Representation has become somewhat of a buzzword lately as brands scramble to put together a more diverse company image, often times missing the mark by forgetting to actually consult those they hope to represent. The desire for more accurate representation in media and pop culture has sparked a string of new series telling the stories that audiences crave. Hulu’s new original series Shrill, starring Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant, focuses in on the life of a plus size journalist, Annie, who goes through all of the basic day to day millennial strife we expect to see on shows like Issa Rae’s Insecure. The only difference between Shrill’s main character and those we see in our run of the mill television comedy-drama is that Annie is fat. Not only is Annie fat, she doesn’t seem to make changing this the focus of her life.
In most of the series we’ve seen with plus size actors at the forefront, there is a common storyline in which the character embarks on a trying quest to lose weight. Shows like Netflix’s Insatiable make weight loss a large part of who the character is and their development as individuals. Shrill instead chooses to avoid the transformation storyline and instead focus on what it means to be a fat girl walking through a fairly average life and navigating all of life’s daily troubles.
Based on a memoir of the same name by Lindy West, Shrill allows us to turn the funny fat friend trope on its head by giving us insight into how Annie experiences things like being publicly harassed about her weight and the insecurity that comes along with it. Body insecurity and relationship troubles are typical elements we’ve watched play out on television but to see how existing as a plus size woman makes these situations unique through Annie’s eyes is incredibly validating. Annie refers to herself as “fat” throughout the show in a way that feels empowering. She doesn’t allow the word to act as an insulting term but as a simple descriptor of herself and her body. As we follow Annie through the turmoil of a threatening online bully who attacks her for the articles she publishes and criticizes her for her size, we are able to see how being fat impacts the ways in which others treat her. The process of Annie convincing herself that her body is worthy of better treatment from others, whether that be in romantic scenarios with a lackluster boyfriend or in workplace incidents with a belittling boss, is inspiring. Allowing Annie to avoid self-deprecating plotlines and instead strive towards betterment and acceptance of self.
Annie isn’t the only figure Shrill allows to act as refreshing representation. Lolly Adefope plays Annie’s roommate and closest confidant but refuses to fall into the trope of the sassy Black best friend we’ve seen again and again and again and instead acts as her own unique figure with a storyline all her own. One of the very first lines we hear from Fran is “I don’t apologize to white people” setting the tone for just how unapologetically herself she is throughout the premier season. She is openly gay, comfortable with her own plus size form and undoubtedly stylish. Having a Black woman acting alongside Bryant’s character without allowing her to play second fiddle or become lessened to a stereotype is brilliantly done. She doesn’t enable Annie or allow her to play the victim either. She isn’t allowed to play the victim either. While being criticized heavily for her weight and unfairly targeted, the show still reminds us that, as a real human being, Annie is still terribly flawed. She can be selfish and rude and is called out for these things directly rather than the show making her consistently a victim to society due to her size. Fran calls her out for her self-centered ways in the way we should all hope a true friend would. This portrayal of a well rounded, honest friendship between two women is refreshing to say the least.
While Hollywood is just starting to understand what it means to tell truly diverse stories, the fact that we have stories like Shrill being so well received is a sign of the times. We are ready to see ourselves on screen rather that an idealized version of what women are supposed to be. This is especially true for representations of women of color. As the industry itself becomes more diverse through the rise of producers, directors and writers who are members of underrepresented communities, hopefully the stories we are told will also become a more accurate representations of those who watch.
