# I'm going to out-fast the Hollywood fasters. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 4, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181 "2006-07-04T18:07:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/21 "2006-07-05T00:11:14Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > **PunditLisa,** welcome aboard Fasts of the Furious: no sacrifice is too small… > > May I make a suggestion. When those ribs are put in front of you. Enjoy one, wait 30 seconds, then enjoy another, then another, etc, etc. Say you have six ribs, that five fasts right there. And each one of them will have been withstood by you and you alone. Mind you, it must be a full thrity seconds between ribs, the clock starting after ALL teeth-sucking and and lip-licking has ceased COMPLETELY. Gosh, I wish would have read this thread _before_ sitting down to dinner. I hate to report that I didn’t even pause for a nanosecond between ribs. At one point I’m ashamed to say that I was gnawing on the bone. ::sigh:: However! Since I failed at my very first fast, I shall renew my commitment and vow not to eat for .5 days. That’s right. I’m going to fast until 8am _tomorrow_. I’m so determined to make up for my failings that I won’t even floss my teeth! ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/22 "2006-07-05T00:18:46Z")
Thank god someone is finally taking a stand against cheapening the Iraq conflict with [worthless gestures](http://www.elitedesignweb.com/IMAGES/yel-SUPPORT-lg.jpg) and [retarded publicity stunts.](http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Articles9/Bush-Mission-Accomplished.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/23 "2006-07-05T02:51:20Z")
> [@Manda JO](#): > > However, if someone feels strongly enough about something to give up food for 24 hours but no more, that really doesn’t suggest that they care all that much, and it’s almost counterproductive. Though to fair, some of those Hollywood types may only be about 36 hours from starvation, so the 24-hour thing may be tough. By that criteria, do you consider [OxFam’s](http://www.oxfam.org/) annual 24-hour fasts (IIRC held in the US a week before Thanksgiving) to be counterproductive and suggesting that they don’t care much, or do the suggested monetary donations of what you’d have spent on food that day somehow redeem the cause? ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/24 "2006-07-05T03:49:45Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > By that criteria, do you consider [OxFam’s](http://www.oxfam.org/) annual 24-hour fasts (IIRC held in the US a week before Thanksgiving) to be counterproductive and suggesting that they don’t care much, or do the suggested monetary donations of what you’d have spent on food that day somehow redeem the cause? It depends on the stated reasoning behind the fast, which I can’t find on the site. From what I understand about Oxfam, I would guess that reasoning has as much to do with generating empathy as publicity: “why don’t you join in on this so all of us can come to a better understanding of the suffering of the world”. As a means of spritual/personal development, fasting seems to be something that means a lot to a lot of people and I am not going to argue with that. However, when it is done _only_ as a political protest, yes, I think it needs to be more than 24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/25 "2006-07-05T20:29:05Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > By that criteria, do you consider [OxFam’s](http://www.oxfam.org/) annual 24-hour fasts (IIRC held in the US a week before Thanksgiving) to be counterproductive and suggesting that they don’t care much, or do the suggested monetary donations of what you’d have spent on food that day somehow redeem the cause? For me, it’s that they’re claiming to join Sheehan on the fast. That’s the silly, self important, overly congratulatory part. To join her on the fast, they’d need to do 30 days. One day rolling fasts? That’s not joining. That’s just amusingly pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/26 "2006-07-05T20:35:07Z")
(mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm) [MY FAST DOES NOT LIKE WHEN THE PRESIDENT WILL NOT PAY ATTENTION TO MY PET CAUSE.](http://adsoftheworld.com/files/vw_fast.jpg) (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm) ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/27 "2006-07-05T20:35:17Z")
Fasting 24 hours? That means skipping one lunch and skipping one breakfast. You eat dinner. You skip breakfast and lunch, then eat dinner. Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/28 "2006-07-05T21:02:12Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Fasting 24 hours? That means skipping one lunch and skipping one breakfast. You eat dinner. You skip breakfast and lunch, then eat dinner. > > Yawn. Yes, but you have to eat dinner LATER than the day before! _The assigned day of your fast is here. All day you think about it. At dinner time, you think, “This is it…my last meal.” You start eating dinner at 6pm and finish at 7pm. Your fast begins. By bedtime, you want that piece of cake in your fridge, but you resist. You go to sleep. You wake up, and reach for the fruity pebbles. “STOP! You can’t eat that,” you think, “you’re fasting!” Ok. You collect yourself, and go sit out by the pool. By lunch time, you’re barely able to move from the hunger pains. You almost cancel the fast and eat a cheeseburger, but somehow you convince yourself to go on. By 3pm you would eat a baby if you could find one. “Only 3 more hours,” you say to yourself. Finally 6pm is here and you can eat again! But NO! You forgot that you didn’t stop eating last night until 7pm and to fast for 24 hours you have to eat dinner ONE HOUR LATER! at 6:34pm, you collapse, and by 6:50 you’re dead._ See how difficult a 24 hour fast is? These people are taking their lives into their hands! –FCOD ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Sweet\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/29 "2006-07-05T21:11:08Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Fasting 24 hours? That means skipping one lunch and skipping one breakfast. You eat dinner. You skip breakfast and lunch, then eat dinner. > > Yawn. Hahahaha. I do that a couple times a week depending on my work/school schedule. Doctors and actual _important_ people do it all the time. These people are so spoiled that they call this a sacrifice? Man, oh man. I should contribute to the “cause.” I plan to fast from Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for the next 72 hours. It will be tough, but I hope that your prayers and good wishes will help me to get through this trying, whimsical effort to bring the troops home. