Size Positive TV - The Blog

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Miss Plus America Chenese Lewis speaks at the 2007 National NOW Conference about being a woman of size in Hollywood.

I wanted to share this particular video of Chenese speaking frankly about the lack of leading roles for plus size women. I admire women like Chenese who are trying to cut a path for herself and other big actresses to reach their dreams. But after hearing her insights about the same tired stereotypical roles she’s offered, I’m inclined to think it’s time for the size positive screenplay writers to arrive on the scene. Granted, the writers don’t do the casting…otherwise the role of Edna Turnblad in 2007’s film version of Hairspray, would have been played by a lovely fat actress instead of a man (John Travolta) in a fat suit. Just to clarify, Travolta did a decent job in the role, but clearly the role of a fat woman would have been more believable played by a fat woman. This makes me wonder if there is an unwritten rule in Hollywood that fat suits are simply more culturally acceptable than super sized women on the big screen?

I also find it interesting in Chenese’s speech when she talks about the mental and emotional stereotypes of fat women in the eyes of Hollywood. Perhaps it’s just the slap of reality that indeed, the masses believe we are sad and depressed, eating with careless abandon to ease our troubled souls and therefore to blame for our own misery. >insert eyeroll<  The folks who believe this and perpetuate these false ideas need only catch of glimpse of strong plus size women like Chenese to see their stereotypes don’t fit us all. See more videos of Chenese on her YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cheneselewis or check out her official site http://www.cheneselewis.com/