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Hello, EoFF! The other day I had the misfortune of being reminded of this god-awful movie. So of course, I decided to watch it and review it for you!
Firstly, I think I should add a bit of a disclaimer: I don't agree with body-shaming of any kind, whether that's fat- or thin-shaming. I think we all need to leave everyone else alone when it comes to their bodies. I also think it's a really beautiful thing when someone can love themselves regardless of what size or shape they are. It's not something that comes naturally for most people, and I applaud anyone who can do that. I think any and all body sizes can be beautiful (and I think the star of this movie, Mo'Nique, is stunning...and she actually just lost 80 pounds to become more healthy, so go her!) And as someone in the target audience for this movie, I think I can offer valid insight into why the message of this movie is so absolutely horrible.
Phat Girlz is a movie intended to celebrate Big Beautiful Women and promote a positive message of body acceptance and self-esteem. Unfortunately, the true message of this movie is completely different. It's a movie rife with body-shaming, self-pity, and the message that the only reason the main character can't land a date is because she's fat (hint: it's actually because she's kind of a horrible human being).
Without further ado, I bring you Phat Girlz.
Our story starts with our heroine, Jazmin, having an...er...very interesting dream involving scantily clad, oiled men, a negligee, and fancy crystal pitchers.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscb8b9021.png
No caption needed.
She is then woken up by her athletic cousin, Mia. Or at least Mia tries to wake her up. Jazmin is too busy moaning and doing other things that the viewer really feels uncomfortable watching, that Mia decides to get creative. She whips out a pastry and holds it under Jazmin's nose. Immediately, Jazmin is awake and asking 'what's cookin'!
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...psb641978c.pngFat stereotype count: 1
Mia informs Jazmin that if she doesn't get up soon, she'll be late for work. Jazmin's friend, Stacy, is on her way to pick Jazmin up and Mia tells her, "You better be ready when she comes," to which Jazmin responds, "Hell, I'm trying to come too!"
Yeah, this movie's gonna be long.
Mia informs Jazmin that if she stuck to just one of her diets, maybe she'd be getting some in real life (fat-shaming count: 1). Mia leaves Jazmin alone as Jazmin breaks the fourth wall saying, "I hate skinny bitches." (thin-shaming count: 1). She then recounts to the viewer about her childhood: she and Mia were both raised by their grandmother, and Jazmin was always large while Mia was 'a bone' (thin-shaming count: 2). Jazmin hated Mia growing up because all of Mia's friends bullied Jazmin and Mia never defended her. Jazmin's only friends were her grandmother and Jesus, but God never answered her prayers, no matter how much she asked to be skinny.
Parts of Jazmin's story are very relatable and rather sad to anyone who's ever been bullied or neglected, especially for their weight. was actually starting to feel bad for her until she said, "I decided if I couldn't be respected for being a stick, I'd be respected for being a stone." Yeah, I'm counting that one as another thin-shame. That brings our total up to three, and we aren't even five minutes into the movie!
After a musical montage set to 'Brick House' where Jazmin tries to find an outfit that fits, she's finally ready to go to work. We meet Jazmin's friend, Stacy, who is a frumpy, straightforward, seemingly neurotic woman, and fellow Phat Girl. As Jazmin and Stacy sit in traffic, Jazmin informs Stacy that if she buys an exercise video and ten bottles of Metabo Pills, she could win a trip to Palm Springs!
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Did you just hear that? Yeah, that was the sound of a plot point dropping.
Jazmin's friend Stacy informs her that sweepstakes are dumb, and she's dumb for buying into them...not seven minutes in and Stacy is (so far) the only character I can kind of stand. She also tells Jazmin that weight loss pills and crash diets are dumb too, to which Jazmin replies, "You won't be saying that when I'm bootylicious like Beyonce!" Stacy quips back, "I think you got Beyonce beat in the booty department!" BURN. Yeah, I'm definitely liking Stacy.
EDIT: I forgot to mention the part where Jazmin says that cute clothes are only in the junior's department, implying that if you are curvy or plus-sized, you have the body of a teenage girl. Thin-shame: 4!
