If the person named Emma gets upset while reading this then she obviously isn’t very self confident because I was just saying what pops into my mind when I hear the name and not that all Emmas have to be overweight. If that person reads anything into what I said then obviously she has issues and too much time on her hands. Did you ever visit a baby name board? People will say the meanest things about a name, but people don’t get offended. They’re interested in hearing different point of views and if they love the name they use it anyway. People have said hurtful things about my name. Usually you just shrug it off. People are allowed to be different.

When you’re old or disabled you can’t help it. There’s usually nothing you can change about it. When you’re overweight you can change something about it. At least most of the time. The comparison doesn’t make much sense at all. It’s great that your friend is losing weight, though. I hope she’ll make it and that she’ll reach her goal. Sure she feels bad when someone talks behind her back. Everybody does. This is something many people have experienced. There are always people who don’t like you or even people who are jealous. People grow up and accept that this happens sometimes but learn to deal with it. And you know what? Some people get upset when people tell them they’re overweight and some get upset when they read an article in which their parents stated that their sibling is their favorite child.

@ Manon

Thanks. I’m happy that some people understand what I wanted to say. People are hurt by different things and such a statement would at least hurt several people I know and I bet there are more out there who couldn’t deal well with the whole thing.

@ Carissa

If this discussion is pointless, why are you participating in it? I understand your concern about what is going on in the world. But if you are so open minded and thoughtful, then why do you think this board needs to be all happy and fun? This could also be a place where a post made about a celebrity ends in a serious discussion (about adoption etc). It’s not meant to stop all the fun it’s meant to be interesting and it’s necessary. Thank you, I volunteered at different orphanages for over a year. I know how many problems many children have to face and how they suffer. I’m also studying Economics. I guess I know what’s happening in the world. Yes, there are children starving and you need to worry about that and make a change, but you also need to take a look at how things are going in your community and you need to take care of the smaller problems as well. You seem like a smart person so having a discussion should also be in your interest. Yes, people laughed about your dad’s joke, that’s nice. But there are people out there who wouldn’t find it funny and who would be hurt. Believe me, it’s true.

@ Lis

And I’ve never encountered anyone who can’t have a serious discussion. Seriously, this is the first time.

@ Nadia

Your comment made me laugh. I’m pretty happy, actually. I’m open minded, able to have discussion, good at school, oh and I actually have friends who are open to discussions as well so even though we fight sometimes we accept different opinions. I’m sorry that you didn’t get my point of you and had to attack me.

@ all

I didn’t want to offend and I didn’t want this discussion to get as long as it has gotten. Just understand that things that are not hurtful to you might be to others and that people feel different about certain things. I’m sorry if I defended anyone by calling them uneducated, but in the environment I have been raised in people wouldn’t dream of saying things like that, and I come from a family that’s very well off. I guess I generalized here, though and am really sorry if I hurt your feelings. I guess I was angry and didn’t really know what I was saying anymore. You are of course not uneducated when you find the whole thing funny, you just have a different sense of humor. It’s just that I don’t know any people at my university or in my social life that would find such a thing funny so I saw it as a general rule. Again, I’m sorry for that as it was unprofessional to say such a thing and quite rude as well. I study hard for school and am sure you did/do as well. I can tell when I made a mistake and am not ashamed to apologize. I hope you’ll forgive me and that we will get along as I’m going to post here from time to time.

I still think the whole discussion was interesting and even though I think it’s strange how some people can’t seem to accept different points of view, I am thankful that I could talk to you, because it broadened my horizon. In a positive and in a negative way.

As for everbody, feel free to comment whatever it is you want, you dont have to be afraid of someone here “Im such a good parent than others” correcting you in the end.

In any case, yes, it’s not healthy to be overweight. However, that doesn’t mean that overweight people enjoy being reminded that they’re overweight (just as elderly people don’t always appreciate being reminded that they’re elderly, and people with disabilites usually hate being “labeled”). For example, I have a friend who, since at least her teens, has been extremely overweight.

