The first show, The Practice, is a law drama, co-starring Camryn Manheim, whose one woman show "Wake Up, I'm Fat" received stellar reviews. On this drama, she plays lawyer Ellenor Frutt.
On the Mar. 17 episode, Ellenor defended a woman who had been taunted by an insulting circus clown. The woman had been on a first date, and had to endure extremely mean spirited comments on her fatness. She was mortified, and never saw her date again. The circus owner claimed they don't discriminate, since the clown doesn't make fun of racial minorities or the disabled. It is only the "funny looking" who are the butt of the clown's jokes. That might include the bald, the big nosed, and yes, the fat. It's all meant in fun.
The plaintiff says the experience was anything but fun, and gives an impassioned speech, ending with the words "The Shame Should Not Be Mine." The jury agrees. It was a fictional victory against size discrimination, and it made me cheer.
Another show with a recent size-themed storyline is "The Drew Carey Show." Its stars, Drew Carey and Kathy Kinney, are both plus-sized, and both refreshing. Kinney plays Mimi Bobeck, a larger-than-life terror of strength.Though Mimi is fat, it is her character that is larger than life. She plays Mimi as completely over the top, and she is a joy to watch.
But it isn't Mimi I want to focus on here. For the past few months, Drew has been dating, and eventually proposed to a character named Niki. Niki went from a thin woman to a fat one in a very short time, and thought that Drew wouldn't accept a fat girlfriend. However, Drew loved her at any size, and thought she was beautiful. He accepted her for herself, not just as an object.
This story line was refreshing and distressing all at once. Refreshing because Drew was as passionate about his plus-sized girlfriend as he was about his svelte one. What distressed me, however, was Niki herself. She loved Drew, but blamed him for her weight gain. She was not as accepting of herself as he was of her. Her weight gain was somewhat unrealistic, and her character was shown as a true glutton. Most fat people don't become fat in a month, just as they don't lose weight that fast. It was kind of like the disclaimer on fad diets, only in reverse: results are not typical. I wish that the writers would tell more of her story, but the actress will not be back.
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