History Main / IAmBigBoned

Overweight people can be very self-conscious. It's understandable. We tend to associate [[FatBastard many negative traits and behaviors with obesity]]. Thus, overweight people tend to come up with any excuse they can to avoid the stigma of [[YouAreFat being labeled as such]]. It isn't that they are fat, they are just big-boned. Or maybe it's just baby fat. Maybe they have a gland disorder or a slow metabolism. It has nothing to do with lack of exercise, or the [[NutritionalNightmare triple cheeseburger, chili fries, and chocolate-covered strawberries]] that they [[BigEater just ate]].

--->'''Stitch''': *Gibberish*\\
'''Gantu'''': I'm just big-boned!

--->'''Julien''': Ah! Thank goodiness you are here to help my chunky monkey to carry me.\\

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'': Obelix tends to claim this ("I'm not fat. I'm just... well wrapped."). Calling him fat is almost a BerserkButton with him. Since most people call him by his weight and his reactions range from pouting to a [[DisproportionateRetribution brutal beating]], it is usually PlayedForLaughs.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Candorville}}'': Lemont [[http://candorville.com/2008/04/12/jiggle/ claims]] this is the case for him. Clyde is not convinced.

** In [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=1979&addr=790129 January 29th, 1979]], Garfield literally claimed to be big-boned. Jon called Garfield "disgustingly, slovenly, sloppy fat" and Garfield said Jon obviously had "disgustingly, slovenly, sloppy fat" confused with "big boned".
** In [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=1979&addr=790921 September 21st, 1979]], Garfield stated people under 6'4" aren't overweight. They're "undertall".
** In [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2002&addr=021116 November 16th, 2002]], a mouse used that excuse to have a hole the size of the dining table.
** [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2008&addr=080119 As Garfield said about the scale on January 19th, 2008]], "he can dish it out, but he sure can't take it".

* Creator/GabrielIglesias' RunningGag is that he isn't ''fat'', he's ''fluffy''. Since then, he's been known as "Fluffy" or "Fluffy Guy", and the gag even lent the title to his second DVD special, ''I'm Not Fat... I'm Fluffy''. He's even devised his own scale of "fatness", which currently is divided into six levels (five before the aforementioned special): Big, Healthy, Husky, Fluffy, DAMN!, and "'''[[SerialEscalation OH, HELL NO!]]'''".

** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Brower_Minnoch Jon Brower Minnoch]], the fattest human (and indeed primate) of all times, suffered from this: out of his peak weight of 1400 lbs (640 kg), over 900 lbs (408 kg) was retained fluid.

* The "Other Wiki" discusses the [[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrifty_gene_hypothesis Thrifty Gene Hypothesis]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheWackyAdventuresOfRonaldMcdonald'': When the [=McDonaldland=] gang find their way into the middle ages, the royal chef wants to bake Birdie into a pie after King Murray's knights bring her to the kitchen and points out how good and plump Birdie is. Birdie objects that he's only pointing at her problem area.

Overweight people can be very self conscious. It's understandable. We tend to associate [[FatBastard many negative traits and behaviors with obesity]]. Thus, overweight people tend to come up with any excuse they can to avoid the stigma of [[YouAreFat being labeled as such]]. It isn't that they are fat, they are just big-boned. Or maybe it's just baby fat. Maybe they have a gland disorder or a slow metabolism. It has nothing to do with lack of exercise, or the [[NutritionalNightmare triple cheeseburger, chili fries and chocolate-covered strawberries]] that they [[BigEater just ate]].

* ''Manga/FistOfTheBlueSky'': Zhang Lie-Shan, boss of the ''Hong Hua-Hui'' Triads a man gifted with "exceptional stature"... as in "literally the height of a three stories tall building" exceptional stature. However, he is ''incredibly'' sensitive about being out of the ordinary, and gets ''very'' unhappy about being called "too big"... as in "smother his tree sized cigar into your face and drown you with his car-sized shot glass of whisky" unhappy.

* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': Volstagg is not Fat, in mortal terms Volstagg is merely big boned!

** Hagrid, who is described as being twice as tall as a normal man and five times as broad, admits to being a half-giant and asks the similarly-built Madame Maxime about her own ancestry. Madame Maxime is very offended, and claims to just have big bones. Harry and Ron don't buy it for a second:

* ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'': Deconstructed when the show did an episode about bones and muscle. One of the sketches features a ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'' parody where Hoss tries to tell Little Joe that he's only big-boned, not fat. Little Joe comments to the audience that it doesn't actually work like that way, but goes along with it for Hoss's sake, commenting that some people are very sensitive about their weight.

