Bethany Rutter

[GiftedNotFree]

I do like her overall, but I really detest her selfie face. Little pursed mouth, dry with liquid lipstick... makes me shudder! Just pose naturally lass

I think she’s really pretty but that pose is so annoying. Sometimes her lips remind of of a cats bum hole.

 

[jessicarrr]

Agree with the above - she is really pretty and has a lovely smile but we never see this unless in a candid pic from someone else. It's tricky isn't it because we are all guilty of posting the best/most flattering photos of ourselves but it can then be a bit jarring to see a more natural pic of someone, especially when BR does look different/fatter in candid pics.

For example, I very rarely post pics of myself smiling as I'm not a big fan of my teeth but then I'm not an advocate for tooth positivity (if there were such a thing!) and wouldn't think any less of someone for getting braces or orthodontic work.

Also, totally don't get the hype over the earrings

 

[PaintPots]

I haven’t listened to her book podcast for a while but was interested about the new Sally Rooney book, but five mins in I cannot take her faux bants. Refers to herself in the third person and keeps rolling her R’s… I don’t know if I can carry on listening. Also makes me puke that each episodes is called ‘the lads do…’ etc. You’re private schooled painfully middle class, stop

I find the whole "The Lads" thing a bit insulting? They are sooooo middle class it just feels gross.

 

[SpritneyBeers]

This post is still on her website https://archive.ph/MG6tt (archive link in case she deletes) surprised she hasnt taken it down!

 

[TrolleyParton]

She went OFF on a friend of mine who was really close to her for losing weight after starting more exercise. The friend was about the size Bethany is now actually and apparently there had been some tension that she did not ‘support’ fat bodies by getting bigger. We aren’t friends anymore but she was really upset that as someone more pear shaped and the ‘largest’ of the people Bert knew who wore non plus sizes she was ‘picked out’ to be a bopo follower. Basically ‘babes, you’re on the cusp so less of a project.’

Friend was having a lot of pain and possibly had fibro. So took up exercise (under advice) and turned out she had cancer. Had to have her lymph nodes removed in one arm, chemo, radiotherapy and a bunch of steroid treatments and went up from a UK14 to 20 and Bethany told her your body knows the size it wants to be. I saw that text. She may have meant it like ‘don’t diet right now, keep healing’ not ‘got ya fat pal!’ but it landed as well as you’d expect to a woman in her mid 20s with cancer.

I think I might know who this is, won't name her as she's not got a huge follower count online but, if it's the same person I'm thinking of, I can remember a lot of nasty subtweets about fatphobia from our Good Pal Bert after this person tweeted that she was feeling uncomfortable due to a weight gain after steroid treatment on top of having lost her hair etc. If it's not the same person you're thinking of then it seems BR has done this to two different people. Such support. Much feminism.

 

[GiftedNotFree]

WHO IS BUYING THESE

 

[frillylilly]

Omg next we’ll have that weird mouse friend of BR’s who refused to show the kitchen her dad bought her cos of us..... I legit don’t even know ur name hun

Oh god she is a thousand times worse that CBHC

 

[ShadieSadie]

I’m no make up expert, but this is not a good look…

She seems to stopped dressing like Mr Tumble if he hung out in Daunt Books and gone more Panto in Midsummer.

I’m no crochet expert but doesn’t she also post every sweaty grey gym t shirt selfie in town but is comfortably wearing what is basically a woolly jumper in warm weather? How does that work? Is it because roof top gardens etc are always actually windy AF while charging more for your small* plates?

*smol but still a size twenty plates of course

 

[GiftedNotFree]

She’s from a wealthy family. Probably bankrolled to some degree I’d imagine. Wonder if her husbands family are wealthy too? They bought a flat in London, so definitely not without means.

 

[Imainlylurk]

Also the basic premise seems to be the same as her YA novels, which is fine I guess - there's obviously a gap in the market for a fat romantic heroine who "discovers" she's actually amazing and worthy of a great relationship/love... but I dunno, I'm skeptical of how many different ways that story can actually be told maybe I'm being overly harsh but from listening to her book podcast it's not exactly like its a genre that BR enjoys reading herself so huh... I dunno what I'm trying to say but I guess I just can't get behind her enthusiasm for these books. I feel bad as I do like her!



This is how I read it. I think her non monogamous phase was very much led by her ex Dennis and as soon as they split it wasn't something she pursued with other partners.

