Big Punchline: A Brief History of Representation of Fat Women in American Film and Television

FRI OCT 18 | 2:30 PM | Blue Orleans Theater at The New Orleans Advocate

Fat women in American film and television are historically invisible. When they are present, they appear as villains, funny sidekicks that act as a foil to a pretty main character, or as objects of pity (often played by thin actresses in fat suits). Only recently have self-actualized representations of fatness graced our screens. Even still, they are few and far between. This lecture uses existing fat studies scholarship to categorize representations of fatness in American film and television and examines their sexist and racist messaging.

Annie Rose Malamet is a teaching artist and independent podcast producer based in Brooklyn, New York.