I've always been troubled by my inability to fit that Talese once told a friend of mine who was his assistant very, very briefly in the 1990s, "Things would really start happening for you if you lost 15 pounds," into my otherwise sincere admiration for him. I guess a little bit of sexism (my friend is female) and a little bit of literary Upstairs-Downstairsism is to be expected from a man of his age and background?
@lawyergay Maybe just not attuned to modern office etiquette, since his version of going to work is putting on a suit and heading to the basement. I wonder, if your friend had been a guy, would Talese's comment have been less offensive?
Gay Talese is 80 today. 
I've always been troubled by my inability to fit that Talese once told a friend of mine who was his assistant very, very briefly in the 1990s, "Things would really start happening for you if you lost 15 pounds," into my otherwise sincere admiration for him. I guess a little bit of sexism (my friend is female) and a little bit of literary Upstairs-Downstairsism is to be expected from a man of his age and background?
@lawyergay Maybe just not attuned to modern office etiquette, since his version of going to work is putting on a suit and heading to the basement. I wonder, if your friend had been a guy, would Talese's comment have been less offensive?
@Mr. B Or, alternately, you could ask: if the friend had been a man would Talese have made the comment?
Or, alternately, telling a fatty to lose weight to become more successful does not constitute sexism?