MALCOLM WINS KUDOS FROM WOMEN’S GROUPS “Fattie Bum-Bum”‘s Positive Portrayal Of Realistic Body Image Praised
(Columbus, Ohio) — National Organizsation of Women president Gloria Feld yesterday called Carl Malcolm a “male role model” for his song “Fattie Bum-Bum” which she said, “extolls the virtues of the rubenesque woman”.
“Too many name brand singers these days hold their punaany to absurdly high standards of beauty,” Feld announced at a NOW press conference at Columbus’ downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel. “But when Carl Malcolm reveals that he is not ‘afraid of that…because you’re so big and fat,’ he shows that the heartical man is happy to slam a ‘sweet sugar dumplin” who wears massive baggies.”
The song, whose musical backing is provided by the Skin Flesh & Bones, urges an overweight woman never to “let your big size fool you” and goes on to promise a “cooler day as I cool you.”
Reached at home in Kingston, JA, Malcolm reiterated his desire for ladies of a certain size, saying “Mi like a likkle somet’ing to ‘old on to when mi rubbin’ up a daughter.”
In an editorial in this month’s Cosmopolitan, Joanna Coles calls “Fattie Bum-Bum” a “quantum leap ahead in the feminist movement…to a time when a woman is no longer judged by the ampleness of her skin, but the ampleness of her character” and looks forward to more songs that invite the “full-figured gal to strut her stuff.”
Doctors’ groups, however, were quick to question the wisdom of songs that encourage massive weight gain. Don Smith, of the British Medical Journal, called it “madness, no matter how sexy the mampy, to make obesity acceptable.”
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4 replies on “Carl Malcolm – “Fattie Bum-Bum” b/w Skin Flesh Bones – “Bum-Bum Situation” (UK 108) (1975)”
big tune, dat
i don’t know if you’re already aware of this, but when this was in the charts so was a cover version (albeit much further down) by a white english band called the diversions – check it it here to determine whether it qualifies as “cod-reggae”:
after that they switched to funk, releasing an excellent single “but is it funky?” before splitting (members included lene lovich who later had some success on stiff records). i read somewhere that they recorded an album of funk and disco tracks for polydor that never made the light of day – if only lene had reached the heights of legend like her stiff colleague ian drury (yes, i’ve deliberately mis-spelt that as many people seem to think that’s actually his surname), perhaps polydor would have cashed in and released it?
The bassist isn’t quite carrying the swing, but I’d say the Diversions track is alright. Can’t hear Ms. Lovich amongst the skank, though.
i think she was playing sax and doing backing vocals in the diversions, rather than singing lead – maybe that was why she went solo (although her boyfriend and guitarist in the band les chappell was also involved – i believe they are still together in both personal and professional senses today)