If you've spent any time watching TV or using social media, there's a very good chance you know who Amy Schumer is. Her brand of comedy has revolved around making jokes about her sexuality and her body type, two things that most women are shamed out of discussing. She is no stranger to controversy, and will often face flack for the two things she promotes in her comedy.
Recently, Glamour Magazine released their annual plus-sized issue, meant to promote body positivity in bigger women. One of the articles was called "women who inspire us" and listed Schumer's name alongside people like Adele and Ashley Graham, despite Schumer being far smaller than they are. Schumer didn't like this and took to Instagram, saying that she was a size six to eight and that plus sizes start at size 16, so she didn't deserve to be put in the magazine as "plus sized." (Source)
I think there's nothing wrong with being plus size. Beautiful healthy women. Plus size is considered size 16 in America. I go between a size six and an eight. @glamourmag put me in their plus size only issue without asking or letting me know and it doesn't feel right to me. Young girls seeing my body type thinking that is plus size? What are your thoughts? Mine are not cool glamour not glamourous
In all fairness, she does have a point. Just look at the comment section of any article discussing this issue and you'll see people posting hate about her body, claiming that she's not the size she says she is, and more drivel about the obesity crisis. Many companies have advertised their "plus-sized" clothing with women that could very well fit into straight-sized stores. Calvin Klein advertised their clothing with a model that, while "big" compared to other models, is hardly plus-sized. While we are slowly getting more diverse bodies in the media, people still assume that if you're above a size zero to four, you're plus-sized and fat. Amy Schumer is smaller than I am, and I'm barely plus-sized. What does that say to young women if any non-skinny is fat?
However, there's another side to this issue. Everybody (with the exception of internet trolls) knows that Amy Schumer isn't plus-sized. Honestly, she's barely overweight. However, she calls herself fat often in her comedy, and it is a running joke not only on her show but in her stand-up as well. She loves calling herself fat, despite not being around the same size of the average American woman. Yet, when another magazine listed her with plus-sized celebrities, she felt the need to let everybody know that she wasn't plus-sized. It's an interesting aspect of her comedy, that her body type can be joked about and isn't insulting but when put with women who's body types are not accepted in society, it suddenly isn't funny anymore.
Body acceptance is more important than ever, and it's important that we realize that "plus-sized" is not a bad word. All it means is that you're above a certain size, and Schumer has a point when she says that it's misleading to young women when a straight-sized woman is put alongside larger celebrities. While obesity may be a health crisis, it has no impact on whether one should love themselves, or whether certain sizes should be seen as "worse" than others. However, it's slightly hypocritical to state that being fat is funny and OK when you're straight-sized, yet an insult if someone calls you plus-sized. If being fat is no longer funny, take a step back and look at the brand that you have built for yourself. If fat is OK for you to joke about, it's OK for larger woman to joke about and love about themselves. There's nothing wrong with being plus-sized.
