What Lies Beneath: More Than Just A Thick Chick
Category: Humanities Published Date Written by SwaggaKings.com Hits: 921
In my previous article I asked men to give their definition of what they considered to be a thick woman. We explored several common terms associated with thickness; full figured, curvy, thick, and BBW. After the article was published,
that a follow up from the mind of a woman had to be pursued. From their words one thing is clear, there is no such definition; only how a woman’s confidence which precedes her.
As before, I asked women of different professions and ages to describe the terms BBW, thick, curvy, and full figured. The outcomes were the same as asking men. However, body type and image is such a touchy subject for women, the conversation could not simply end there. The psychological effect of these words must be taken into account. Renee describes her experience with these issues in particular, “I have had issues with promoters of fashion shows because at times they do not want to show women over size 6 and usually consider 8 or 10's plus size for fashion shows. It is a weird perception to me because what are they saying to the public??? The ultimate goal of a designer is to sell their garments and the audience is your potential client.”
This conflict between fashion marketing’s perception and our reality can easily be heard when you talk to different women. Angel, a 25 year old nurse whom coined her own term, ‘juicy’ to describe her body, spoke on this divided issue between what the media portrays and what American’s really live. “I never heard anyone use the term thick or curvy in a negative light,” she said as-a-matter-of-factly. “I always thought that women wanted to be thick and curvy. Even though t.v. portrays a skinny girl, most women want to be thick.” She then describes how shows such as America’s Next Top Model that consistently feature skinny or slim women as the true definition of beauty and grace in the world until Toccara cat walked onto the scene. [She too has lost weight since appearing on the show, but remains luscious still]. Or Jennifer Hudson who soared to stardom with a booming voice, size 16 frame, but has recently shrunk to an industry perfect 6…ironic? I think not. This conflict acts as a catalyst for image issues amongst women and young girls who develop anorexia or bulimia to solve their esteem woes. We [men] simply want our women “shaped up” as Renee was told by a male spectator.
“When I took a couple of models with me to Brooklyn and selected others from there for my show I found the crowd wanted more thickness,” Renee continued.
As these conversations continued, a revelation was revealed…no one sees these terms; thick, curvy, full figured, or BBW, as definitive measures for defining a woman’s body type. In fact, some women prefer not to use them at all! “Visuals are best,” says Ebony, a DC resident who thinks that the terms are nothing more than cover ups for women who aren’t completely confident in themselves. “It’s [the words used] what makes you feel better,” she plainly states. She also believes that these incoherent terms cause more confusion. Despite having used them in the past to describe herself and others, Ebony now believes, “People should be as specific as possible because the terms are interchangeable.”
For some women [perhaps from a culmination of the two aforementioned issues] these terms secretly hold many negative feelings as they are wholly seen as cover ups for the fact that they do not fit into the size 6/8 model presented by the media. “They’re just giving us terms so we can feel good about ourselves,” confessed Angel, who bluntly considers herself a ‘fat ass’; regardless of the compliments paid to her by passer-bys or her significant other. Christie, a beautiful plus size manager of a convenience store says she calls herself thick in an attempt to eliminate any negative perceptions about her size or appearance. This is akin to the Negro’s double consciousness described by W.E.B Du Bois. In which society and the media imposes an image upon a targeted group, yet when put to a live test, these perceptions fail--leaving the persecuted group internally confused. Just like the Negro described by Du Bois, only a strong individual can manage to see through the smoke and mirrors using unshakable confidence to see the true America. “America knows America is fat,” exclaimed Angel.
Christie reminds us, “Let’s not get so caught up in the words themselves or who is saying them, but how we allow them to make us feel. The number 1 thing that attracts both men and women is confidence.” Like the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” BUT words followed by supporting actions can alter one’s perception of reality. Men and women must combat the affects of sending mix signals to our woman so every term used is greeted without judgment.
"I think when we become more in tune with our true selves and accept who we are as a people and stop letting others dictate what is considered beautiful then and only then will women be totally accepted for their natural beauty. As varied as only women can be.” Well put Renee.