Scrolling through my Facebook feed one day I was given the unfortunate surprise of seeing a post about a video game release. Anyone who’s been a part of the gaming community can tell you that unhappy clients are sub for par. They always have a problem and always see fit to harass game developers about it. This particular post however struck a chord in me. The headline was about a-now confirmed-fake article about why the main characters of Assassin’s Creed, a well known rpg game should be plus-sized. The comments seen online ranged from “she would have a heart attack climbing the stairs.” to comparing a plus-sized main character to a beached whale revealed a view of women and their natural bodies that was honestly cringe worthy.
If you’re a girl gamer, you know all too well how your community sees you. You know that the characters you may identify with will be limited. You know that things like this are unfortunately said.
But this incident does shed light on how a particular type of women are seen by most of society.
Throughout the years plus size people, particularly women have been seen in a bad light. The general perception of these individuals is that they are unhealthy, unfit, and in dire need of help. If you attempt to defend these women, you can be accused of ‘excusing obesity and unhealthy eating.’ You will be told that you are doing them no favors, and that the harsh commentary is for their own good.
The fallacy in this line of thinking is that plus sized individuals often look the way they do due to genetics and body type rather than the way they eat. We as a society constantly feel the need to shame them and tell them how to conduct their lives, all while ignoring the fact that people with a slimming frame can be just as unhealthy in their eating habits; and therefore have as many, if not more, health problems. It should also be noted that negative commentary has been known to cause problems with self-image among females. These include but are not limited to low self-esteem, self-loathing and eating disorders.
Throughout the media, plus sized women are treated as a joke, as individuals who are obsessed with food and need to lose weight. There aren’t many, if any, important characters who are plus sized. It’s never seen as a ‘natural’ or ‘normal’ body type, if it’s seen at all.
In a video released by Buzzfeed multiple women who fall under the category of plus sized gave their insight into these mentalities.
“People like to use fat as a weapon.” a woman named Sarah said “Like I’ll sometimes say it and people actually jump. It is what I am but that doesn’t mean I‘m less of a person.”
The girls in the video also admit that being plus sized also comes with a stigma of being a virgin, of being untouchable.
“It’s unfair.” said Kelly, another girl in the video “and it is highly inaccurate. I’ve never had a problem..”
Kelly also added that people think that “me existing in my body is a call for them to help me. I don’t need their help.”
The real problem in the media however, is misrepresentation. “Not seeing someone who looked like me in the media…really fucked me up.” said Margie, another girl in the video “When you don’t see yourself in the media you inherently think you’re not good enough.”
What the media needs to do is show women of all body types who are comfortable with themselves. What girls need to be told-and shown- by the media is that their bodies are fine the way they are. Society needs to accept plus sized women, so that they in turn can accept themselves and be happy with their body.