Hey Hollywood!
Are you there?
Are you listening?
Your viewers have something to say and you need to hear it.
We are not one size fits all! We are not two sizes fits all either. There are more than two classifications of women in general. I am one of them.
I am not overly tall, I'm about 5'4 and fit in a size 8, depending on the fit of the clothes. I am not heavy, but I don't classify myself as thin either, neither does my doctor.
Hollywood only gives us 2 type of women on a regular basis. I had to think of a lot of different shows to find one woman who would be considered average. I really could only think of a few, and they aren't portrayed as beautiful young women, they are often the mom on the show.
Speaking of Mom, if you have seen the show "Mom," that is a good example. It defies logic. Being a full-time working mother and attending graduate school, I can tell you that it is stressful. Stress can cause people to gain weight. If you watch the show one of the main characters is working on staying clean from addiction, working, going to school, living with her mother, and eats out all the time.
The main character is a great actress, but it's unrealistic to expect to live with all that stress and not have issues with weight. One, when does she have time to work out? Two, eating out all the time adds a lot of sodium to your diet and contributes to weight gain.
I applaud the show for dealing with eating as an addiction, but not everyone who is overweight has an eating addiction. Working or living a sedentary life contributes to weight, but it's not the only factor. Most "normal" size people aren't all that overweight but aren't what society considers thin.
Let's talk about "Big Bang Theory." Amy Farrah Fowler is a normal person. She is not a stick and the actress who plays her is a very smart and beautiful woman. They portray the normal size woman as frumpy. The funny thing is she actually has a Ph.D. and doesn't wear glasses or dress frumpy in real life.
If you have watched "Big Bang Theory" lately you will have noticed that Leonard has gotten a bit of a beer belly, which is totally acceptable for male actors but is frowned upon when a female actress gains weight. The first rumor that starts is that they are pregnant. No, they just had a few burritos for lunch.
There are plenty of shows who feature larger women. That is great. "This is Us" is one of the best shows out there right now and anyone who has had weight to lose can identify with Kate on the very first episode when she stares at the cake. It's a great show, but it shows only two sizes of women. If anyone can name a normal size woman on the show, let me know.
Hollywood, if you are still listening, the message is this: We are not all a size 0-2 or a size 26+. We are not all 5'6 or taller. We are not frumpy even though we are smart.
Hollywood, if you are truly looking for change create a show where a normal size woman is the protagonist. A woman who is smart, knows how to dress, and does not whine about her weight all the time. Start there, and if you really don't know how to write that, give me a call.
