Big girls need love too or do they?

           This past weekend, I went to go see Jon Farveau’s latest entry, Chef, with my girlfriend. We both thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was light, funny, and aesthetically pleasing. The only complaint, and it isn’t even a real complaint, was the fact that Jon Farveau’s character was caught between Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara as his love interests. This suspension of my disbelief reminded me of a conversation I had previously had with two co-workers about whether or not there was a cinematic “big girl” bias. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the fact that an overweight man can pick up two fine female specimens. I mean Jon Farveau isn’t an ugly guy. If you saw him back in his Swingers days, you would say he was really handsome. But life happens and he might have gained a pound or two. Nevertheless, in the movie he was a world-class chef, which is quite the aphrodisiac. But could a portly gentleman really pick up two women who are ridiculously good looking? Moreover, why is the world of cinema more apt to show a larger man picking up fine looking ladies but it is very rare to see a plus-size woman get her personal Magic Mike?

            Let’s look at films in which a male lead, which may be not “classically handsome” or “ripped”, may become romantically involved with a female that is “fine” and/or “a dollar piece”. Off the top of my head, I can think of Knocked Up, Notorious, Grumpier Old Men (God bless Walter Mattheau, but he and Sofia Loren?!? C’mon now?!), Waiting to Exhale, The Nutty Professor (1996), and Only the Lonely. Not every guy looks like George Clooney or Blair Underwood. Some of us do not have “the situation” with our abdominal muscles. And it is ok because the world is a combination of shapes, sizes, and colors. And everyone has the right to a happy life. I read an interview where Seth Rogan lambasted those who thought that his character in Knocked Up could not pull someone like Katherine Heigel. He said those were the gripings of “Guys with ugly girlfriends.” I can personally attest to the fact that looks do not matter as much as people think they do. Confidence, humor, and ambition are much more effective seduction techniques.  

            When the female of the species is examined, particularly cinematically, there does not seem to be the same level of acceptance. The only movies, and I have seen my fair share, where a female lead, who is plus-size, get the super handsome fella are Hairspray (both versions), and Phat Girlz (Yes, I saw it. I’m not proud of it. But I have a mother and a sister I used to live with, and they ain’t nothing to mess with). My girlfriend said that the original Hairspray was a major event in her life because it was the first time she ever saw someone who wasn’t the prototypical starlet get the handsome guy. Even in the recent version, there was some backlash because Nikki Blonsky got to smooch Zac Efron. Are men so shallow that we base our potential mates purely on their dress size? Whatever happened to the non-physical qualities like confidence, humor, and ambition that might transcend the physical?

            Here is the root of the root. Men enjoy those same qualities in women. Who cares if a girl is not a size 5? If she is confident in herself and can make you laugh then what is the problem?  In reality, there are plenty of plus-size ladies who have no problem securing a man. I will totally out myself and say I have always preferred a plus-size woman. And in my short time on this planet, I have seen plenty of females, who don’t look like Charlize Theron, be able to successfully meet and get a man. Most men I know actually prefer a woman with curves. Again, I’m a Midwesterner, and a large one at that, so I know that sentiment isn’t a universal one, but it isn’t like all the large ladies of this county go to the mountainside and drown their sorrows in Pepperidge Farm products until one day they are physically acceptable enough to be the object of someone’s affections. I am not advocating for everyone to start eating fried butter and eating at Golden Corral exclusively. I think people should be healthy and feel confident. If that requires an individual losing some pounds, that’s awesome. Go for it. If it doesn’t require it, that’s cool too. The real question is, if the big girl can get the guy in reality, why can’t there be a movie made where it is shown more often?

            My theory is that Hollywood has a formula and is very hesitant to change it. Despite the fact that overweight people do exist, live, fall in love, get married, and even……..sexually reproduce, there seems to be a segment of very influential people who do not want to show this reality on the silver screen. I doubt Melissa McCarthy will end up swapping spit with Channing Tatum, despite the fact a lot of men would find Ms. McCarthy to be very appealing. Gabrielle Sidibe has flat out said that her weight has cost her very prominent acting roles. I know some people are going to turn to Rebel Wilson as Hollywood’s plus size poster child, but all of the movies I’ve seen with her, have her romantic escapades as part of the film’s comic relief. I know she’s a comedienne but that does not negate the fact that a film is using the juxtaposition of her size as compared to other actors as a comedic device. Is it funny? Sometimes it is. But sometimes it really is not.  

            There might be some people who think that movies are purely for entertainment and that it doesn’t matter who acts in a movie. Movies are a great source of entertainment, but they can also be a great teaching tool. And what lessons are being taught if there are continual inequalities being perpetuated on screen? As I have previously mentioned in another blog, it is very difficult to effectively synthesize romance on the silver screen. I think that maybe showing a part of reality that maybe Hollywood might not want to market might actually help out the genre. And it might show children that real love might not have a weight requirement, and that might be a lesson worth telling.