Quirky Black Girls: Watch out for the Big Girls: Some Thoughts on TLC’s Big Sexy

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Watch out for the Big Girls: Some Thoughts on TLC’s Big Sexy

via The Crunk Feminist Collective by crunkadelic on 9/14/11

One of TLC's latest unscripted shows, Big Sexy, has been hailed by some critics as a "plus-sized Sex and the City." The show follows five fluffy friends who live in New York City and work in the beauty industry. Viewers get to tag along as the ladies traverse the ups-and-downs of careers, romantic life, and sisterhood in the Big Apple.

Despite a premise that didn't seem to completely insult my intelligence, I was pretty ambivalent about watching the show. Now, let's not get it twisted. Like some of my fellow CFs, I'm not above watching a little reality TV to pass the time. Catch me at the gym and I might just be keeping up with the Kardashians or some similarly inane E! show. (Most of my favorite shows are on Food Network or the Cooking Channel and the last thing you want to do while you're sweating to the oldies is watch Ina Garten make some truffle mac and cheese). Plus, I'll admit it: one day I got sucked into watching a marathon of Ice Loves Coco. While those are hours that I'll never get back, I have to say that I was mightily amused. That should count for something, right?

But, I digress. Despite my questionable reality TV show choices, I was not planning on catching Big Sexy. Although the advertisements were fairly innocuous in a world hell-bent on fat shaming (they featured confident plus-sized women sashaying arm-in-arm down glittery NYC streets, proclaiming that the world better "watch out!"), I feared a fetishization of fatness, at worst, or a 60-minute PSA on how "fat people are just like us!" at best. So, while we're myth busting, let me make some other startling revelations: black people read books, men cry, and gay folks are not out to "convert" straight people. Likewise, Bigfoot (also known as "Sasquatch") is not real…although there was a brotha I dated for a while in ATL that sort of fits the description…but, that's a story for another day.

In other words, I couldn't forget TLC's generally shamtastic and rather dubious, exploitative, and ableist lineup of "educational" shows that display a fascination with multiples, little people, and "medical anomalies." Suffice it to say, I was ready to dismiss the show and avoid it the way I avoid the Basketball Wives franchise.

But, one night I was flipping through the channels, lamenting that the new season of Parks and Rec was not on yet and I stumbled into watching Big Sexy. And, after all my shit talking, the show was actually kind of decent. The women were smart, funny, and genuinely seem to like and respect one another. (In fact, they are so nice to each other that I fear this show will not last more than one season for lack of "drama").

I appreciated that the show's narrative talked about their careers in fashion in a way that was not dismissive but instead emphasized the women's creativity and ambition. One woman, who works as a plus-sized model, frankly discussed her frustrations with body image and her agent's push for her to lose more weight in order to be more marketable. Another woman launched a bikini fashion line that catered to busty women (D cup or higher) who often struggle finding bathing suit tops that don't look either matronly or super risqué. I especially appreciated the episode when one of the women experienced a breakup; her girls rallied around her, buoyed her spirits, and then they painted the town—as your girls should do. When one woman suggested that they all go to a Big Beautiful Woman (BBW) party, they mostly balked. One complained that only "snaggletoothed" dudes attended such events. Another woman affirmed that mostly men with "fat fetishes" frequented these parties. Remembering a fateful BBW party that Crunktastic and I attended in 2006 or so, I laughed heartily and had to concur.

Now, I might seem to be gushing about the show, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's perfect. I mean, it's a show on TLC, so there's that. It's not a show that can/will be all things to all people. Still, I did give the side eye to a few things. It's super-heteronormative, for one. Big girls are on all parts of the sexual continuum and it would be cool to reflect that. Also, I do find it interesting that there are no African American women on the show. (The show features three white women and two Latinas). Considering all the public chatter about black women and our weight, I think it's an interesting choice that the producers of the show have made. It would also be interesting to see some Asian and indigenous sisters too. You know, big girls do come in all shades and ethnicities.

And, speaking of race, the dating episode did have an interesting tidbit about black folk—black men, in particular. All of the women remarked that mostly black men approached them and that white men very rarely did so. Then the ladies hosted a BBW party that screened out the busted and digusted and they came up with about 20 or so generally attractive black and Latino brothas. By the end of the party, most of the women had multiple phone numbers and were calling the night a success. Now, I wasn't sipping haterade as I watched the show (it was margarita), but I did think, "See, all these women are beautiful, but they are all lighter than a paper bag and, despite what we might have said in the 90s, light-skin has never been out of style." Now, I certainly don't expect TLC to discuss issues of skin-color privilege on this light-hearted show, especially considering how volatile the issue is (let's not forget last year's conversation on colorism on the blog was like a feminist death match), but I did think that fact complexion is often a significant factor in dating is worth remembering.

So far, I think Big Sexy is fun and I'll probably add it to my arsenal of procrastination programming. I look forward to seeing a variety of shows that more accurately reflect diverse body types without simply relegating full-figured folks to shaming or punchlines. I mean, can a big girl get some love?