Paul McKenna

[TeaBrick]

Just wondering really if Paul McKenna's I can make you thin is in fact a feminist issue? It's always seemed a bit odd to me that he seems to have re-hashed the ideas in Fat is a feminist issue, and When women stop hating their bodies, for example, taken any mention of feminism out, and re-packaged it under his own name. I know he might not have read either of these other books of course, but it all seems a bit of a coincidence to me. Just idly wondering about it again, as he's doing a webchat tomorrow. Am I being ridiculous?

I haven't read those books and don't know much about Paul McKenna but it wouldn't surprise me. Really it is just another way of focussing on how women look rather than what they do.

In the original books, the focus was more on improving mental health, as a side effect of which, you might lose weight. In the PM one, it is much more about improving your appearance as the most important thing. I suppose if you've not read any of the books, it's hard to comment. Has anyone else read them? I'm sure the PM book has probably changed the lives of lots of people by the way, I'm not really criticising him or his book, just thought it was interesting that these ideas have been round for a long time in books written by women, which is why I posted this in feminism.

I'm also not suggesting that PM plagiarised the other books BTW

"In the PM one, it is much more about improving your appearance as the most important thing."

But of course it is Tea. Women are on this planet to look good for men. If you don't you have failed.

That is definitely a feminist issue. It is the message that is spelled out loud and clear across the media. The most important thing about a woman is what she looks like.

I've read both.

When I read Fat is a Feminist Issue, I was struck by how familiar it was - because I'd read it all in I can make you thin.

And I did muse over how a bloke can manage to package it as a diet book and make money out of it, while the woman who put forward these ideas in the first place, goes unnoticed outside feminist circles.

I'm sure he didn't plagiarise it btw. Just came to the same conclusions as Orbach, because it's kind of obvious.

Also was always sceptical abuot the title "I can make you thin". Seems a very self-aggrandising, self-important and disempowering title - he can't make anyone thin, people do it for themselves and then credit Paul McKenna with their success. They may have got the ideas from him and the guidance, but in the end, you have to do sth for yourself, no-one can do it for you.

Don't have a quarrel with the bloke per se, it's a good programme and it's a hell of a lot more successful and sensible than the various FatFighters organisations around, but "I can make you..." kind of gets on my nerves. I wonder if it's tongue in cheek, because otherwise I'm a bit nonplussed by it.

"And I did muse over how a bloke can manage to package it as a diet book and make money out of it, while the woman who put forward these ideas in the first place, goes unnoticed outside feminist circles"
Exactly!
I also think part of my problem with it is...I don't really like PM much

I tried the 'I Can Make You Thin' CD, and it didn't work for me. Because every time I listened to the recording I was reminded that it was all about thinness. It annoyed the hell out of me.

I can't stand PM's voice either. I did have his book, but I couldn't listen to the CD, he is sooo creepy! FIFI is a much more ind-depth book, not just focussing on the attainment of thinness, might be worth a read? Disclaimer: although I have read all these books, I'm still fat, but much more accepting of myself since FIFI, and another one called When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies

Hmm, I think I've read that "I can make you.." wasn't PM's choice as a title, but who knows?

I think it is pretty common that the same ideas are used in different contexts and packaged differently eg a self help book and a philosophy book might have a similar basis.

ICMYT didn't strike me as being particularly about becoming thin to be attractive, more about identifying why you might eat other than hunger.

It's been years and years since I read FIFI, maybe I will dig it out again.