HOW DOES HOLLYWOOD REALLY SEE PLUS SIZE WOMEN?

       I remember the day my family gathered to watch the movie of the year  which featured  burning cars from angry wives and  was Starring  Icon Whitney Houston. We made our way to Miami's Infamous Omni Theatre and stood in an unbelievably long line to purchase tickets. Everyone was so excited to see black women on the big screen and in such powerful roles. The Award Winning Angela Bassett was setting fire to her cheating Husbands car with no remorse. The Amazing  Whitney Houston found the  courage to leave a man she loved but couldn't trust.  It was the role of Loretta Devine that was the saddest of them all if you ask me. A woman in her Mid 40's who waits once a year for sex from a ex husband who doesn't desire her at all. 

I've watched Waiting To Exhale several times over the years and I always seem to switch around in my seat when Loretta Devine scenes come on.  Why couldn't she be Robin? I guess it was far more acceptable for the plus size woman to be lonely and desperate than a sex kitten. I have been paying closer attention to how  Social Media, Hip Hop, Television and even Music depict plus size women. Although I would like to think that we have achieved so much over the past few years. We have to  realize that every opportunity that is given to the "token" fat girl may not be praise us. I wonder what do these roles say to the 15 year old that hasn't found her identity and struggles with self love. 

LORETTA DEVINE 

MONIQUE 

 Monique Parker was Chasing after the Professor on Meet The Parkers like a crazy woman.  She would throw herself at him, hide in bushes,stalk him etc. He  ignores her and even states in some episodes he hates her. In this case the average woman who has even  an ounce of respect for herself  would've given up on the professor well into  season 1 episode 1 but hey we push on don't we?

JILL SCOTT: WHY DID I GET MARRIED

I watched this film  and even read the back story of the film before going out to the box office. When I read reviews about one of  the  husband being "mean" and "ashamed" of his wife because of her body. I knew then and there that's where they would cast Ms.Scott. I held out a little hope but Tyler Perry lived up to my expectations.  In my opinion it would've been a better plot if they used Janet and made her the insecure one. It's not always skin deep you know We are not the only women who don't like our body when we look in the mirror sometimes. In cases like this Hollywood takes the easy way out and plays right up to the typical cliche' of what people think of plus size women.

TYLER PERRY: FOR BETTER OR WORSE 

Tyler Perry created the role of  Cocoa Brown On his hit sitcom For Better Or Worse with the idea that she was funny.  The role details a Hair Salon Assistant who doesn't have a man and throws herself at everyone she sees. She makes constant jokes about being  "hungry" and "tired" or too fat for this and that. I recall watching an episode where they sent her on a blind date  the guy was uncomfortable and even taunted her about her weight. I guess Mr.Perry thought that was a "touching" episode. I  get annoyed with Mr. Perry and the way he portrays plus size women. Is it me or do  you see the pattern?

TYLER PERRY : SINGLE MOMS CLUB 

A movie based on the lives of four single women all whom are successful and living basic upper middle class life except one. Let's see if you can guess who is living check to check, has multiple kids with different men, lives in the hood and works at a fast food restaurant? yep the plus size woman!

I guess we should be grateful to see plus size women making it to television and film and shouldn't complain about how it depicts us. It's okay to dress  them  poorly and give us the most hideous wigs and expect us to be grateful. I don't like the way we are being portrayed and sometimes I don't think society really notices it or even cares. 

As I watch Gabby Sidibe Triumph on Fox's hit show Empire I cringe at her ill fitting clothing, poor choice of make up and even get me started on that hair. I can't help but  wonder are the people in TV land laughing with us or at us. It really can get blurry after so many images of television depicting plus size women as an over sexual, hungry, lazy, loud, insecure etc. person. 

So the next time you listen to Drakes verse on Nicki Minja's Pink Print album and you prepare your lips to recite the lyrics at the top of your lungs listen closely instead getting caught up in the beat. 

Yeah, that’s right, I like my girls BBW, yeah

This is the part that makes you feel like WE'RE getting somewhere that we are  finally being acknowledged  by a mainstream rapper and hearing him profess his desire in plus size women BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE 

Type to wanna suck you dry and then eat some lunch with you

Yeah, so thick that everybody else in the room is so uncomfortable

Ass on Houston Texas, but the face look just like Clair Huxtable

Do these lyrics sound loving or caring to you?  

when a man says  a woman will give him  oral sex and  want to eat after says so much more. So the next time you blast your radio to hear your favorite verse understand the difference between a compliment and a insult.