Megan Stalter and too much body diversity on TV

Jessica Salmon, Magnetic and (don’t call her) Lena DunhamNew Netflix rom-com Too manywhen she was a little excited about her love life, she had just arrived in London. “Don’t be nervous,” told her someone she barely knew. The handsome guy “has curves, and you have a… big and beautiful butt.”

The truth is, she is not nervous. And we have never seen her worry about her curves. That’s Jesse and the actor who played her Megan Stalterhave common ground. “I’m lucky to love my fat ass,” Stanter told recently charmshe is right: since the beginning, all society has told women that the size of our butts (and breasts and thighs) is the most important thing, and just feeling comfortable on our own skin is actually radical.

I should know. I’m born with vascular disease Klippel-Trenaunay syndromeit deformed my back and right leg. Apart from us‘The whole executive editor, I am a writer, and my memoirs, I’ll look hot in the coffin: And what I used to think about my bodyabout the presence of unconventional fat bodies. So I invested in seeing more rep in Hollywood, but shouldn’t we?

Tiger OsborneNational Association Executive Director to improve fat acceptance, tells usyes, we’re “seeing more physical diversity on TV” these days and can celebrate it, “but that’s partly because the bar is on the floor.” For a long time, we’ve seen “unlimited amounts of representation more, and we’ve been told that it’s enough.”

She pointed at HBO Someone is somewherestarring Bridget Everettas an example of a show, it is an example of how things are figured out by having the protagonist Sam “become a fulfilling person” rather than a fat friend, villain, or someone who spins around weight and/or the desire to lose it, but rather by having the protagonist Sam “become a fulfilling person.” (The key baby is – Crime – No renewal after the third season.)

“We see more fat people on TV, but we don’t see the level of population representation in any meaningful way” and are not usually at the level of obesity reflected in the real world. That is, even the role of fat is said to be small in the field of fat spectrum. But things are improving: “We see more protagonists,” she says, “and more partners. They are not just funny fat friends or awkward fat friends. They are fat friends with real storylines, and that’s not always about their weight.” She likes Hulu’s Single women For this purpose, especially Lily Mae HarringtonCharacter Felicia: “She has a real storyline. It’s a small storyline, but the storyline is a real storyline.” ((Single women: Another key success, canceled after two seasons. )

April LockhartA person with physical differences is a fashion influencer who has unknowingly become a supporter of people with disabilities. “I have no plans Miss Rachel,” she told us. “I like to go Fashion Week. “But in 2022, she started a series called “Socially Normalizing Disabled Fashion Girls” with the goal of “helping people see that disability is very important every day.” One in four people are disabled. This is so common. ”

Judging from American TV and movies, you will never know. It’s important for Lockhart to see people who are different, disabled or fat or any other “other”: “The more you see, the more familiar it becomes.” She added: “I don’t want to pretend that I always keep them all together and I always feel the best…but nowadays, it’s a big part of my platform, which also helps. What’s the point of hiding it now?”

“Perhaps the most important thing is: “We haven’t really seen people with disabilities yet. “We’ve seen inspirational, but not ambitions. Fashionable teenage girls like Lockhart and me just live our lives while being physically different and getting fat. She shares the story of a friend with facial differences, who says that usually in TV and movies, people like him are bad guys. With characters like Penguin or the most famous character of all time, Scar: The Lion Kingfamous for his…scars. “We are people who work normally and do things cool, and I think that’s a secondary factor for us in many ways.”

Fat or deformation characters are not perfect either (because no one is). Stick to think that you are equally derogatory. Osborne mentioned Baby reindeerand criticism of his main rival Martha (Jessica Geining) Fat (for example, “Why must she be fat to become a crazy stalker lady?”). “Fat actors of all genders should be able to play various roles without being accused of making the world worse because they play a person, not an angel. We are not representative enough to keep that up.” She makes a good point: “Whether you think of this role, it’s a great performance for that actress.”

She also quickly clarified that we shouldn’t congratulate ourselves also For a small part of the improvement we have seen. In terms of Hollywood’s representation, we’re seeing growth. But “the fat people in the real world have to fight the inability to use public transportation because the seats are too small, or are publicly harassed, or systematic medical and employment discrimination.” None of these are storylines I’ve seen anywhere, at least not as others or as exotic ways to make the characters feel.

In episode 3 Too manyJess and her new boyfriend FelixSharp), who told her: “You’re sexy. You know you’re sexy.” He was right. she Do Know. It seems like she thinks she needs to be unsafe because that’s what she expects. Too many It’s part of the fairy tale, so yes, this idyllic world in which Jesse’s body size and shape are mostly irrelevant, especially with her new beauty, which is a dream. Importantly, Jess is a person without restraint and her story doesn’t revolve around the fact that she is without restraint.

This is what to say: more. of. this. Baby, we have come a long way. And we still have a long way to go.