Also the basic premise seems to be the same as her YA novels, which is fine I guess - there's obviously a gap in the market for a fat romantic heroine who "discovers" she's actually amazing and worthy of a great relationship/love... but I dunno, I'm skeptical of how many different ways that story can actually be told maybe I'm being overly harsh but from listening to her book podcast it's not exactly like its a genre that BR enjoys reading herself so huh... I dunno what I'm trying to say but I guess I just can't get behind her enthusiasm for these books. I feel bad as I do like her!



This is how I read it. I think her non monogamous phase was very much led by her ex Dennis and as soon as they split it wasn't something she pursued with other partners.

So right about it not being the type of fiction Bethany really seems to enjoy herself!
So I was curious as to whether anyone reads her books outside her network of middle class London publishing types and had a look at the reviews on Goodreads... the ones for No Big Deal are pretty positive, although a lot of them say things like "I wish I'd had a book like this when I was a teenager" which suggest it's not reaching actual young adults. The reviews for Melt My Heart are a bit more lukewarm with a suggestion that the plot is rather weak. For both books, there is a prominent five star review from none other than... Alice Slater

 

[KindaWeird]

Totally agreed. I can't believe she can't see that its also:
a) a little disrespectful to her friends with small businesses
b) suspicious given shes never really shown much desire to make/sell things like this before now / hasn't just addressed the fact that its a blatant cash grab given that shes lost her job and hubby likely isn't bringing in much at the moment (assumed)
c) contradictory to be using polymer clay as someone who loves to virtue signal sustainability towards other brands.

Polymer clay earrings feel horrible and look so cheap up close. Yes they are lightweight but can't be good to have yet more plastic crap in the world?

 

[Margi989]

She's just a parody.

 

[VictoriaLucas]

Sounds like she had a parasocial relationship with BR- she felt they were friends (or at least knew each other?) but to BR, she’s nobody.

I’m sure that is a biting feeling but not really BR’s fault and the concept is not original OR very much of the book at all. I’m glad for this person’s sake that they have conceded but they may need to take some time to decompress now and forget about it.

 

[GiftedNotFree]

She is SLOWLY but surely getting better but who in their right mind would pay fifteen British pounds for those???? The mind boggles. It’s extortion.
There are loads of artists on Etsy selling the same thing - for much better quality - at lower prices.

 

[inksmear]

Do you know her IRL? Her husband doesn't seem wealthy at all to me!! This is the same man who was selling badges made from his hair

I mean come on that is clearly rich boy behaviour LBR!!!! No one who actually had to work for a living would think that a suitable or respectable way to put food on the table.

 

[Ihatepeonies]

I keep noticing it and then forgetting to post about it but I think the way she calls her husband Lil P is demeaning

 

[Eurgh]

I’m honestly quite surprised she hasn’t gone after Sally Rooney for not having enough/any fat characters in her books.

 

[frillylilly]

I think it depends on whether she took content from the person's blog or not? If it's just the concept of going on one date a week for a year then I'm not sure the blogger can claim that as hers? It's been done before surely?

 

[NcMuggets]

Just found this thread from the FFFB one and it's been a wild ride.

I've followed our ol' pal Bert for a looooooong time, we used to even be Livejournal friends I think (along with Charlotte 'Monitoress' who I agree is absolutely lovely and stunningly elegant), so I'm glad it's not just me who finds the transition from queer polyam fashion proudly hairy 20something about town to married old-before-their-time author who makes appalling jewelry quite bizarre.

And that's even before you get me into the rich parents funded everything and allowed her

Does anyone else remember in Bert's DOMO Dennis days she was also dating a very cute, very young babygay called Jasmine? Idk why but I still now wonder about the weird dynamic there and wtf Jasmine got out of it. (Pretty clear what 40-odd Dennis got out of it)

Another weird one, but another person from that era and who was friends with Bethany, Callie, George etc was Melly - used to be Mellymeep on twitter but got her account deleted? Anyone know what became of her? She was a plus sizer with decent following but not an influencer per se, always thought she was sound and would love to know her current @

Melly is still around but on IG (same handle). She is fabulous, love her to bits.

 

[Hazzachat]

Used to really like her but she’s driving me mad at the moment. Given that she openly says she’s a very sweaty person WHY does she feel the need to always wear Grey marl for running? Those sweaty cheat selfies are rank, why would you post them on the internet