-->'''Molly's Mom''': You're not fat, dear, you're just big boned.

* ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' features the episode "Sweet Johnny", where Johnny was shock about how fat Sheila's butt has gotten, for her to say that she has a lazy thyroid.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': The title character does it sometimes, a few with the trope name (the page image is the response of his sarcastic bathroom scale).
** In [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=1979&addr=790129 January 29th, 1979]], Garfield literally claimed to be big boned. Jon called Garfield "disgustingly, slovenly, sloppy fat" and Garfield said Jon obviously had "disgustingly, slovenly, sloppy fat" confused with "big boned".

** [[http://www.garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2008&addr=080119 As Garfield said about the scale in January 19th, 2008]], "he can dish it out, but he sure can't take it".

--> ''"I'm big boned."''
--> ''Yeah, your arse bone is a helliva size and your belly bone - bloody hell!''
--> ''She said "I'm retaining water!"''
--> ''No, you're retaining pizza!''
--> ''"I have a slow metabolism..."''
--> ''...And a fucking fast appetite!''
* Creator/DenisLeary has a small routine in his stand-up special ''Lock 'n Load'' about fat people. In particular, he mentions a real-life story about a man who weighed over a thousand pounds who had chest pains that had to have a wall cut out of his house in order to get him to the hospital.
--> ''You're big assed! Dinosaurs are big boned! Put the fork down!''

-->'''The Truth:''' Look, I want you to use that gizmo you acquired, but you gotta lost some of that ballast first, fat ass.\\
'''CJ:''' The hell with you! Man, I'm just big boned, that's all...

'''Gantu'''': I'm just big boned!

-->'''Colt''': That's offensive. I'm small boned. Except for one. This chick gets it.

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'': In one episode, Johnny made fun of a video game vendor for being fat. He claimed it was a "glandular problem". The episode was based off of the concept of karma, so when Johnny ate an experimental candy bar, it messed with his hormones and made him fat as well. In other words, he now had a [[LaserGuidedKarma glandular problem]].

'''Maurice''': I'm big boned...

** Bart tries the "I'm big boned" excuse at fat camp in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS16E17TheHeartbrokeKid The Heartbroke Kid]]". He gets told there is no such thing and whipped.

** In another episode, when Cartman is sent off to fat camp, he tries to use his mother's defense that he's only big boned. She then replies, "Those were all lies, Hon. You're just fat."

* Pumbaa from ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'', in the episode "Gabon With The Wind", takes offence to Timon calling him plump to the Cheetah Brothers; "Plump?! I'm just big boned."
* ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'': A magical mishap reduces Master Yo to an ambulatory skeleton. As the spell is reversed, the ample panda looks himself in the mirror stating "I knew it, I knew I was just big boned." This is played with when his body is returned to normal in layers with the first being his muscular system (and presumably fatty tissue) which promptly sags as he continues "jiggly, jiggly bone."

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': The Dursleys make excuse after excuse for their son Dudley, saying that he still has baby fat/is big-boned/is a growing boy right up until his school sends a letter saying they no longer have uniforms that fit him.
** In the same book, Hagrid, who is described as being twice as tall as a normal man and five times as broad, admits to being a half-giant and asks the similarly-built Madame Maxime about her own ancestry. Madame Maxime is very offended, and claims to just have big bones. Harry and Ron don't buy it for a second:

** Homer also averted this in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E18BrushWithGreatness Brush With Greatness]" when he told Marge, "No-one gains 30 pounds of bone!" after weighing himself and Marge tried to make him feel better by invoking this trope.

* Pumbaa from ''WesternAnimation/Timon&Pumbaa'', in the episode "Gabon With The Wind", takes offence to Timon calling him plump to the Cheetah Brothers; "Plump?! I'm just big boned."

'''Doug:''' Then what am I?

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'': The title character had a crisis when he had gained weight and worked out hard to get back to his normal weight, but realized he was always a little chubby. As he talked with some chunky friends, they each gave some alternate terminology like "big boned" and "stout". When Doug asked what he was, they said, "Husky?"

* Inverted in ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4943064/1/Evas-XLR Evas XLR]]''. Shinji Ikari calls his cousin [[WesternAnimation/MegasXLR Coop]] big-boned. Coop doesn't like it.

