Apparently someone changed the Wikipedia entry since tinafeygirl posted, because now it says the song is considered "a sarcastic homage to actress Shelley Winters." I wonder if it was really intended to be "sarcastic" or if that's just a rather narrow-minded assumption on the part of the Wikipedia author, as in, "It's about someone admiring a fat woman, therefore it MUST be sarcastic." What I hear is, on the other hand, is a touching story about a lonely, aging woman who finds consolation with one of her fans. Sad but sweet. Also, according to at least one of his biographies, Reed dated a few "big" women in his youth, and if that's true, then obviously he didn't find the very idea of liking a fat woman utterly ridiculous.
Apparently someone changed the Wikipedia entry since tinafeygirl posted, because now it says the song is considered "a sarcastic homage to actress Shelley Winters." I wonder if it was really intended to be "sarcastic" or if that's just a rather narrow-minded assumption on the part of the Wikipedia author, as in, "It's about someone admiring a fat woman, therefore it MUST be sarcastic." What I hear is, on the other hand, is a touching story about a lonely, aging woman who finds consolation with one of her fans. Sad but sweet. Also, according to at least one of his biographies, Reed dated a few "big" women in his youth, and if that's true, then obviously he didn't find the very idea of liking a fat woman utterly ridiculous.