Big Sexy on TLC

[thirtiesgirl]

TLC network is launching a new plus size 'reality' show about 4 fat women trying to make it as plus size models in New York. I saw a teaser commercial for the show this morning. From what I saw, it looks like the show partially focuses on the women's lives, and is not just all about fashion and modeling. For info about the show, click here: Read more... )

Comments

[iteari]

I'm behind you on the thin-shaming. When I was younger, I used to say stuff like that out of hurt and anger for being told so many times how insignificant my body and I were compared to so-and-so and their thinner bodies. The deeper I got into feminism, the more I realized that my thin-bashing was making thin women feel the same way I did when I was fat-shamed.

I'm still interested in seeing this show, well, interested, but also apprehensive. I've read and commented on this already on Lesley Kinzel's blog, but I like the concept, but it can be so easy to turn this into just garbage TV. Also, I will be in rage if I have to hear the fauxbesity epidemic without any critical tone to that hysteria but that's another rant for another time.

[cabbagemedley]

I completely agree - it's supposed to be body acceptance, people, not an eye for an eye. It makes me really sad that the only way some people (fat or thin) can express body confidence is by putting other people down.

I've thrown people in the past because when they heard I was into fat acceptance, they assumed I would want the media to stop representing very thin women and go for a more "healthy" average. Not in the slightest - I want to see thin women, average women and fat women. I just want the media to stop overrepresenting thin women so that other people feel the pressure to attain that body type even when it's not natural for them.

[51stcenturyfox]

This! People come in all sizes. I want to see models and actors in all sizes, particularly, without their weight being a plot point or feed a stereotype in the case of actors. Starring Jane Ingenue as the fat girl!

I do like the positive "heyyyy, we're sexy!" vibe of the show promos, but calling thin women names isn't the way to make the point. I have thin friends who have body acceptance issues, were called "twig" and other unflattering names, etc.

[rhonwyyn]

I KNEW I recognized someone in the previews!! And I've seen another girl (same girl?) in an unrelated commercial. Tengogozo, I think is her LJ name, and she did the "Staircase Wit" videos. Why can't I think of her name?! Ugh. Thyroid brain, I don't like you!

[thirtiesgirl]

Joy Nash. I'm going to have to look at the pic more closely to see if she's in the group.

[purplekeychain]

I've been seeing these commercials for this show for several weeks now... and while I understand where everyone (posting here) is coming from, and I even agree with the negative connotations behind "skinny minnies" and "real women" and "twigs", I think it's also important to recognize that the show is not based on the tenets of FA, body acceptance of HAES. It's about fat women asserting their sex appeal and trying to make it in the modeling industry. And I think if you're going into the show looking for more than typical reality show fare -- gratuitous half-nudity, misogyny, sexualizing food, hot tubs, and ignorant comments about skinny women being inferior to fat women, etc. -- then you are probably going to be pretty disappointed. These women strike me as the same women who write clothing reviews that say stupid shit like "I love that this shirt makes me look 20 lbs thinner!" or make blanket statements like "When will store-X realize that big girls need to have an hourglass?" Don't believe me? Check out some of the "great" fat

[thirtiesgirl]

Yeah, I kind of got the same feeling about the show myself, but I still have hopes for better things. I'm not sure if those hopes will be met (this being TLC and all), but I'm still going to watch the show with my skepticism in check, until I'm proved wrong. And if I am, I'll voice my opinion to TLC (as I've done with other tv networks who air shows about fat people that have problematic elements) and continue to hope that one day my voice might make a difference.

[041806]

Considering they dumped LA Ink for Tattoo School, I'm not exactly hopeful.

[thirtiesgirl]

Consider also that Kat may have played a large part in why LA Ink got dumped. She's a troubled soul with major communication problems and doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. I think she created her own problems on the show, which lead to TLC's decision to drop it.

[041806]

I don't know much about LA Ink, so thanks for that info.

[cassandrakfreaq]

she is volatile. I am actually kind of scared for her.