I hurt my body for the love of myself and the clothes I wear, dress for other people’s satisfaction, and have to figure out what expressing myself through fashion actually looks like to me . It often seems like learning to give myself the grace I seek from the world around me. This can be difficult at times, and, in campus terms, unfair. Because self-validation is just as important as being fat, black, and queer, and I should be getting self-validation from the rest of the world like so many non-marginalized people. This validation can come in many forms, one of which is seeing myself in the pop culture I consume. I’ve had this hope since adolescence.
Strong black protagonists and well-rounded and fully queer characters are on screen more, but on-screen fatness is still hampered. Others now relate more by citing acceptable identities, but obesity is often dismissed as a choice or fault of the person who inhabits that body. Scream is a good show, but its lead is white; The Parker family are black, but There’s a self-deprecating humor about being fat; Drop Dead Diva Bottom line is a movie about a skinny guy living in a fat guy’s body And tried to accept the show it; and “Crazy Fat Diaries” never had an impact on me personally . But Thickest Survival gave us a thick/fat/curvy – whatever word you’re comfortable with right now – man wins, tries, and simply exists. Her body doesn’t make up the whole story, it’s just a part of it, showing a variety of feelings that align with our many different experiences: colorism, discovering your queer identity, dating as a single parent, and reproductive health. Another thing I’m really interested in: This show is about their people and, like Harlem , run the world and four more shots please! , which shows black and brown women in their 90 unlike spinsters who have run out of time, style, and energy.
Mavis is getting into herself, her dreams and will to go on – and so will I. Here I am, writing for a magazine I escaped as a kid, talking about three things I love: style, pop culture, and my body. I’m super excited for season two, but in the meantime, if Buteau wants to send me any dresses she’s wearing on the show, I can email them at any time.
