From Shrill to Euphoria, "the few stories we see about fat women are still so often limited to their love lives — which are still so often depressingly mediocre," says Lauren Strapagiel. "Look, I’m genuinely happy we’re starting to see shows and movies starring fat girls that don’t completely revolve around weight loss and sadness (though, unfortunately, we still have those too) — but can we not push the needle just a little further?" she asks. "Must these girls’ stories always end with a man? And if they must, could the men at least be a little dreamier?" Strapagiel adds: "The best show of the past year shows us how it’s done. Work in Progress is a semiautobiographical Showtime series about Abby McEnany, a fat, middle-aged butch lesbian with major anxiety, depression, and OCD. In the first episode, Abby decides that when she finishes a particular number of almonds, she’ll kill herself. But just when she is about to give up on her life entirely, she meets a 23-year-old trans guy named Chris (Theo Germaine), who is definitely dreamy."
TOPICS: Shrill, Euphoria, Work in Progress, Body Portrayals and TV