of affection and that his saying that he has weaknesses that make him fat (which he apparently considers a very undesirable outcome) is hypocritical somehow when he is critical of gays being comfortable showing affection to each other in public, and that _that_ claim is what he deserves to be Pitted for? Really? His attitude toward his obesity is that it is a problem that reflects his failings that are to a significant degree under his control. Once fat he cannot help but show it when he goes outside. His attitude towards gays is that it is a problem that reflects failings that gays choose as well and they _can_ choose to not display that public. Did I miss him saying that people should accept his fat as beautiful? Did I miss him calling gays the equal of the insulting words like “fat ass” or wishing they get AIDS like our op wished a heart attack upon him? No, that level of vitriol came from **BrightNShiny**. Nah, no horrible hypocrisy from **CM** there. Ignorance sure. And while I have no interest in reading his other rants, I believe those who vouch for his general asshatness. Or perhaps just stupidity. But this Pitting reveals more about **BrightNShiny** ’s prejudices than it succeeds in Pitting that which **CM** may deserve to be Pitted about. And if you don’t have the reading comprehension to understand that, then so be it, ya putz. ---
**Author:** ![splankt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@splankt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splankt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/57 "2010-09-06T22:42:48Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Amazingly enough I can believe that _both_ of these people are jerks. Obviously there are plenty around. But you’re valiantly white-knighting one of these jerks. That, after all, is what we’ve been discussing. > [@](#): > > But your claim is that **CM** ’s being fat in public is the same gay public displays of affection I didn’t claim that. You must be some sort of moron to think that I was drawing an equivalency there. > [@](#): > > and that _that_ claim is what he deserves to be Pitted for? Really? His attitude that other people ought to change (or hide themselves away) to suit his personal preferences, when contrasted with his unwillingness to stop being fat (even thought that would clearly be to his own benefit) is hypocritical and very much deserves criticism. > [@](#): > > Once fat he cannot help but show it when he goes outside. Well, he could avoid going outside, at least where other people might witness him. I don’t see where that’s _that_ much more of a burden then asking every gay person in the world to try to hide the fact that they’re gay when they go outside. Both are unreasonable demands for anyone else to make, of course. But, then, Capt. Midnight somehow feels he has the right to demand other people hide their gaiety from his eyes. That’s a substantial burden he’s placing upon gay people. I don’t see why everyone else is obligated to politely decide that _his_ foibles are beyond criticism, rather than subjecting them to the same scrutiny that he applies to gay people. > [@](#): > > His attitude towards gays is that it is a problem that reflects failings that gays choose as well and they _can_ choose to not display that public. Actually, he explicitly said he thought gay people can choose not to be gay. So you’re mischaracterizing what he said. > [@](#): > > Nah, no horrible hypocrisy from **CM** there. Sorry about your difficulty reading and understanding text. ☹ Look, that sounds sarcastic, but I mean it. I really do feel for someone who can’t understand normal human communications. I can’t help but imagine this affects you in your day-to-day life as well. It’s got to be difficult for you. I do realize that you really can’t understand the original post here or what this discussion is about. I’m sorry. But flailing like this is not going to somehow make you right, it’s just going to continue to make your failure more obvious. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/58 "2010-09-06T22:51:23Z")
> [@splankt](#): > > Actually, he explicitly said he thought gay people can choose not to be gay. So you’re mischaracterizing what he said. He never explicitly said that. He doesn’t believe gays are born gay, but that doesn’t mean he believes gays have a choice. One does not neccessarily follow the other. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/59 "2010-09-06T22:52:43Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > Oh, please. His post was insulting to gays as a group. And he’s an ignorant asshole who went on to post a bunch of incorrect legal advice in the thread about gay marriage. Maybe my post will knock some sense into his homophobic thick head. Maybe it won’t. But, I’m tired of being nice to homophobic assholes. I don’t need you to try to defend my gay ass by insulting someone for his or her size, thanks, any more than I need people on my side who think it’s a victory for queer rights to call her “Man Coulter.” ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787/60 "2010-09-06T22:55:27Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > The trannies and the polys are no better. > > I honestly wonder what is going to happen if everyone eventually just accepts it all. Will they finally just shut the hell up and let us get some peace and quiet or can I start my own straight white-male pride parade to get on equal footing? Did someone access your account, or are you this much of a jackass in real life? Reality check, bud, there is a straight white male pride parade, it’s called the goddamn world. Enjoy it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-midnight-is-a-fat-ass/552787.md?page=4)