Elaine is a “fat” female actor, who complains that she is never asked to act out sex scenes. Even though her work is highly respected, and she is often given lead roles, she claims that the audience has been taught that sex with a fat woman is not aesthetic and therefore she is prevented from getting expressly sexual on screen.
At best, Elaine is allowed to appear in bed in an “after-sex” scene, but the covers have to be well pulled up, so that very little flesh is exposed. She is a very alluring woman, but her magic has been decommissioned.
“Fat” is a judgment that varies over time and place. The hotties of 17th century Europe are flabby whales by current European standards. The babes of tribal Africa are known as “big mamas” these days.
New book discusses the complicated relationship between fat and sex
STUART MCCLYMONT/THE IMAGE BANK
I don’t know a single fat woman who hasn’t been told that she needs to lose weight because, as Rebecca’s grandmother told her, otherwise “no man will ever love you.” Setting aside the heterosexism of assuming that your fat daughter wants a man, it is a little alarming that we tell children, who are sometimes barely old enough to understand what love and sex are, that nobody will ever want them. Doesn’t anybody realize the irreparable damage it could cause…or how false that statement even is?
Rebecca Jane Weinstein sets it straight with her new book, Fat Sex: The Naked Truth. She mentions the apparent urban legend that says fat women are better in bed. I didn’t know this previously but as fat urban legends go, I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of this one! She also offers the truth -- which is that lots of fat people have lots of great sex. Fat people have sex with partners of all sizes who are able to get past their bigotry of fat bodies (sometimes including their own) and enjoy their supple lovers in all their glory. But getting there is no easy task.
