Posture & Balance contd.

Thierry: ...his non negligible paunch, barely covered by a shirt and a binder. So I wonder what he would add to this discussion...

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Probably about 45 or 50 pounds.

" Probably about 45 or 50 pounds. "

Wow... This sort of diminutive comment does not add anything to this discussion other than putting down another thereminist - what kind of community is this?

Amethyste, a community of thereminist enthusiasts. It goes without saying that many of us are a little bit broken in one way or another.

Just try repeating the phrase [i]a perfectly normal thereminist[/i] aloud and see how unlikely it sounds.

Thierry - that's what I thought. Mass is a factor.

I understand that we are perhaps broken one way or another - but it is just plain rude to make fun of someone's appearance publicly in this forum like that, especially when that very person posts here from time to time. It shows a lack of common sense and respect. Do we all have to be thin, handsome or gorgeous looking to have fun and play the theremin? It seems that some people just love to put down ANY thereminist or person as soon as the occasion presents itself. Is it necesary to do that so that one's ego is boosted?

Meh.

Well, I for one, entered the theremin field 5 years ago at about 200Lbs, and am currently around 175. I can tell you that it's a lot easier to perform faster works more accurately just 25 pouns lighter. It does pay to trim down from an appearance and performance standpoint, but we should not get all bent out of shape if someone else is a bit out of shape. LOL ;)

I've "had" to shed the baggage for medical reasons as well as for theatrical appearance reasons, mainly as I'm a type one diabetic. :)

Amethyste asked: [i]Do we all have to be thin, handsome or gorgeous looking to have fun and play the theremin?[/i]

I reply: No, but...

...from a European point of view, I allow to add that people who present themselves in public, be it "live" or through social media as youtube, have also a responsibility as a role model.
(Obesity and subsequent diseases like high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. will kill the solidarity-funded health insurance in Europe in the near future. All this just because of recklessness and lack of discipline.)

Therefore, it should at least be allowed to raise the admonishing finger.

I understand that U.S. citizens may have a different idea of ​​political correctness. Insofar I beg your pardon for the culture shock.

It is unfair to categorize every "fat" people in one basket and easily point the blaming finger onto them. Altough it is true that many smoke, drink, eat (and other vices) themselves into destruction you still cannot generalize every one. How can we judge people as none of us have lived part of their lives and know what is truly going on? Medical problems, accidents and other factors can play an important role in how we look.

Because of a fall from a second story building, I shattered my right knee when I was 12 and I am unable to run or do much exercise like running, bicycling without my knee revolting itself by tremendous amount of pain for days at a time. I eat well, I exercise (walking and yoga), but I still have a cholesterol problem and I still have a really hard time to shed extra weight. I don't look magnificent nor I am thin. So I guess I should put a potato bag over my head with 2 holes for the arms when I play publicly so that my disgustingly plump appearance does not offend people.

Amey: ..."So I guess I should put a potato bag over my head with 2 holes for the arms when I play publicly so that my disgustingly plump appearance does not offend people."

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You have a tendency to take things personally that are intended as general observations. As a consequence, you frequently go on the rampage and we get ridiculous remarks like the above! We seem to be unable to discuss anything objectively and dispassionately these days because of an excess hypersensitivity in this forum.

I really don't understand where a remark like the above comes from!

Amey, you jump to crazy conclusions and then proceed to beat everyone, including yourself, over the head with them.

The topic here (a sub-topic of posture and balance) was whether or not excess weight makes playing the theremin more difficult for precision thereminists - and if so, HOW and WHY. This has nothing whatsoever to do with whether the "disgustingly plump appearance" of the thereminist offends the audience! I am mystified by this absurd and totally illogical leap.

The NBC network evening news tonight (July 7, 2011) broadcast a story on the recently established statistic that at least 20% of the population of every state in the U.S. is obese (Mississippi is the fattest, while Colorado is the thinnest). This is not an insult, or an accusation, it's just a fact. America seems to have a love/hate relationship with food. On one hand, we have TV shows like BIGGEST LOSER, where obese contestants compete with one another for the greatest weight loss, and on the other hand we have gigantic eating contests (several were aired on the 4th of July) where thousands of people compete to see who can down the most burgers and hot dogs in the shortest amount of time!


"Fascinating." Mr. Spock

Thierry: ...his non negligible paunch, barely covered by a shirt and a binder. So I wonder what he would add to this discussion...

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Probably about 45 or 50 pounds. - Coalport

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Also Coalport wrote: "You have a tendency to take things personally that are intended as general observations"

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You were not really talking "objectively" about the relation of being overweight and playing the theremin. Without a doubt you knew which Thereminist Thierry was talking about and you added your 45-50 lbs comment. So please don't try to scoot away from what you wrote.

I am chubby. So what? I dont give a flying rat's a$$ what you or anyone think of me and what I look like. My comment about putting a bag over my head was related to Thierry's comment "From a European point of view, I allow to add that people who present themselves in public, be it "live" or through social media as youtube, have also a responsibility as a role model.". Not everyone CAN be thin or whatever you want to call it. Again, you have to read between the lines here. People should stop posting videos of themselves playing the theremin cause they have love handles? Cause they don't fit into a certain ill category set by society? What if someone is REALLY a good thereminist but is overweight? Will you applaud them for their skills or make remarks because of their appearance? My remark was to point out that people come in all shapes, forms. Not because some are not thin or not fitting to a certain effed up standard they should hide because of what other people think. That's what I was getting to.

There was no leap of illogical reasonning here. Sorry I had to spell it out for ya so you'd understand.

Keeping slim in America must be much more difficult than in Europe. When I go there I'm always amazed by the amount of sugar everything seems to have as compared to food here in Europe. Sweets and pastry are like three times as sweet as here, dark chocolate there is sweeter than milk chocolate here, and soda... wow. The last time I was there I bought a 0.5 l bottle of "Dr Pepper" and I honestly loved the taste, but I wasn't able to finish it because it had so much sugar that it filled me like a bowl of porridge.

From what I know, this is because in Europe there are laws that limit that sorts of things, if something has a too large amount of sugar you just can't sell it. Of course, I know this kind of policies are not popular in America.

Anyway, being overweight is fine as long as one isn't orange! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7235585824656688824

By the way, playing the theremin must be a quite good exercise too - I have found that my right arm is noticeably stronger since I play it.