What's Size Gotta Do With It6/19/2018 There's a problem in the entertainment world. It's not a secret, but it has been accepted for far too long and in this day of body positivity, it has got to go! The myth that plus sized women can't be leads is archaic. Women who are size 4 can find love just as women who are size 16 or 22. The entertainment industry needs to do a better job of being inclusive to all body types. Early on in acting, women are told they must be a certain body type to fill the different roles in theater. The lead is almost always skinny and beautiful. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with being skinny, there is also nothing wrong with being average, or plus sized. When theaters segregate their plus sized actors to lesser, demeaning, or "undesirable" roles they are sending out a message to their audience. Now I know multiple plus sized, beautiful, talented women who have been passed over for their weight. They've been told to just lose a few pounds and they could have better roles, or that their talent is monumental, but unfortunately their weight guarantees them never seeing the spotlight. Let's talk about average for a moment. According to recent studies, the average female in the US is a size 16, but watching films and theater the lead woman is rarely above a size 6. The exception to this is in comedy, but those actresses weight is used as a punch line. If a role doesn't specify size, why aren't more plus sized women getting those parts? The theater world prides itself on being inclusive, but the reality is that it isn't. In fact, it's highly judgmental and oftentimes cruel to those it decides is "unworthy." There's the argument that media is an illusion and a medium of escape for those watching. They sit and watch the pretty, skinny women fall in love, achieve their dreams, and live in that fantasy world because they feel undesirable. But do they feel that way because they are ashamed, or do they feel that way because they have been conditioned to feel ashamed of their looks and weight? I bet, if those casting started casting for their public, instead of the male gaze, that society would see a healthier, happier female population. Enough. Enough teaching young girls that being fat means you're ugly and that you'll never find love or be successful as long as you are fat. Enough using media to feed into women's insecurities that they will never be perfect. They are perfect. And it's time that the theater world caught on to that. Photo used with permission by TipsTimesAdmin in conjunction with creative commons.
3 Comments
Alexa
6/20/2018 06:14:16 am
Men (especially skinny men who aren't overly muscular) face similar issues. I've watched "overweight" and "underweight" men get told the same things. So I don't think it's purely a female issue. I do think females are more objectified than men in the business. At the end of the day, the consumers need to say something. The business won't change its practices unless the consumers start saying they dont want to see this on stage or screen.
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Cole
6/20/2018 09:11:55 am
I agree with Alexa, the consumers need to change, and forgive me for bringing my field into this but it was brought to my attention last night, I don’t want to see women who look like me on stage. I hate how heavy I am. Putting a mirror in front of someone is not a pleasurable experience to a lot of people. Is it society putting that guilt on me? Is it my own deep rooted issues, probably a little of both but that requires work to combat instead of just getting lost in a performance like I wanted to do. Can we as a society outwardly acknowledge mental health and how eating/anxiety/substance use disorders can begin with such intense scrutiny? Maybe a little extra around the waist indicates a happy healthy lady and that’s what I want. I want to be happy and healthy, with me doing my best. How can we get everyone to look and say healthy isn’t being so thin or perfectly fit, maybe it’s being well rounded ;)
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