* ''Film/{{Fatso}}'': while answering [[LoveInterest Lydia]]'s question about not eating cookies, [[BigEater Dom]] describes himself as "stocky," "large," and "big."
* ''Film/Hairspray'' (1988): Mr. Pinky, owner of the plus-size boutique, uses all sorts of euphemisms. He also inverts the trope, using "Fatty fatty, two by four, can't fit through the dressing room door?" in his advertising.

* ''Series/MikeAndMolly'':

* ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'': Subverted in when a fat pirate is turned into an undead skeleton pirate.

* Choji Akimichi from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. Oddly enough, it appears to actually be true, since by the time of the {{timeskip}} he's certainly not svelte, but looks more like a linebacker, suggesting that he grew into his body.
* In ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', Whalemon said this. In the dub.
* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' -- A fan asked WordOfGod if [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Russia]] was fat, and they received an in-character answer from Russia saying exactly this. He was later shown in a shirt that said "Big Boned" and appeared to be struggling to fit it. The few instances we've seen him without his coats, he appears to be rather muscular.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', Marechiyo Omaeda always says he's plump or full-figured whenever someone calls him fat.

* In the ''ComicBook/ScareTactics'' comic, Grossout's [[MyBelovedSmother mother]] kept insisting that he was just "big for his age".
* Obelix from the ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' comics. ("I'm not fat. I'm just... well wrapped.") Calling him fat is almost a BerserkButton with him. Since most people call him by his weight and his reactions range from pouting to a [[DisproportionateRetribution brutal beating]], it is usually PlayedForLaughs.
* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': Volstagg is not Fat, in mortal terms Volstagg is merely big boned!

* A joke in the screenshots and fanfics on Raquaza Master's Pokétown Pokémon board featured a character calling Ash fat, and he would reply that he was big-boned. It's even funnier when you notice that he isn't fat at all.

* Horace, known as "Fat Kid" of ''Film/TheMonsterSquad'', to two bullies:
-->'''Horace:''' Look, I have a glandular problem, OK? At least I don't have a stupidity problem!

* In ''Film/{{Fatso}}'', while answering [[LoveInterest Lydia]]'s question about not eating cookies, [[BigEater Dom]] describes himself as "stocky," "large," and "big."
* In ''Film/Hairspray1987'' Mr. Pinky, owner of the plus-size boutique, uses all sorts of euphemisms. He also inverts the trope, using "Fatty fatty, two by four, can't fit through the dressing room door?" in his advertising.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', the Dursleys make excuse after excuse for their son Dudley, saying that he still has baby fat/is big-boned/is a growing boy right up until his school sends a letter saying they no longer have uniforms that fit him.

* In ''Literature/{{Supergran}}'' by Forrest Wilson, one of Supergran's sidekicks is on the large side, but tells anybody who brings it up that "It's not fat, it's muscle". The disclaimer is so firmly ingrained that when, at the end of the book, somebody remarks on his muscular physique, his mouth says "It's not muscle, it's fat" before his brain catches up.
* In Robert Kimmel Smith's ''Literature/JellyBelly'', Nathaniel's grandmother insists that her darling grandson isn't overweight; he's just big-boned like her. Even after Nathaniel himself tries to get her to acknowledge that he really does need to lose weight and that she could help by not cooking so much food for him.
* [[Literature/StephaniePlum Lula]]. [[BerserkButton Do not tell her otherwise]], or there will be painful (if humorous) consequences.
* [[TheSmartGuy Jupiter Jones]] of ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'' is a stocky, round-faced kid who runs to pudge. It's something of a [[BerserkButton sore spot]]. In the Crimebuster series, he preferred the term "husky" as it seemed more dignified.
* In Creator/StephenKing's ''Literature/{{It}}'', the back story of Ben's weight loss as an adult includes his confrontation with his mother. Keeping her son well-fed was a comfort for her, so she made the excuse that he just had big bones.
* In ''Literature/OneFatSummer'' Bobby Marks never denies being overweight. He did do the research, however, and has found that it's his low basal metabolism that is to blame for him tipping the scales at 200+ pounds, not the binge snacking and laying around the house. He actually uses it as a decoration of time, translating his watch to LBM as others would AM or PM.
* Gray, the Megalodon protagonist of ''Shark Wars'', is often told by his best friend Barkley (a dogfish) to go on a diet. In response, he'll respond with "I'm not fat. I'm big-cartilaged."
* In ''Literature/YouAreDeadSignHerePlease'', one of the things [[CelestialBureaucracy Fulcher]] threatens Nathan with if he won't sign the form acknowledging he's dead is to reincarnate him as the only fat man in history who ''genuinely'' has a gland disorder and is big-boned, condemning him to a life of protestations that no one will believe.

