Plus Size People In TV Are Not Punchlines
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Plus Size People In TV Are Not Punchlines

Plus-size characters are more than comic relief.

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Plus Size People In TV Are Not Punchlines
Health.com

Nearly every show has a skinny protagonist. I think it is time for larger women to be a part of that circle. There are few "plus size" (a fluid phrase typically targeting women with a dress size of 10 or above) women in TV shows, and when they are there, they often play one of two roles: the quirky best friend who does not get a man or the comic relief. Women are more than their dress sizes. Writers and casting directors need to understand and incorporate that into their stories.

But it is not that simple.

When the only larger woman on a TV show is 1) the quirky best friend who never gets a man or 2) the comic relief, the message is that women of that size are destined to always be alone and serve no purpose other than to make the skinny protagonist laugh and feel good about her size. If the plus size character were taken out of the script, then the only thing lost would not be any development but a source of jokes and comparisons.

Do the writers realize what a toxic message that is to women and young children around the globe watching those shows? Do they know how damaging it is for a chubby teenager to see a character who looks like her on the screen who only exists to make others laugh? Girls grow up seeing themselves as unlovable because a character like them on screen never got a boyfriend. How does that translate into self-esteem? Girls watch TV and see that the only roles a person like her can get are something of no substance.

People write large characters as forever alone and comic reliefs and then wonder why 30 million people suffer from eating disorders.

Now, "This Is Us" fans, before you attack me, let me make one thing clear. Not only do I want larger people in TV shows, I also want their whole character arc to not be about losing weight.

In TV shows that do have larger characters, often the whole side plot for that character has nothing to do with the main plot--their screen presence is all about losing weight. Kate from "This Is Us" is the perfect example. She is a larger woman who is trying to lose weight, and there is nothing wrong with that--except that is her sole purpose. That is all that her character thinks about and does, her only goal. Her goal is not to improve as a person. It is to lose weight.

How does that affect larger people? When they were growing up, they were the quirky best friend, the comic relief who was perpetually single. Now that they're adults, is their only goal in life to lose weight? That's what shows like this are saying.

Often writers and casting directors bring larger people on for the sake of diversity. Diversity is extremely important in a show and is absolutely needed, but the diverse characters they bring on need to serve their own purpose.

If you want to make a TV show about people in America, but have characters who can all fit into a size 2 dress, then I have a newsflash for you--your show is not about people in America. Your show is about the people you want to see. There are large people in America. I mean, the average dress size for women 20 years old and older is between a 16 and 18. Meanwhile, the average dress size for a female protagonist on a TV show is comparatively smaller.

By all means, I am not advocating for obesity. You need to stay healthy, and the best way to do that is through diet and exercise. Nor am I "skinny-shaming" women. Women are beautiful and come in all shapes and sizes.

But it is dangerous to excommunicate a whole body type from TV shows and force images of the "perfect" body into their faces. Different bodies handle food differently. Genetics also play a factor, and metabolism influences weight gain. But by never having larger characters except to be the butt of jokes on the screen will leave larger people pining after the "perfect" body, and they will do anything to be accepted by the casting directors.

That being said, plots do sometimes dictate who can play what character. For instance, you cannot have a larger person play Ellen in To the Bonebecause the movie is revolving around an anorexic, thin woman. Nor can a petite woman play Kate in This is Us. Sometimes the plot of a TV show dictates the appearance of characters. But when it doesn't, there is no reason that there shouldn't be a diverse cast of characters.

What if directors cast people regardless of weight and by talent?

When people watch others who look like them be lauded and respected on screen, what a more positive world we would have.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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