With the recent production of Hairspray Live! being so well received and generally amazing, I realized just how much this musical means to me and what it is that makes it so special. This was one of the first musicals I saw and fell in love with and could actually watch over and over again and there is truly so much about it that enticed me as a younger girl.
Being a fat girl growing up in Baltimore, it seems almost quintessential that I would've belted out my own renditions to the score of this musical countless times in the shower. It meant so much to me to be able to see my city put in the spotlight for once without it being about something negative. Seeing Baltimore in such an upbeat and positive light is something that I would not appreciate until later on in my life but it still continues to bring me joy. It just feels good to know the references in it and know that you have walked passed those landmarks countless times and can relate to the things being mentioned about your hometown. But still, there is something more that has always drawn me in to this musical.
Tracy Turnblad was one of my idols growing up. She was so unapologetically herself and, more importantly, unapologetically fat. This was something that I would end up craving in my life without realizing that was what I was missing. She is still one of few characters who has a main role as a fat woman and is not used as the punchline of a joke. Sure, there are times where humor is found in her fatness but it never swallows her identity, as is seen with so many other fat women in media and drama. She is the leading role and finds love and success not in spite of her fatness but more so because of her fatness and what that means in terms of her identity. She is not struggling to lose weight or feels ashamed of her body but embraces it and even convinced her mother to do the same. It truly meant so much to me and still does to this day to watch a fat girl that looks so much like me be lived and praised and fearlessly herself as she goes toward her dreams. I have aimed to live my life by these ideals and can truly thank this musical for that, as well as for giving me a positive role model in a niche community that is so desperately lacking.