* ''Series/GilligansIsland'':
-->'''Skipper:''' I'm not fat! I just have big bones!
-->'''Gilligan:''' Yeah, and they're covered with big meat!
* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''

* In ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'', Susie is offended when Larry says that her dog, Oscar is getting fat.

* In ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' "Big-Boneded" was occasionally used to describe someone who was overweight.
* ''Series/MikeAndMolly''

* Deconstructed in ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' when the show did an episode about bones and muscle. One of the sketches features a ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'' parody where Hoss tries to tell Little Joe that he's only big-boned, not fat. Little Joe comments to the audience that it doesn't actually work like that way, but goes along with it for Hoss's sake, commenting that some people are very sensitive about their weight.
* In the seventh season of ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' when Mac put on 50 lbs., he kept insisting that it was all muscle, even after he had become diabetic from it.
* ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'', Barney gets stuck in the swing set. After the kids help him out, he says, "I'm not fat, I just have big bones." Being a dinosaur, however, that could very well be the case.
* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'': In TheTeaser of "Inna Gadda Sabrina", Salem has been putting on weight but is in denial, claiming he doesn't need to diet because "I am not fat, I am big-boned." Then he proceeds to get stuck in the cat door.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' does it sometimes, a few with the trope name (the page image is the response of his sarcastic bathroom scale).

* Lemont in ''ComicStrip/{{Candorville}}'' [[http://candorville.com/2008/04/12/jiggle/ claims]] this is the case for him. Clyde is not convinced.
-->'''Clyde:''' Bones don't jiggle, Big L.

* In ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' ''5: Xtreme Legends'', Meng Huo meeting Xu Zhu on the battlefield of the Legend Mode stage, Struggle for Nan Zhong:

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' when a fat pirate is turned into an undead skeleton pirate.
-->'''Fat Pirate:''' (looking down at his large ribcage) Hey, whaddya know! I really am big-boned!
* Similar to the case above, Gruntilda in ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'': even being down to bones, she still has the same wide load as when she was alive.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch Captain Gantu]] shouts this in response to some of Experiment 626/Stitch's incoherent gibberish taunting.
* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', this happens if CJ is too fat to start the mission "Green Goo".

* The Arch-Bishop in ''Webcomic/BrunoTheBandit'' claims to be big-boned. [[http://www.brunothebandit.com/d/20000801.html Fiona is not convinced.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Eric Cartman.
-->'''Stan:''' C'mon, fatass!\\
'''Ms. Cartman:''' Now, now, he's not fat, he's big boned!\\
'''Kyle:''' Then he must have [[AccidentalInnuendo a giant bone in his ass!]]\\
'''Ms. Cartman:''' ''[[[ActuallyPrettyFunny hysterical laughter]]]''
** In another episode, when Cartman is sent off to fat camp, he tries to use his mother's defense that he's only big boned. She then replies, "Those were all lies, Hon. You're just fat."

