Fleshy Sexy Bodies

Sexy, fleshy women are deemed voluptuous, vixens with massive sex appeal. In fact, the entertainment channel, E!, dedicates airtime to go through the Top 25 "Most Voluptuous Vixens", which sometimes overlaps with their "101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies". Sexy comes in many shapes and sizes, but-- they wouldn't dare call Scarlett Johansson fat. And why would they? Fat is undesirable, right? Fat needs to be controlled, which reminds me of Farrell's sub-chapter "The White Man's Burden: Disciplining the Venus Hottentot and the Fat, Female Body". Fat has been sexy before, once an indicator of "health and fertility" (68), but early 20th century media was able to re-route the sexy and turn it into spectacle. Ads that feature fat asses bending down, ripping the seams of a skirt, are highly provocative and sexual, yet they are supposed to incite laughter--Ha, she's so fat she's busting out! But those fleshy women are sexy. If they weren't, why would they be in such a position? A position that so clearly mirrors "female animals in heat" (69).

Turning the fat body into a primitive body, needing to be controlled, is horrendous-- though almost all bodies are controlled, aren't they? Lets think outside the fat box: thin women, who aren't naturally thin, will diet or go through great lengths to keep their frame, and for what? Or maybe, for who? "Civilized" men of the early 20th century expressed their "conflicted enjoyment" towards fat bodies through trying to "discipline the primitive" (74), but in doing so, they also set the standards for "civilized women" meaning, they must be thin. Obviously the problem is creating a hierarchy with bodies, but it is also setting up weight limits on women.

Then there are voluptuous bodies, bodies whose fat all seems to be in desirable places (otherwise known as curvy). These bodies are sexy, fleshy and need to be controlled sexually, right? No one would say Sofia Vergara or Salma Hayek are fat, but sexy. Is this the limit? Is this where fat draws the line? Or can fat be sexy? I'd hazard to say that fat can be sexy, but fat can also be sexy in places other than a woman's boobs or ass. This reminds of a reality show called Big Sexy, where fat or "big" women love their bodies and take care of themselves, unlike the stereotypes implied. They deal with hateful looks from "thin" people but still love themselves. These women are also plus sized models, so it isn't really your average batch of women. However, shows like this can be positive, without turning into spectacle.