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Sweet\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/30 "2006-07-05T21:21:37Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Tell me, is this fast the adult version of _holding my breath till I turn blue_? I never entirely understood the point - if you want to draw attention to a cause, how does not eating prove anything? I think it works when the person fasting is someone that the population actually cares about. Like Gandhi. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/31 "2006-07-05T21:27:05Z")
Yeah, but even Gandhi couldn’t get much traction by threatening to skip breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/32 "2006-07-05T21:46:55Z")
Protest is easy. Producing workable alternatives is hard. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/33 "2006-07-06T01:24:25Z")
Survey Time! Of the people ridiculing a 24-hour fast, how many have ever done it yourself? Remember, snacks count; you couldn’t have gone to the candy machine because you missed lunch. They say the first day or two of a long fast is the hardest, anyway. That said, I think **Sweet Mercury** is dead on target. If I respect the faster to begin with, it means something that he cares so much. If not–Look, over there! It’s Fred Phelps! He cares enough about the Gay Menace to devote his life to fighting it! Gee, maybe I should rethink my position. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/34 "2006-07-06T02:12:52Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > Survey Time! Of the people ridiculing a 24-hour fast, how many have ever done it yourself? Remember, snacks count; you couldn’t have gone to the candy machine because you missed lunch. > > They say the first day or two of a long fast is the hardest, anyway. I did it Fasted for 24 hours three differnt times. I friend of mine fasted every Sunday for about two years. It’s not that big a deal really. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/35 "2006-07-06T02:17:55Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > Survey Time! Of the people ridiculing a 24-hour fast, how many have ever done it yourself? Remember, snacks count; you couldn’t have gone to the candy machine because you missed lunch. > > They say the first day or two of a long fast is the hardest, anyway. > > That said, I think **Sweet Mercury** is dead on target. If I respect the faster to begin with, it means something that he cares so much. If not–Look, over there! It’s Fred Phelps! He cares enough about the Gay Menace to devote his life to fighting it! Gee, maybe I should rethink my position. :rolleyes: So what is your point? In order to think something is silly and self-righteous I have to do it myself? And FYI private fasting is part of many religious traditions. I have a hard time imagining that day 2 is tougher than day 30… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/36 "2006-07-06T02:23:14Z")
> [@newcrasher](#): > > I have a hard time imagining that day 2 is tougher than day 30… :dubious: Actually, I’ve heard that, too. It kinda makes sense to me. Day 2 you’re body is thinking, “alright where’s the grub? Get me some grub.” I guess by Day 30 your stomach shrinks and your body isn’t sending out a lot of strong signals to do anything. My guess is that it’s probably hard to eat. Then again…just what I heard. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/37 "2006-07-06T02:44:09Z")
**magellan** , I gave up my apple pie yesterday, just for you…and I didn’t eat another thing until breakfast. That was almost a 12 hour fast! Yay me! ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/38 "2006-07-06T02:53:42Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > **magellan** , I gave up my apple pie yesterday, just for you…and I didn’t eat another thing until breakfast. That was almost a 12 hour fast! Yay me! Well done, soldier. Your committment is a shining example for all. It brings a tear to my eye. \*Let’s see, maybe if I let it trckle down and hold…my head…just so…I…can…reach…out…with…my…tongue…and…—\*Ah, got it! Salty, yet sweet. Wait, that tastes—oops, must be the watermelon from the end of Fast #7 an hour ago. Never mind. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/39 "2006-07-06T03:02:55Z")
Ms. Sheehan was on Hardball today, and the lady sitting in for Chris asked her (as near as I can remember the wording): _Do you honestly think that President Bush and Donald Rumsfeld are going to bring the troops home because you’re fasting?_ I almost split my side laughing. I guess, as a journalist, she had to ask that question, but she asked it in such a sincere way that it I just couldn’t help myself. Come on Cindy… it’s only a few more weeks before you can set up camp in Crawford and entertain the bored journalists down there again. I’m sure Bush will be taking his late-summer vacation there as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181/40 "2006-07-06T16:11:25Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > Survey Time! Of the people ridiculing a 24-hour fast, how many have ever done it yourself? Remember, snacks count; you couldn’t have gone to the candy machine because you missed lunch. Me; I was busy moving the whole day, and forgot to eat anything. Really; it’s not _that_ bad. I felt nauseous and shaky when I got around to eating, and had to force myself, but I’ve felt far worse. For once, I agree with \*\*magellan01 \*\*; this is pretentious celebrity nonsense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-out-fast-the-hollywood-fasters/363181.md?page=3)