* Manfred in ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'': "I'm not fat. It's all this hair. It makes me look poofy."
** Santa Claus says the same thing, almost word for word (he blames his suit instead of his hair), in the TV special ''Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas''.
* WesternAnimation/{{Doug}} had a crisis when he had gained weight and worked out hard to get back to his normal weight, but realized he was always a little chubby. As he talked with some chunky friends, they each gave some alternate terminology like "big boned" and "stout". When Doug asked what he was, they said, "Husky?"
* In ''WesternAnimation/GummiBears'', Tummi uses this excuse that he has "big bones," to which Gruffi snaps, "Yeah, and they're getting bigger."
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' with Maurice...
--->'''Julien''': Ah! Thank goodiness you are here to help my chunky monkey to carry me.\\
'''Maurice''': I'm big boned...
** Which is funny, considering Maurice and [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch Gantu]] have the same voice actor, and this occurs in Aqua's [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Deep Space]]:
--->'''Stitch''': *Gibberish*\\
'''Gantu'''': I'm just big boned!
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': The Scotsman's wife [[BerserkButton does not like being called fat.]] [[spoiler:She destroyed a Demon-God and his entire horde for being called so.]]
-->'''Scotsmans wife''': Fat? FAT? '''I'M NOT FAT, I'M STOUT!!'''
* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheClevelandShow''
-->'''Donna''': I suppose you brought your hobbit friend too.
-->'''Colt''': That's offensive. I'm small boned. Except for one. This chick gets it.
* There was an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'' where Johnny made fun of a video game vendor for being fat. He claimed it was a "glandular problem". The episode was based off of the concept of karma, so when Johnny ate an experimental candy bar, it messed with his hormones and made him fat as well. In other words, he now had a [[LaserGuidedKarma glandular problem]].
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
** When Amy's parents call Kif scrawny, Amy says he's just "small-boned". Kif notes that he actually has no bones.
** Hermes sees himself through [[FunnyXRay an X-ray]]. Not only is he ''not'' big-boned, but if it wasn't for all that fat, his skeleton is so small that he would effectively be a dwarf.
* ''[[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Fred Flintstone]]'' isn't fat. It's all muscle. He then dared Betty to sock his belly to show it. She answered the dare. Fred felt pain but wouldn't scream until he was sure he was out of her hearing range.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'', a magical mishap reduces Master Yo to an ambulatory skeleton. As the spell is reversed, the ample panda looks himself in the mirror stating "I knew it, I knew I was just big boned." This is played with when his body is returned to normal in layers with the first being his muscular system (and presumably fatty tissue) which promptly sags as he continues "jiggly, jiggly bone."
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats'', Sonja teases Heathcliff over how fat he's gotten lately. He tries to say it's only muscle. She's not convinced.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': A variation. Grim isn't thin. He's "delicately boned".
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' episode, "[[Recap/AnimaniacsEpisode1 Nighty-Night Toon]]", the narrator describes the Hip Hippos as being incredibly fat. Marita takes offense to this, but Flavio assures her that they are "simply bigger than life itself". In a later scene, Marita tells the narrator that she and Flavio are big-boned, not fat.

* The "Other Wiki" discusses the [[https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrifty_gene_hypothesis Thrifty Gene Hypothesis]]

** A sumo wrestler used the same excuse when called fat by ''Homer''. He immediately thereafter steals Homer's pretzel.
** Homer also averted this when he told Marge, "No-one gains 30 pounds of bone!" after weighing himself and Marge tried to make him feel better by invoking this trope.

** Bart tries the "I'm big boned" excuse at fat camp in "The Heartbroke Kid". He gets told there is no such thing and whipped.
** In "Radio Bart", Chief Wiggum is asked why he can't fit in a well. He replies with, "Well, I'm too [[LastSecondWordSwap f-... important]]."

Overweight people can be very self conscious. It's understandable. We tend to associate [[FatBastard many negative traits and behaviors with obesity]]. Thus, overweight people tend to come up with any excuse they can to avoid the stigma of [[YouAreFat being labeled as such]]. It isn't that they are fat, they are just big-boned. Or maybe it's just baby fat. Maybe they have a gland disorder or a slow metabolism. It has nothing to do with lack of exercise, or the [[BigEater triple cheeseburger, chili fries and chocolate-covered strawberries they just ate]].

'''Kyle:''' Then he must have a giant bone in his ass!\\
'''Ms. Cartman:''' ''[[[AccidentalInnuendo hysterical laughter]]]''

** In "Radio Bart", Chief Wiggum is asked why he can't fit in a well. He replies with, "Well, I'm too f-... important."

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' -- A fan asked WordOfGod if [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Russia]] was fat, and they received an in-character answer from Russia saying exactly this. He was later shown in a shirt that said "Big Boned" and appeared to be struggling to fit it. The few instances we've seen him without his coats, he appears to be rather muscular.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]

* ''Film/{{Barbershop}}''

* ''Film/TheWrathOfGod''

** Homer also averted this when he told Marge (paraphrase from memory), "Nobody puts on 20 pounds of bone!"

* [[TheSmartGuy Jupiter Jones]] of ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'' is a stocky, round-faced kid who runs to pudge. It's something of a [[BerserkButton sore spot]].

* The "Other Wiki" discusses the Thrifty Gene hypothesis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrifty_gene_hypothesis

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', [[Disney/LiloAndStitch Captain Gantu]] shouts this in response to some of Experiment 626/Stitch's incoherent gibberish taunting.

** Which is funny, considering Maurice and [[Disney/LiloAndStitch Gantu]] have the same voice actor, and this occurs in Aqua's [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Deep Space]]: