Fantastic Fat Characters Part One

Post

Subscribe

Sugar, R. Steven Universe. (2013-2019). Cartoon Network. Link to Image.

"Pearl, I'm going to stay and fight for this planet. You don't have to do this with me. "
Rose Quartz, Steven Universe

Weight discrimination is a social stigma that regularly targets overweight or obese individuals with bias or discrimination due to their weight. Fatphobia is a big problem in modern media. Far too often, fat people are the butt of the joke, portrayed negatively, or stereotyped to be lazy, unintelligent, or evil. Why is it ok in 2021 to still tease, lecture or scold people for their weight? It got me thinking about positive fat representation in the media, or the lack thereof. In this article I will look at some examples of fat characters who are not defined by their weight or portrayed in a negative light due to their size.

1. Diane Nguyen from Bojack Horseman

Bob-Waksberg, R. Bojack Horseman (2014-2020). “Nice While It Lasted” (Video). Netflix. Link to YouTube.
Appeared In: Bojack Horseman (2014 - 2020)
Created By: Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Portrayed By: Alison Brie
Best Quote:

Diane: "I think there are people that help you become the person you end up being, and you can be grateful for them, even if they were never meant to be in your life forever. I'm glad I knew you, too."

BoJack: "'Knew' huh?"

[Diane smiles] "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if this night were the last time we ever talked to each other?"

Diane and Bojack talk for the last time, "Nice While It Lasted", Bojack Horseman

Diane Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American professional writer, feminist and misunderstood intellectual on the animated sitcom Bojack Horseman. Throughout the series, we see her struggle with anxiety and depression, which has a negative effect on her relationships and her work as a writer. In season six, Diane decides to treat her depression and improve her mental health. She begins dating someone new and starts taking antidepressants. Diane is hesitant to begin taking the antidepressants at first because she is worried that the drugs will make her "calm and boring" and cause her to gain weight. After being on the drugs for two months, Diane gains a lot of weight just as she predicted, but is also a lot happier. At the end of the series, Diane is happily married, her mental health is a lot better, she is the author of a successful fiction series and she is still fat. Her weight gain is never questioned or mocked by anyone on the show or viewed as a negative result of her being on the antidepressants. It is presented as a positive sign that she has taken control of her mental health. I think this is a really important message to give to the audience. There are a lot of different reasons why people gain weight. It is not always due to diet, sickness, or lack of exercise or self-control. In Diane's case, she gained weight as a side effect of a medication, which she needs to treat her depression. Her weight gain is presented not as a sign of sickness but as part of her healing.

2. Rose Quartz from Steven Universe

Sugar, R. Steven Universe. (2013-2019). “Lion 3: Straight to Video” (Video) Cartoon Network. Link to YouTube.
Appeared In: Steven Universe
Created By: Rebecca Sugar
Portrayed By: Susan Egan
Best Quote:
"Steven, we can't both exist. I'm going to become half of you. And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself, that's me, loving you and loving being you. Because you're going to be something extraordinary. You're going to be a human being."

Rose makes a video message for her son, "Lion 3: Straight to Video", Steven Universe

Rose Quartz was the leader of the Crystal Gems in the animated television series Steven Universe. Rose is a humanoid alien known as a Gem. The Gems have a human appearance and each possesses a gemstone which gives them magical powers. Rose Quartz arrived on Earth 5,500 years ago with others from her world to colonise the planet and eradicate all life. After falling in love with the world, Rose knew she couldn't be a part of its destruction so she established a rebellion, known as the Crystal Gems, to protect the planet from The Great Diamond Authority. Rose was unique among Gems. She stood at eight feet tall, had pink skin and pink lips, a heavy build and her face was framed with waves of pink curly hair. She was known for having a curious nature and a loving and motherly personality and was very much loved by the Crystal Gems. A gem's humanoid appearance is something that they can change at will. It is a "hologram with mass" that they can project from their gemstone. The only feature of their bodies that they cannot change is their gemstone and its colour. What this means is that Rose chooses to be a full-bodied woman. She is unapologetically huge in every sense of the word and isn't ashamed of her size.

3. Bobby Hill from King of the Hill

Judge, M & Daniels, G. King of the Hill (1997-2010). “Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet” (Video). Fox Broadcasting Company. Link to YouTube.
Appeared In: King of the Hill (1997 – 2009)
Created By: Mike Judge
Portrayed By: Pamela Adlon
Best Quote:
"Mom, I'm fat. But big deal. I don't feel bad about it. You never made me feel bad about it, and just because there are some people in the world who want me to feel bad about it, doesn't mean I have to. So Bobby's fat. Eh. He's also funny, nice, he's got a lot of friends, a girlfriend, and if you don't mind, I think I'll go outside and squirt her with water. What are *you* gonna do? "

Bobby cheers up his mother Peggy, "Transnational Amusements Presents: Peggy's Magic Sex Feet", King of the Hill

Peggy Hill has always been embarrassed of her size 16 feet. When she is approached by a man who expresses interest in filming her feet for an "educational film" about women with large feet, she agrees to participate, in the hope that the experience will make her feel better about her feet. She later discovers that the man has really been photographing her feet for a sex fetish website. Horrified, Peggy sinks into a depression, and rushes home to cut up her shoes and cry in her bedroom. Her son Bobby enters her room and talks to her about how he is fat but he doesn't feel bad about it. He lists positive qualities about himself and encourages his mother to try and find some positive things that she likes about her feet. I really love Bobby's positive attitude about himself in this scene. He doesn't see his size as a negative trait about himself and I think that is a great attitude. Your size does not define you.

4. Pam Poovey from Archer

Reed, A. Archer (2009-2023) (Video). FX. Link to YouTube.
Appeared In: Archer (2009-present)
Created By: Adam Reed
Portrayed By: Amber Nash
Best Quote:

"Holy sh*t snacks!"
Pam's catchphrase, Archer

Pam Poovey has been described as the "poster child for addictive personalities". An unashamedly loud and full-bodied woman, Pam started off in the animated comedy television series Archer as the Human Resources (H.R) Director at the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). Over the course of the show, she has evolved from an office worker with a fondness for hand puppets to a kick ass ISIS field agent, an underground street fighter and a drift car racer. Pam is one of the best characters on Archer. She's known for being impulsive, tough, enthusiastic and for having a fun-loving attitude and a childish sense of humour. She is also a loyal and dependable friend. Pam has been mocked for her weight on the show, but she isn't the sort of person to tolerate crap, even if it is done in the form of playful teasing from her friends. Pam has been shown to have some insecurities about her weight. In the episode "Southbound and Down" she accuses her friends of liking her more after she loses a lot of weight after developing a cocaine addiction. Archer tells her that they actually liked her a lot more when she wasn't a cocaine addict and a lot heavier. Pam later kicks her addiction and regains the weight.

5. Gene Belcher from Bob's Burgers

Bouchard, L. Bob’s Burgers (2011 – present). “Beefsquatch” (Video) Fox Broadcasting Company. Link to YouTube.
Appeared In: Bob's Burgers (2011 – present)
Created By: Loren Bouchard
Portrayed By: Eugene Mirman
Best Quote:

"Can I just say one thing? I think I have the best legs in the family. And the smoothest bottom."
Gene Belcher, "Christmas in the Car", Bob's Burgers

Gene Belcher is the middle child of Bob and Linda Belcher in the animated sitcom Bob's Burgers. He is the only male child in the family and has two sisters, Tina and Louise, who he is very close with. Gene is an 11-year-old boy who likes to make fart noises on his keyboard and is known for making jokes about poop, farts and his genitals. He is a creative kid and an aspiring musician and prankster who has a fondness for flamboyant performance art and is known for his snappy one-liners. He is overweight but isn't bothered by his size. He is so comfortable with his body, he is frequently seen in just his underwear, he wears a female bathing suit and loves dressing up in costume. There are no limits to Gene's imagination when it comes to dressing up. He lets himself be whatever he wants. He isn't afraid to explore his gender and experiment with imaginary play and dressing up as the opposite sex. And when questioned on his outfit he jabs a thumb towards himself and shouts "This is me now!" Gene's confidence and body positivity makes him an absolute delight.

Next Page - Fantastic Fat Characters Part Two

More TV Show Reviews by Marisa
6 Unforgettable TV Mothers
Great Villains From Buffy the Vampire Slayer
10 Female Characters That Received Internet Backlash
10 Amazing Female Fictional Characters
Linda Belcher's Top 5 Episodes from Bob's Burgers

#random
#television
#trivia
#film_tv_reviews
#pop_culture

%wneverywhere