The Myth Of Fat In The Black Community
This post at Racialicious (originally posted at Red Vinyl Shoes) is about black plus-size models in mainstream fashion, but the part that really struck me was this (bolding mine):
A popular (white) misconception is that fat is more acceptable in the black community. This is patently untrue. Hip-hop culture is often pointed to when one is making this argument. If you watch any hip-hop music videos at all, it’s clear to see that the fat on the women featured is in specific places. Booty, hips, tits. As the inimitable Sir Mix-A-Lot stated, “When a girl walks in with an itty-bitty waist and a round thing [booty] in your face, you get sprung.” (emphasis supplied) There is definitely a line between acceptable fat and unacceptable fat. Those fat women who are fortunate enough to be considered “thick” are subject to an even more extreme hypersexualization of their bodies than average sized or thin black women are. As the features considered sexually desirable not only by black men but also white men are exaggerated on a fat female body, these women are often portrayed as more sexually available, yet can also be portrayed as ghetto princess or hoochie — “Jezebel” and “Sapphire”. But cross that line dividing “thick fat” and “just fat” and you quickly enter the territory of the desexualized fat black woman: the Precious, the mammy. Let’s take the recent example of Gabourey Sidibe, who portrayed Precious, and who basically served as a dumping ground for all the issues people have with fat, specifically, black female fat. This is the type of fat black woman continually mocked by black men in drag. Namely, characters like Eddie Murphy’s Rasputia in Norbit, Tyler Perry’s Madea in any number of his movies, Martin Lawrence’s Shanaynay and Big Mama, and Jamie Foxx’s Wanda on In Living Color. These characters are either considered too old to be sexual and are subject to the mammy stereotype, or their sexuality is portrayed as a joke, something disgusting to be avoided. Clearly the black community is not the utopia of body acceptance white America often believes it to be.
I think it was a post by Snarky’s Machine that first got me to think about this issue (I can’t remember when, though; maybe she’ll drop by with a link) and realize that I’d had this misconception, and probably verbalized it back in the early days of this blog. But I think it’s good to be able to stand up and say, you know what? I was wrong. And I’m glad there are great blogs out there like Racialicious that make me stop and think and, as they say, check my privilege.
Thoughts?
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Advocacy, Celebrities, Fashion, Fatism, Gabby Sidibe, Question, Race & Ethnicity
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As a former teacher I can say that, having had this discussion in class in an all girls school, it’s true, in the sense that young girls tend to believe that the black community is more accepting of a larger body frame, when, in reality, it seems to be more accepting of curves and exaggerations of curves rather than out and out flesh. And yes, big, small, brooding, sexy, or laughable, when the body of a woman is cut and pasted for visual effect or to sell something, whether it’s a product or a belief system, it’s degrading, and pardon my french, fucking annoying.
Well being an African American woman I can tell you that’s a myth indeed. Yes “thick” women thick meaning just an urban term for ” exaggerated curves” black males have adhered too is more acceptable in the black community but bigger sized women are no more accepted in the black community than it is elsewhere that’s been a myth since it started. Bigger women are discriminated against, made fun of and seen as unappealing just as they are in other communities and society, in the black community I wish people would stop selling this myth.
In reality thin women are the ideal women in our community as well, they’re just preferred with larger boobs and more rounder plumper butt.
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As a fat black woman, I read the article via Jezebel.com and they couldn’t have gotten it more right. I’m currently on a diet (I weigh 300 pounds and oddly, even though I’ve gained 25 pounds due to medication, I’m still a size 22/24). I’ve been single now going on 5 years now and the pickings are slim. It’s hard enough when I hear statistics that 50% of black women will never marry but add being a fat woman on top of that and you are severely limited in your dating options. There are simply not enough men to go around that appreciate fat women. (Most of whom would probably be shocked if they saw what a fat woman looks like naked, me in particular. Yes, we’re shapely too!) I observed the Museum of Love and whereas as a fat woman, I was proud to see fat women being loved, I couldn’t help but observe that they were all white. When it comes to interracial dating, I find that’s even harder for a fat black women. Most white men regardless of a woman’s size want to be with a white woman.
Most black men (the few that actually want to be a black woman) want a woman with exaggerated fat, fat butts, fat breasts, and that’s it. I recently rediscovered a friend on facebook that was fat in college like myself and she’s lost a ton of weight and is now engaged to be married. In fact, everyone around me is engaged, in a relationship, dating, etc. except for myself. The ones that are interested are either become intimidated when they find out that I’m educated (about to go to graduate school, if accepted) or believe that because I’m a fat woman, that I’m desperate and that I’ll be okay with being a side thing. Side meaning that they have another woman. Surprisingly, even though my mother is on my case to diet, she is the one that talked me out of (for now) the idea of WLS because I just can’t imagine the best of years of my life rolling by and I’m single and always someone’s last choice.
I wonder if the reasons White women buy into the whole “fat is accepted in the black community” mythos is that we really, really want to believe that there is somewhere–anywhere–that fat women *are* accepted, even if it’s in a community that we, by definition, will never be part of. The idea that a size-accepting culture exists is so very appealing that we’re apt to take it at face value–however irresponsible and damaging that may be.
Aaah I was trying to capitalize Black and then I failed at “shift key”, so now my capitalization just looks inconsistent and weird. Sorry. :-(
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