Survival of the Thickest is one of the few current TV shows that centers the story of a plus-size woman as the lead character. After Natasha Rothwell’s series How to Die Alone was unfortunately canceled after its first season, fans were disappointed that the representation of a plus-size character was abruptly ended. As a result, fans were thrilled about the return of a plus-size Black woman on screen when Survival of the Thickest recently premiered season 2 on Netflix. Beyond having a plus-sized series lead, here’s why the show has garnered public recognition for its fashion statement and queer representation.
Michelle Buteau co-created and stars in Survival of the Thickest, based on her memoir with the same title. The show centers on her character Mavis Beaumont who is navigating romance, friendships, and the pursuit of her styling career in the busy backdrop of New York City. Khalil (Tone Bell) and Marley (Tasha Smith) are Mavis’ friends who help her navigate life’s dilemmas, having instrumental storylines that add layers to the show.
For a comedy series, Survival of the Thickest does a great job of showcasing Mavis as a dimensional character. She is not the typical plus-size representation we are used to on-screen where the fat character is often the butt of the joke. Most importantly, her fashion style throughout the show is a shining example of how to dress plus-sized bodies. We are used to a fashion industry that is notorious for excluding fat people, and they are often relegated to lackluster outfits that don’t accentuate their bodies. However, season 2 especially elevates Mavis’ style by highlighting bold colors and comfy chic looks throughout each episode.
Mavis is a stylist who wants to dress women by making them feel comfortable in their bodies. Therefore, it is expected that she would know how to style herself and she delivers beautifully. The representation of her character is a powerful reminder that plus-sized women deserve to look elegant and feel sexy. Even though fatphobia deems fat bodies undesirable, Survival of the Thickest goes against this notion with the passionate sex scenes that highlight the desirability of plus-sized bodies. We rarely see plus-sized characters be intimate on screen, but the show does a great job of tastefully highlighting that Mavis deserves pleasure and adoration within her romantic pursuits.
PC: @michellebuteau on IG
Survival of the Thickest also highlights authentic queer representation from the first to the current season. Mavis’ friend Marley is a queer Black woman who pursues a romantic relationship with another Black woman named Daphne. This duo is refreshing because the audience witnesses two bossy, dark-skinned Black women be vulnerable with each other. They are both career-driven with fierce personalities, so it was heartwarming to see them being soft and breaking the stereotype of dark-skinned Black women always having to be strong. Audiences don’t often get to witness multi-dimensional Black queer couples on screen, so this representation was very welcomed.
PC: @michellebuteau on IG
Beyond the powerful Black queer couple, the show was also intentional about highlighting drag culture by showcasing drag bars, drag shows and drag queens. Considering the limited representation of drag culture outside of reality TV, Survival of the Thickest serves as a powerful reminder about the value of cultural inclusion.
The show features trans drag queen Peppermint who plays a fictionalized version of herself. Season 2 is gracious enough to highlight Peppermint’s wedding, which is a unique experience for audiences who rarely see trans women loved out loud. In addition to the stunning ceremony, we also got to see Monét X Change, another popular drag queen who plays a bridesmaid. Considering the dynamic drag performance at the reception, the wedding was one of the best episodes of this season.
Michelle Buteau intentionally portrays themes of body acceptance through plus-size fashion representation, the power of queer love, and the value of sisterhood through drag culture. The major complaint viewers have about Survival of the Thickest is that 8 episodes per season is way too short and fans want more screen time with the characters. We can only hope the renewal of season 3 will be confirmed soon by Netflix. Until then, be sure to binge all episodes now N Crowd.
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