Getting Waisted
A Survival Guide to Being Fat in a Society That Loves Thin
by Monica Parker
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Apr 01 2014 | Archive Date Feb 10 2015
HCI Books | HCI
Description
Monica Parker bridges the divide between serial dieter's survival guide and memoir, taking readers on a hilariously funny yet bumpy ride from chubby baby to chunky adult.
In Getting Waisted, Monica begins every chapter with a diet she committed to and reveals how much weight, money, and self-esteem she lost, then she tells how much weight she gained when she fell off the wagon. After all, "no one tells a short person to get taller, or a tall person to get shorter, but fat people hear about their bodies all the time." From Living Large in a size zero world to jumping into the dating pool without causing a tidal wave of angst, Monica learns that when you stop buying what the diet-devils are selling and start liking yourself, life is far more rewarding. When Mr. Right appears out of thin air, will she run back to the catalogue of Mr. Wrongs out of fear? Readers will laugh and cry as she realizes that while she thought it was her body that was in the way, it was really what she kept in her head that needed adjusting.
Ultimately, Getting Waisted is an inspirational look at life through society's warped fun-house mirror, but Monica's reflection tells the real tale: everyone is always under construction and we are all flawed, chipped, and dented, but that doesn't mean we're not interesting, vital, and sexy.
A Note From the Publisher
A hilarious and heartfelt memoir, a rallying cry for women everywhere to trade the Spanx for self-acceptance
Advance Praise
“My dear friend Monica Parker, the hilarious humorist, mother hen to me, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, John Candy—all of us when we started out in Toronto—has written a book about truly finding yourself, being content with who you are, and developing an enduring sense of self- esteem.”
—Dan Ackroyd, comedian, actor, and original cast member of Saturday Night Live
"Funny, frank, and refreshingly honest, Getting Waisted is Monica Parker's audacious memoir about her lifelong love/hate relationship with her body. But this book isn't really about being fat; it's about being human, and every woman who has ever used food to sate an emotional emptiness, or longed for self-acceptance, should read it."
—Jillian Medoff, bestselling author of I Couldn't Love You More and Hunger Point
"I love Monica's humor, her honesty, and—better—her truth. That love letter to her unexpected boyfriend is something every woman will want to live. I love her compassionate, funny, sharp, beautiful, and romantic voice. It'll make sooo many women feel they are not alone."
—Katie Ford, writer/producer of the box-office smash, Miss Congeniality, and the renowned TV series, Desperate Housewive
"Monica Parker brings a human—and funny—face to the body politic that dictates that happiness and acceptance derive only from a slim physique. She courageously mines her life experience, in and out of the public eye, not only exposing her vulnerabilities but also revealing her resilience and hard-won self-acceptance. Monica's story inspires and her message is truly off the scale."
—David J. Pilon, Ph.D., 2012 president, Eating Disorders Association of Canada-Association des Troubles Alimentaire du Canada
"Monica Parker's work is outstanding. What she writes about mirrors the experience of many, and her capture of it is clever, poignant, and leaves her readers feeling like we belong. I've listened to the reaction of her audiences—it's as if she's been inside their heads. She says it as others have experienced it: all the silly, hurtful, and consuming monkey-talk we put ourselves through by not accepting who we are. Monica evokes a full spectrum of emotion: 'Did she really say that?' 'Aren't we suppose to keep that to ourselves?' 'I thought I was the only one who felt different/lesser/odd…' Thank you, Monica, for exposing our nutty ways through your humor and naked honesty. It inspires me, and others, to become more and more of who we really are meant to be. "
—Christie Andrus, M.A., president, The Human Factor
"Thank God Monica Parker has turned her revelatory one-woman show into a hilarious memoir. At times both gobsmacking and inspiring, it's a story for any human who has struggled with 'fitting in' and gaining ever elusive self-acceptance and love."
—Sarah Rafferty, actress, 'Donna Paulson' on USA Network's hit drama Suits
"Ever known a female worried about losing her virginity, bathing suits, and finding Prince Charming while battling body issues? Ever known a female who hasn't?
"Meet Monica Parker, the brilliant, witty, and perceptive woman who has gifted us with a hysterically funny, painfully honest, and outrageous true-life memoir of her life lived well and large. Getting Waisted leads us on Monica's raucously hilarious journey, from Scotland, to Toronto, and then to Beverly Hills—a fat girl growing into a fat woman, hungry for love and life while struggling with scores of diets tried and failed.
