When you think about your favorite actors, actresses, singers, models, etc., how many plus-sized men and women come to mind? Chances are you can only think of a couple, or if you are like most people, probably none. The way plus-sized people, women especially, are portrayed in media is not the same as thinner-figured individuals are portrayed. Because of the way bigger women are shown in the media, women have begun to believe the term “plus-sized” or “fat” is bad. Thanks to the body positivity movement, however, we are showing women of all shapes and sizes that it is okay to love your body regardless of your size.
The film industry rarely casts full-figured women in lead roles, and if they do, she serves as comedic relief; take, for example, Fat Amy. Other times she is hidden amongst the crowd. We also see them portrayed as the “ugly duckling” who usually overcomes obstacles caused because of her weight, and gets the man in the end, like in the movies Hairspray and Just Wright. Rarely is there a movie where a plus-sized woman’s weight isn’t the source of her lack of confidence, depression, or undesirability. Why can’t we cast more big women in leading roles? Are we shaping a negative belief in our society?
It is no doubt that the media sculpts the way we think about everyday life. Not only do movies outline the way adult women think, but it changes the way young girls see themselves. If a young girl is watching her favorite movies or TV shows and all of her favorite characters are tall and thin, the girl will begin to wonder why her body does not look that way. The fix is as simple as casting plus-sized girls to stop insecurity at a young age.
As an attempt to help this cause, women all over the world have started the body positivity movement. This movement acts to encourage girls to love their bodies no matter what color, how big, how rough or scarred, or how different. The body positivity movement has brought women of all backgrounds and cultures together to grow and work as a team rather than against each other. Famous women have spoken on the topic, such as Demi Lovato, Mary Lambert, Rihanna, and Rebel Wilson, all saying that this movement has helped them cope with being a larger woman in media and is helping their sisters get the recognition they deserve.
Although body positivity isn’t supported by all, it has helped thousands of young women accept their bodies. As the movement continues to grow, the way plus-sized men and women are viewed will hopefully change. No longer will “fat” or “plus-sized” be an insult, and no longer will only “skinny” people take the leads in the media. The future of film should heavily rely on the reflection of reality. Plus-sized women embody the hues of womanhood and should be appreciated.
I love this article. It is great to have young girls reading and writing articles like this. It is such a great article. So glad I got to read this.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a very important article and that people should really understand how the media affects young children and how they view themselves. This is an amazing article.
ReplyDeleteThis is very well written. It is so wonderful that this is from a high schooler and they are bringing awareness to this issue. Now days, kids look to movie stars, and magazines on how their bodies should look, and it's great that this child is bringing this issue to light. As a woman myself, I have struggled with my body image myself and it's taken me a long time to be happy in my own skin. I'm so happy and hopeful that the younger generation will be happy in their own skin sooner than later. Thank you so much for sharing this article.
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