This Is Us, Empire, and 7 Other TV Shows That Actually Get Body Positivity Right
By Christopher Rosa. Photos: Getty Images.
If you're plugged into pop culture, then you probably know all about This Is Us, the hit NBC show that just wrapped its highly emotional first season. The show could be heavy-handed and melodramatic at times, sure, but it also addressed several topics that primetime TV has steered clear of in the past—especially when it comes to weight and body image. One of the main characters, Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz), spent the first season trying to lose weight, and the show depicted her journey in a brutally realistic way—the highs, the lows, and the monotony. For the first time, we saw up close and personal what the path to self-love and body acceptance looks like. It's more than just snapping a gym selfie; it takes work. And most of that work has nothing to do with losing weight—a theme that slowly but surely found its way into Kate's storyline.
At first, it might not seem like a character obsessed with losing weight is good for body positivity, but it is in Kate's case. She illustrated what many plus-size people (myself included) go through on a daily basis. For arguably the first time in primetime TV history, weight struggles weren't part of the punchline. Audiences weren't mocking Kate; they empathized with her. That's a huge win for body positivity.
Kate isn't alone on this ship. We still have plenty of work to do, but several recent TV shows have swapped lazy fat jokes for inclusive, body-positive messages. Of course, this means more than creating characters with an eff-you attitude toward the scale. Some of these shows highlight the real issues non-thin people face on a daily basis (like This Is Us). Some don't focus on weight and have their non-thin characters just exist in the world. Some of these shows do both—and those are the best ones. These nine TV shows, below, have the idea.
Empire, Becky Williams (Gabourey Sidibe)
Becky is Luscious' executive assistant at Empire Entertainment—and she happens to be plus-size. Her weight is not really a topic of conversation—both in and out of the office. Even though weight discrimination is very much a thing, it's refreshing to see Becky just living her life at work with no problems at all. (I feared for years that my weight would hinder my career, so Becky is comforting on a personal level.) Hopefully, this fictional portrayal helps change the tides IRL. And let's not forget about the love scene between Becky and MC J Poppa (Mo McRae) in the second season! It was one of the first times non-thin intimacy was featured on primetime TV, but it certainly won't be the last. Yes, plus-size people like to have sex, too. Get over it.
Orange Is the New Black, Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson (Danielle Brooks)
Orange Is the New Black does a really great job at emphasizing "Taystee's" self-confidence but also acknowledging the realities of what it's like to be a woman of color and plus-size. Brooks plays "Taystee" as self-confident, but even still, she (like anyone who is plus-size) faces hard times and snide comments from her peers. In one particularly guttural scene, "Taystee's" awful mentor, Vee (Lorraine Toussant), compliments her for wearing a "flattering" dress to her mock interview. Cringe. This is difficult to watch, yes, but it's very important. We need to see people with different bodies being strong and vulnerable because that's what life is. Most of us have experienced the duality of wanting to love ourselves but striving to fit unrealistic society "norms." It's about time we see that in our entertainment.
This Is Us, Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz)
Again, This Is Us could do a better job at expanding the scope of Kate's character. She spent most of the season feeling overweight and unhappy. That's it. However, the show did an amazing job at really depicting what it's like to attempt a weight loss journey. We're not just watching Day 1 and Day 365. We're watching Day 21—and sometimes Day 21 is boring. Sometimes you make a not-so-great decision on Day 21. This Is Us also highlights struggles many plus-size people know too well in a non-exploitative way: anxiety about fitting into airplane seats and walking up long flights of stairs, wondering if people are mocking you at parties, etc. It forces people who've never experienced these feelings to step outside of their comfort zones. And that's so important.
Conviction, Jackson Morrison (Daniel Franzese)
As a plus-size gay man, I've never identified with anyone in pop culture more than Daniel Franzese. He's made a career of playing nuanced, queer, larger-bodied characters—from Damian in Mean Girls to Eddie in HBO's Looking. His most recent character continues this trend. Jackson Morrison is a whip-smart political campaign manager and the brother of Conviction's protagonist, Hayes (Hayley Atwell). He's also gay and plus-size—two characteristics that only come up in passing. But not in a fleeting way: The show makes it clear that Jackson has experienced hardship over his size and sexuality. It just doesn't focus on these attributes, which is great—and realistic. Most plus-size people don't spend all day crying in the corner over their waistlines.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess)
My co-worker, Lizzie, compared me to Titus once, and I felt honored. Titus Andromedon is boisterous, proud, and just genuinely happy. UKS doesn't really delve into the psychology of being black and larger in looks-centric New York City, but the sunshine-y vibe of the show almost suggests that this is intentional. We're watching an idealized world—not the world as it actually is. And in that world, no one gives a shit about size.
Parks and Recreation, Donna Meagle (Retta)
Like Titus, Donna exudes confidence on Parks and Recreation, and her weight is a non-issue. We need more characters like her!
Drop Dead Diva, Jane Bingum (Brooke Elliott)
Jane is a fully-developed character: She's a crazy-smart lawyer with a booming social life. However, she's not immune to the insecurities every plus-size person feels at least once. At the beginning of the series, Jane is at constant odds with her body and faces ridicule from co-workers and strangers because of it. (In one painful episode, Jane attempts to shop at a trendy boutique and is immediately met with rudeness from employees who insist they don't carry her size. Been there. Still there.) As the show continues, though, Jane grows to embrace her body and build confidence. This mirrors the trajectory most curvier folks (myself included) experience as they mature. We learn to not only work with what we have but adore it. (This doesn't happen overnight, though.)
Girls, Hannah Horvath (Lena Dunham)
Hannah isn't plus-size, but she is incredibly body positive and boasts an empowering message: Live your GD life—whether that means eating cupcakes naked in the tub or having a fling with a surf instructor. The world is your oyster when you're comfortable in your own skin.
Honorable mention: Gilmore Girls, Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy)
Gilmore Girls isn't exactly a "recent" show, but Sookie's characterization is too wonderful not to discuss. McCarthy is now one of Hollywood's most popular movie stars, but nearly all of her roles are centered on reductive, plus-size slapstick. It's ironic that her first major role (Sookie) was the exact opposite. Sookie's weight is never discussed on Gilmore Girls, and her romantic relationship with Jackson isn't depicted as strange or funny. She's a fully-fleshed out character with more on her mind than size. In fact, that doesn't seem to be an issue for her at all. Gilmore Girls has a lot of things wrong with it, but Sookie hits the mark.
This story originally appeared on Glamour.
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