Believe me, she is fully aware that it’s unhealthy. In fact, after having a health scare last year, she is now on a weight-loss program and doing very well with it (she still has a long way to go, but is looking better than she has in a long time!). However, if someone were to point out to her that she’s overweight, or especially if they talked about her weight behind her back, she’d be very hurt (in fact, she still carries some emotinal scars from being labeled as the “fat girl” and facing ridicule for it when she was in High School).

All of that said, of course I have associations. However, especially if they’re negative and possibly hurtful ones, do I go around sharing them with everyone? Absolutely not! Does that mean I lie? Again, absolutly not! I simply choose to keep my mouth shut about any negative associations I may have with names or other words. That’s what I meant last night when I said that there are somethings that we need to keep to ourselves.

I like your sensibilities.

SOME children will be very badly affected by such feelings.

All I have to say now and not especially keen on Charlie Sheen’s parenting style in general, personally: anything goes as long as “oh wait, I was only joking!”.

@the CBB READERS
I could write many things about this subject mostly because I’m getting my masters in child psychology feel that I’m qualified to do so. I have to say, that this whole discussion is disgusting! Look out into the world People. Children are dying of starvation and AIDS and real ABUSE. This discussion as to weather or not a parent said jokingly or not, if they have a favorite is just dumb. Brooke and Charlie are people we’ll never meet, we don’t know what goes on in that house. Same with the other celebrity parents we like or dislike. Interviews can be taken out of context, just to get a rise out of the public. It’s done everyday in all forms of journalism.

This site is just for fun, I read it when I need a break from reading tons of books on REAL CHILD ABUSE. and REAL BAD PARENTS. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors. Instead of debating the skills of these celebrities as parents, go out and do something good in your community. I can guarantee that there are childeren just outside your door that can use your help. Put the passion you put into this discussion and save a real child with real issues.

As for the comment of “it’s not funny” when my dad got up in front of a crowd of people at my sisters wedding and said, “she was his favorite” Everyone laughed because they knew it was a JOKE. All they had to do was look at the table were all of her siblings sat and saw that we are all loved equally. Actions speak louder then words, and I’ve known from an early age just how much I am loved by my siblings and parents. Two of my siblings are adopted too, and you would think they would be the first to not like the joke, but they started it, by always saying they are the favorites because they were picked. Unlike my older sister and I who were just kind of dropped in our parents lap. It’s all about Actions people.

Just my two cents, back to reading about child abduction.

And once again I have to write this because my older sister reads this site too, Dad called me today, I am the Favorite:)

And that’s just my OPINION.

Emma does know that she’s overweight. It’s a FACT. She wouldn’t be hurt because she knows it’s true. What’s wrong with being honest? Overweight isn’t healthy, it can lead to a life of health troubles. I’m helping Emma with that. I’ve played tennis since I was 4 and I’m teaching her how to play. I’ve taken her horse riding and swimming. When she asked me I told her the truth. That’s what friends are for! I love my friends and would never want to hurt their feelings. But as a good friend it’s my responsibility to tell them the truth especially if it concerns their health. I care about my friends and they care about me. I think the reason I have so many is because I’m always honest. When a friend asks me a about a shirt she’s wearing and I dislike it, I tell them! I also tell them that only because I dislike it doesn’t mean other people will as well. But I don’t lie. Never. It’s because I would want them to tell me the truth as well.

Please don’t tell me that you don’t have associations with certain things or names. You certainly do. What do you think of when you hear Bertha? Mildred? Ethelthreda? Probably not of a pretty young woman in her 20s. There have been studies done on the topic, in my country. The outcome was that some names conjure up the image of unattractive people and some of attractive people. If an Emma would read this I bet she’d be smart enough to know that I only have this association because of the Emma I know, who I like very much, by the way and that not all people think so. She’d probably also know that just because I think of an overweight person doesn’t mean she is overweight or will be just because her name is Emma. She could probably look in the mirror to see that it’s not true. And if it is true, where’s the problem? Then she probably already knows.

And yes, I guess some people were offended and I am sorry, but not because of what I wrote, more because of the fact that there are people who just can’t respect opinions and people who can’t deal with the truth.