Using sketches about their own battles with eating disorders in an aim to entertain while giving information about this serious topic, Dani Klein '84 and comedian Marcy Ettlinger displayed energy and passion during a funny, informative and personal presentation last night.
The two spoke to an audience of about 40 people, mostly female students, starting with a series of diverse statements detailing the symptoms of eating disorders. Etlinger began, "You know you're anorexic when you have jeans size four through 16 in your closet, and they're all yours." The two bounced back and forth easily, Etlinger usually playing the straight man to Klein's jokes.
The presentation, "Two Thin," was slated to open with a montage of images showing how the media encourages anorexia. The repeated PowerPoint failures elimated one visual aid, but the comedians continued undaunted.
The two also gave numerous basic facts and statistics in the form of a true/false session.
"The fittest girl in the room is the happiest girl in the room," Dani Klein '84 said, checking out the crowd for confirmation. "Oh wait, no, that's false, very false."
Supplementing their facts and statistics, the two performed several short skits, involving relatives' impact on eating disorders, counseling for eating disorders and making the point that men can be anorexic or bulimic as well as women.
"I have no college memory where I didn't embarrass myself or piss someone off," Klein said. She had trouble relating to people because her primary relationship was with food.
Klein said she realized she had a problem when she passed out drunk while waiting tables in New York. She went to a support group and therapy as well, where she said she learned that her problem was not so much about "what I was eating, but what was eating me."
In contrast to Klein's isolation, Etlinger recounted her personal experience as greatly influenced by her family. Her father, to get rid of his love handles, gave up drinking, red meat and "anything that had flavor," she said, adding that her mom was also "obsessed" with her weight. Etlinger recalled her mother buying her an ice cream cone and then eating it before Etlinger got any.
"I learned about sneaking food from my mom," she said. "I learned, if there is something you love in front of you, you'd better eat it even if it's not yours."
Etlinger remembered hearing a friend describe bulimia as a great new diet "where you can eat whatever you want and then throw up," and thinking, "That's brilliant."
She continued her story, telling of her food binges in college that soon drained her finances so that she was shoplifting for other items.
Etlinger said she ended up in therapy after getting caught shoplifting, and there she realized that her problem was tied up in not wanting to tell anyone what she felt.
"My food binges were related to my honesty problem, which was related to my stealing problem, which was related to my eating disorder," she said.
Now at 5'10" and 175 lbs, Etlinger said she feels at ease with her body. Both women acted comfortable onstage, dealing with the technical difficulties and interacting directly with the audience. Though the crowd thinned further as the talk went on, Klein never stopped talking to people, trying to get certain members of the audience to smile, and making her points with energy.