"But because Monica is a gifted writer, right up there in the Pantheon with Nora Ephron and Carrie Fisher, there's more than laughter here. This is ultimately a story, populated by a parade of incredible characters, about breaking free from societal stereotypes to embracing who you are, and living life on your own terms. Parker has done that with enormous charm, wit and humor, emerging as a happy and successful actress, writer, producer, and inspirational speaker living an extraordinary life—and with her Prince Charming at her side.
"She beat the odds, and after reading this wonderful book, I think I can too!"
—Arlene Sarner, award-winning screenwriter/playwright/producer
"Getting
Waisted is funny as hell, and the good news is, it's not just for big
girls. It's a welcome tonic for anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and
felt insecure . . . hello skinny, flat-chested girls with cat-eye glasses! Her
adventures through self-doubt and into the sunshine of self-love are full of
sass and panache. She's a cheerleader of the 'don't let 'em get you down'
school of survival, and the BFF we all want on the other end of the
line. So let's have a piece of chocolate, reapply that red lipstick, and
get out there and give 'em hell, girls! Life's a cake and Monica wants more.
I'll have what she's having!"
—Wendy Crewson, award-winning actress
"Play
the hand you've been dealt. Heard it before? It's never rung so true as from
this very funny, brutally honest voice. In Getting Waisted, Monica
Parker shares 'the 101 humiliations it cost her to create the evolved woman'
she's become. She finds a comedic take on most of those mortifying events, and
chalks up the rest to the fire needed for the forge. Few of us escape the curse
of comparison, especially with the media bombarding us with impossible
standards of beauty and lifestyle, but Ms. Parker, in true Rabelaisian spirit,
inspires us to get on with it, to accept and forgive. What an amusing kick in
the ass!"
—Kerrie Keane, artistic director, White Buffalo Theatre Company
Marketing Plan
PR Firm on board
Author Buzz book campaign
Author publicity in US and Canada
Social networking campaign
PR Firm on board
Author Buzz book campaign
Author publicity in US and Canada
Social networking campaign
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780757317743 |
| PRICE | $15.95 (USD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
Dana B, Reviewer
This is a really funny, honest, funny memoir. Monica tells her story of her life, centered around her weight struggles and self-image issues. I think that many women will relate to her struggles and enjoy her sense of humor about it. She is an actress and comedian and shares stories about her family, about living in Beverly Hills and more. In the end, it sounds like she has realized that everyone has issues and that obsessing over your weight by going from fad diet to fad diet does much more harm than good. I received this book free to review from Netgalley. I enjoyed it very much and I highly recommend it.
Caitie C, Bookseller
Published review will be published at cowgirl caities blogspot Also facebook, twitter, pinterest and goodreads review
Wonderful, couldn't put it down, sassy, funny, fierce and absolutely fabulous!
5 stars.......love LOved LOVED every word of Getting Waisted . Xox
Valerie C, Librarian
I'll be honest. I was unfamiliar with Monica Parker or her work prior to requesting this book from Net Galley. But the premise spoke to me wholeheartedly. Or maybe all bodily. I've struggled with my weight and self image for many, many years. I went into the book thinking that it'd be a light hearted commentary on body acceptance and the general refrain that fat chicks are awesome too. I probably would have been content with that. Instead, Ms. Parker has written one of the most in depth, personal memoirs I have ever read. Oh, there's humor. There's also horror, heart break, the struggle of the spirit and the final rush of acceptance. There were so many things I could relate to in her life story. From the handsome man whose attention turns from flattering to horrific to the strained upbringing to the very deep belief that if you were thin, all the problems would melt away and you'd finally be loved. It's all there. And I felt like I had taken as much of a cathartic journey through my own life as I had hers.
"Getting Waisted" also does something that not a lot memoirs are willing to do. It shows an ugly side of celebrity that few ever talk about. Not the pop culture scandals but the deeply imbedded notion that there's something inherently wrong or bad about heavier people, women especially. I appreciated that she tackled it with unflinching grace, giving credit to those who looked beyond her size as well as gracefully forgiving those who didn't. I may not have known much about Ms. Parker's career before now, she assuredly has a new fan after reading this. And maybe now I can be more of a fan of myself as well.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan
General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction
