Once upon a time, I had finished my current show on Netflix and was desperately in search for a new show to binge. In comes a close friend of mine that recommends the show, Drop Dead Diva.
Drop Dead Diva is a show that aired from 2009 - 2014. It follows a very beautiful, thin woman named Deb Dobkins, that gets in a car crash on the way to an audition for The Price Is Right. She goes to heaven and meets her guardian angel, Fred, where she presses the 'Return' button and her soul is sent back, but in the body of Jane Bingum, a 'plus-sized' lawyer. Jane/Deb has to live her life as Jane and learn to love herself for who she is.
Watching the show, I found a character that I could actually relate to. Jane Bingum gives me the inspiration and body positivity role model that I have always needed. Here are the reasons why Jane Bingum is the body positive character we have always needed:
1. She is badass and doesn't take no for an answer.
Being a lawyer, Jane has to think quickly and smart. She takes tricky cases that other lawyers don't want, and engages in them and wins them! A lot of people also treat Jane poorly because of her body type. Jane does not accept this, and proves to herself and people around her that she is beautiful and badass! She makes us feel like we are capable of being strong women too!
2. She is intelligent and very talented.
Jane is a very talented lawyer that never loses a case-especially the tricky ones. She has a huge brain full of knowledge relevant and irrelevant to her career, but it all is relevant to her life. She is also an amazing singer, dancer, and fashionista! Jane makes us feel that we can be beautiful and smart at the same time - something that often is frowned upon in today's society.
3. She surrounds herself with people that accept her for who she is.
Jane's best friend Stacy is a model and actress and was friends with Jane when she was Deb. At first, Stacy was very confused about the situation, but living together, they have bonded and their friendship continues to grow. Jane's best friend Stacy and her guardian angel Fred love Jane for who she is and don't expect her to change to please the outside world. Jane teaches us that we deserve to be treated with respect and to surround ourselves with people that love and accept us.
4. She struggles with body acceptance...
Jane Bingum is a size 16 - the average size a woman in America wears today, although most women around Jane are much smaller sizes. Jane has experienced size discrimination. These thinner women have given her dirty looks, her boss assigned her a case about size discrimination because he "thought she would understand," and people have dated her because of her size. When she is first placed in Jane's body, she wakes up every morning staring in the mirror and feeling poorly about herself. In this way, she is relatable and helps us feel like we are not alone.
5. But learns to love herself along the way.
Jane quickly realizes that there is more to herself than her body size. She is wicked smart, funny, selfless, kind, and beautiful. And she learns that if people don't accept her body, then they can turn around and leave.
