Hollywood certainly thinks so…
Amy Schumer, Rebel Wilson, Melissa McCarthy. What do these women have in common? They are all talented actresses; they are all hilariously funny and they are all “plus size” – I use this term loosely, of course, as Amy Schumer for example is only a size 12 (one Hollywood problem at a time, eh?) Whilst it is great that more”plus size” women are gracing our screens, I find it problematic that the only bigger women we see are cast as goofy, loud and brash characters who, even though they are presented as self-empowered, are instead often the butt of the joke.
Being on the larger side of size 12, with fabulous love handles and all, it saddens me that often “plus size” actresses are not shown as complex women on screen: sexy, smart, interesting. Instead, the roles that they are pigeonholed in make it seem that the only desired quality in bigger women is humour. If I’m honest, the type of humour itself is either self-deprecating, ironically arrogant (woe, betide that any “plus size” women actually, you know, have self-esteem), or as a sexual predator. Take a look at the roles that the three women above have played:
Rebel Wilson in Pitch Perfect plays a women who, in a paradoxical display of body confidence, usurps the role of the fat-shamers to joke about her body herself; Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids is pictured as a grotesque caricature, burping and making crude sexual comments; Amy Schumer in Trainwreck is pictured as a polygamous sexually active “trainwreck” (because if you’re having sex outside of a relationship, you’re obviously not happy) who eventually succumbs to monogamy. Do you see where I’m going here? If I’m honest, the phrase that springs to mind with this type of typecasting is “The Fat Fool”: a woman who is over-compensating for her shameful curves. And it’s really pissing me off. Why am I being fed this idea that merely giving “plus size” female actresses screen time is enough to be inclusive? This is not nearly enough. It is not nearly enough for the women who play these roles who have spent time, money and energy striving to become a Hollywood actress, and it is certainly not enough for the young girls, looking down at their tums and thighs, which have to watch them. It is definitely not enough for me.
(Photo Credit: The Mirror)
Next, I want to direct you to the amazing Gabourney Sibdie, who recently had a sex scene in the programme Empire. Instead of the world embracing her amazingness and embracing the fact that big women love sex too, she was unfortunately turned into a horrible meme. The gist of this meme was that “If even Gabourney Sibdie is getting some, then there must be something horribly wrong with you”. The thought of someone sitting down and laughing at her in a most beautiful nature moment of passion makes me feel very sorry for womankind. Are big women simply not allowed to have any another dynamic than funny? A sense of funny that, in itself, lends itself to further fat-shaming and stereotyping. “Plus size” actresses thus simply do not have the chance to shed the label “plus size”. They are simply not allowed to be actresses like every other actress. And “plus size” women are simply not allowed to be women like every other women.
(Photo Credit: Instagram)
Disclaimer: I recognise that this article fails to comment on race in these two examples! As a white women, I felt I could not accurately write on the relationship between race, “plus size” women, and Hollywood, but I am aware that this is of course a real issue. I would love to hear the attitudes of “plus size” minority women have towards typecasting in film and TV so please feel free to write a response!
(Feature photo credit: Google)