Empire is one of the few television shows I’ve started to watch with regularity.
Last semester, I had a Wednesday evening class that ended at 8:45 p.m., before I got my mom hooked into the show, she didn’t understand why I rushed home after class. When I walked in at 9:00 p.m., I’d immediately turn the TV on in the kitchen and watch the episode until the first commercial.
Now, I no longer have class on Wednesday, but attend Bible Study weekly. I still manage to make it home before 9:00 p.m. and watch Empire. Technology has made it much easier to watch television programs when you have a busy schedule. However, social media will contain “spoilers” if you don’t watch it promptly or tailor your social media interaction.
Last week, Gabourey Sidibe had the opening scene with Mo McRae. The steamy love scene featured Becky and her boyfriend J Poppa on a roof top.
Gabourey Sidibe in the opening scene with Mo McRae. (Image courtesy of Fox)
Steamy love scenes and inneduo are nothing new on Empire; almost every major character has had at least one scene. However, I didn’t think anything of Sidibe’s steamy scene until the next day.
My social feeds were full of backlash against comments toward Sidibe. Apparently, some people have an issue with a full-figured, dark-skinned, big girl expressing her sexuality. Even worse when it occurs on primetime T.V.
CLOSE-UP ON GABOURNEY SIDIBE
It wasn’t too long after that, I received my own comments about weight. As I scrolled down my Facebook timeline, I couldn’t help but noticed someone post about Black women, weight and heart disease. Politely, I added my own comments.
See, I’ve always been fat. As a kid, I was teased and made fun of. I always felt huge and hulking next to my smaller friends. As I got older though, I didn’t see it as a problem because I’ve always been healthy. I played softball for a semester in high school and I was in JROTC. I had more problems ensuring I gave commands on properly while marching than actually marching. Once I was out of high school, I continued my fitness journey. I’d workout in the school’s fitness center or walk across the campus and surrounding area. After college, I joined a gym and attended regularly even taking a belly dancing class.
Each time I’d go to the doctor, I would hear comments about my weight, regardless of what my issue; I know my BMI is high. One of the reasons I didn’t join the military directly out of high school was because I had problems dropping the weight to make the requirements. Still, despite my high BMI my blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol remain in check. I’m not pre-diabetic or suffer from diabetes either.
In my Facebook comment on my friends post, I posed the question, “would you be so concerned about a woman’s weight in regards to her health if she was not fat?” I guess that was the wrong question because the hateful comments followed.
One stated, “I’m sorry I just don’t believe anyone is “OK” with being overweight. I believe that’s a defense mechanism.”
The original poster stated people generally miss the point when these topics come up because they “get in their feelings”
Others mockingly commented no woman “wants” to be a size 14 or 20. Another mockingly posted a “Get Fat & Love It” Challenge. Somebody else commented “Some people are content with being fat. Being healthy, living past 45, having the ability to wash your ass without a sponge on a stick…all of those things aren’t for everyone.”
I couldn’t believe the hateful comments. I couldn’t believe how people would just assume anything about somebody else. At first, I thought it was only fat women who were subjected to such comments.
But, then I read a blog by Sabrina Must. When I was in college, I interned at WDET at the same time as Must. It was because of her job at Buddy’s I discovered how much I love cream of broccoli soup. I can’t eat it without thinking about her even though we’ve moved on in life.
Must is a vegan. Something I’ve known since our days at WDET. At the time, I didn’t ask her the questions I could have or should have. But I’ve come to realize being a vegan is a strong lifestyle. It takes hard work, dedication and discipline to avoid food products you don’t consume, especially if you were raised eating them.
But as I read Musts’s blog post, I realized fat girls weren’t the only ones whose body was being policed. Must is slim with a very athletic and toned body; yet some how she deals with the same body policing.
The original by my Facebook friend was liked 137 times and shared 19 times, which means 137 people agreed with his statements and 19 people agreed enough to share his statements. And I’m only left to wonder, when did it become OK to police somebody’s else’s body and their choices? When did it become okay to assume we know about a person’s health?
[Current Song: All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor]
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