For years, I have carried the shame and stigma associated with being a fat woman in a society that values thinness above all else. My husband, on the other hand, is conventionally attractive and athletic, embodying the very ideals that I have been taught to aspire to. Despite his unwavering love and desire for me, I have often felt self-conscious and unworthy when we venture out into public. I worry that others will judge us as an unevenly matched couple, that they will assume I am not the svelte, athletic woman they expected. These insecurities stem from the lack of representation of fat women in the media. We are rarely seen as romantic leads, and when we are, it is often in a humorous or derogatory context. We are the funny best friend, the object of ridicule, or the pitiable figure who is destined to end up alone and miserable.
However, a recent surge in groundbreaking shows is challenging this harmful stereotype. In the latest season of “Bridgerton,” we are introduced to Pen, a socially awkward writer who is not only intelligent and witty but also inhabits a body that is larger than the norm for female characters on screen. And in BBC One’s “The Tourist,” Danielle Macdonald plays Helen, a woman who is engaged to a cruel and controlling man who constantly insults her and belittles her ambitions. When Helen finally wakes up to the toxicity of her relationship and falls into a passionate affair with Elliot, who never questions his attraction to her, it is a moment of triumph for fat women everywhere.
These shows are not only entertaining but also healing for fat women. They remind us that we are worthy of love, respect, and representation. We can be joyful, fulfilled, successful, talented, sexy, and beautiful. And we can absolutely bang hot guys (in horse-drawn carriages or elsewhere). I am grateful for these shows for reminding me of this. They are a powerful force for good, and I hope that they will continue to challenge the harmful stereotypes that have plagued fat women for far too long.
