Translating Tumblr: The Bog of Pro-Ana

In the latest installment of Translating Tumblr, Cate delves into the disturbing world of Pro-Ana (Pro Anorexia)

Are you ready, reader? This is one of the more disgusting dens on Tumblr. Let’s open the gates.

We can still turn back now, it’s not too late…Oh god, you are still here. Let’s just get this over with. This here is what’s called the pro-anorexics. They glorify eating disorders and strive to be skinny. Who knows how many of them are actual people with eating disorders who need help, like now, or how many are just edgelords who eat cheese burgers when they think nobody’s looking and hiss at small amounts of food in front of people. To put it more succinctly, fakers. I have a history with people who fake eating disorders and let me tell you, there’s going to be a lot of cuss words here. Mental disorders are common thing on Tumblr, whether they be faked or actual people suffering from them. So strap in, and let’s get this show on the road. *Cracks knuckles*

“I’m not promoting it, but hey I want to be a fuckin’ anorexic and destroy my body while I also look for others to die with and reblog photos of bony girls.”

Look at the tags they use. Using these, it’s hard to believe they’re not romanticizing and promoting eating disorders.

These must be the same bafoons that actually think anorexia is not serious, idiots who go on TV or radio, and act as though it’s some trendy diet. I mean look at them!

Do you hear that? It’s coming from the bog. The call of strength. Well, it’s not really strength, but they think it is. Mental disorders, especially eating ones, have nothing to do with strength. They have to do with the fact that your mental state has deteriorated so much that you’ve begun to drastically and dangerously change your eating habits. Let’s keep going, take my hand, this is going to only get sicker.

They have blogs as “journals” for their weight loss. It’s just as crazy as it sounds. I have a hard time just looking at them. Just don’t look them directly in the eye.

The worst part is that they claim to not promote it, but they post things that promote starving themselves, and push others to do the same. They only do it to avoid Tumblr Staff, the labyrinth cleaners, taking down their blogs. Although Tumblr Staff is too busy thinking up ways to make the layout worse to even notice them, so they should be fine.

I really wish you could see the names of these blogs, they’re pretty bad. It’s hard not to imagine they’re glorifying this shit, and it makes me sick to my stomach. Luckily, most of Tumblr actually abhors these people. So at least we can all agree with each other there.

They want friends to die with, let me say this again. THEY WANT SOMEONE TO DIE WITH.

A lot of them are just trendy teens, which pisses me off even more. They think it’s a fucking diet, so they start up a whole culture around killing yourself via starvation. Maybe society failed them, or maybe they’re seeking attention — we’ll never know. As for the ones with legitimate disorders, I feel for them. They’re surrounded by idiots who made them think it’s acceptable to harm yourself this way, and now the pro-ana crowd makes it harder to get the help they need.

And look at this. Ana tips? Really? Keep walking, we’re almost out of here. Don’t talk to them, there’s no use.

We have to push through these last few, and we’re out of the bog! Over these rocks, come on! Escape is near!

*Drags you towards the exit*

I’m sorry I’ve showed you this, but we had to go through this part sometime. I thought we may as well rip the band-aid off quickly and get it over with. Looks like we are past the bog now, and back into the labyrinth. Oh God, thank you, finally. Let’s go sit over there by those troll blogs. They’re harmless, don’t worry.

I promise the next leg of the journey won’t be so unsettling. Rest up, because we’re going to need it!