Drop Dead Diva: Plus Size Comedy

Posted by Tracy Rose Jul 26, 2009

Lifetime recently aired the pilot for their new show, Drop Dead Diva. This comedic drama centers around the life of a formerly thin girl who is involved in a fatal accident and is sent back to live as a plus size lawyer by Heaven's gatekeeper (who acts as her guardian.)

Thrown into her new life, Jane has to get used to her new body, how to dress, how to handle food issues and how her friends and coworkers react to her. She does it all with a sense of humor. She may be a size 16, but she starts to see that she is well respected in her job and is amazed at her own intelligence. Getting used to her new body is an adjustment though.

Drop Dead Diva is interesting because it does show real life problems of an overweight woman. When she returns to visit her old thin friend, for example, the friend has a hard time accepting her. She is even reluctant to go out with her because she knows she won't get passed through the line at the club. Another example is how hard she has to work to gain respect in her career. Jane dresses professionally and looks put together at work, but getting people to take her seriously is another issue. At one point a coworker sets an entire plate of donuts in front of her as they are meeting with a client to purposely embarrass her.

It's nice to see a show that features a plus size woman as the main character. We've seen the overweight side kick over and over. It's about time a show dealt with the issues of an overweight woman from her perspective.