.png)
1 year ago
6
No sassy best friends here, only main character energy!
I recently binged Survival of the Thickest in one day, and I'm here to tell you, I'm already hoping for season two.
Netflix
The series is the work of comedian, author, writer, producer, and "Brown Titty Queen", Michelle Buteau. Michelle plays Mavis, a stylist venturing out on her own for the first time in New York City after a tragic break-up. Mavis shows us all how life can be messy and glamorous at the same time!
The series was released on Netflix on 13 July, but if you haven't seen it yet for some reason, let's dive into why you should add Survival of the Thickest to your watch list...
1. Chances are you already know Michelle Buteau.
Netflix
Michelle takes the spotlight in Survival of the Thickest, but chances are you've already seen her stealing a scene or two... Or three! She's appeared in TV shows and movies like The Circle, Broad City, Crush, Russian Doll, and Marry Me, amongst countless others.
2. The series was a book before it was a show.
Simon & Schuster, Inc.
You may not know that Michelle actually wrote a book of essays in which she recounts tales of tumultuous, funny, messy, and fabulous times in her life. She used this as a source material to shape her character Mavis' journey.
3. Mavis as a lead isn't a thin, adolescent, white woman – which is refreshing AF!
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
This coming-of-age story has a protagonist who is 38 years old, plus-size, and Black, which is not something we're use to seeing a lot of. From Sex and the City to Friends, Gossip Girl and Booksmart, we've seen a particular type of woman take centre stage time and again. In the series, however, we get to follow Mavis as she demonstrates that you are never too grown to stop growing!
The moment when Mavis lands Nicole Byer as her first celebrity client after years of hard work is a prime example of what growth looks like when you continue pursuing your dreams no matter what.
4. And funny, fat, Black women aren't the butt of the joke for once.
Netflix
Oftentimes, the media offers outdated stereotypes of fat, Black women who are pigeonholed into roles that make people laugh at their expense. This show gives you funny, fat, Black women without the tired side-character tropes: see Ivy in Good Luck Charlie and Reba from Good Luck Chuck. There are no sassy best friends here, only main character energy!
5. In fact, viewers learn that it's not ~brave~ for a plus-size person to love their body.
Netflix
Much like her character, Michelle is unapologetic about loving her curves. "It's not us that needs to catch up to the world, it's the world that needs to catch up to us", is what she had to say to HuffPost recently. This show is full of similar affirmations that will leave you feeling confident in your body too!
6. Mavis' friendships are totally aspirational.
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
The friendship between Mavis, Khalil (Tone Bell), and Marley (Tasha Smith) prove that life would be absolutely unbearable without your chosen family by your side to gas you up and remind you that you are THAT bitch.
7. And the cast all have amazing chemistry together.
Roy Rochlin / Via Getty Images for Netflix
This show is filled to the brim with guest stars who all happen to be longtime friends IRL, and this really elevates the chemistry between everyone in the show. We have Tone Bell as Mavis' right-hand-man Khali, Tasha Smith, who plays Mavis' BFF Marley, Garcelle Beauvais as supermodel Natasha Karina, Michelle Visage as Natasha Karina's rival, Avery, and even a small appearance by Buteau's real-life BFF and podcast co-host, Jordan Carlos!
8. There is a serious and important celebration of various body types in every single episode.
Jocelyn Prescod/Netflix
Mavis' mission is to style all body types and make people look and feel "as beautiful on the outside as they feel on the inside". This is apparent when one of Mavis' star clients, Natasha Karina, played by Garcelle Beauvais, wants to wear a corset and refuses to give Mavis her measurements. Mavis picks a dress so gorgeous, so STUNTING for Natasha that she confidently struts into her ex-husband's funeral to give the eulogy of a lifetime.
9. There's also plenty of LGBTQ+ representation.
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
The show consistently features Queer performers thriving in Queer spaces. If you follow Michelle's podcast, stand-up, or writing work, she frequently speaks about the responsibility to use one's voice to uplift others. So it was no surprise to see the platform being extended in her Netflix show.
10. We even get to see Marley explore her queer identity.
Netflix
The audience goes on a journey with Marley, played by Tasha Smith, as she navigates what her relationships look like without men for the first time. I found it refreshing to watch a Black woman let herself be so open to exploring her sexual identity, even after she thought she knew exactly who and what she liked.
11. There's a whole load of diversity in writer's room too!
Hulu/Netflix
Some of the show's writers include seasoned comedy TV and film creators like Grace Edwards (who worked on Insecure and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), E.R. Fightmaster (who you might know from Shrill as a writer and actor, and most recently the first non-binary character on Grey's Anatomy), and Solomon Georgio (who also worked on Shrill, Dollface, and High Fidelity).
12. Which means the character development in this series is just *chef's kiss*.
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
The audience gets to watch each character experience personal growth that allows them to become the best version of themselves. Khalil learns how to express his feelings and stops being a fuck-boy, Marley learns that not all things in life need to yield tangible rewards, and Mavis learns to trust herself as a friend, lover, and entrepreneur.
13. It taught me to say "you're welcome" instead of "thank you".
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
Women and femmes who don't conform to straight sizes and idealistic beauty standards are made to feel like they should be grateful when someone finds them desirable. This show flips that construct on its head, as Mavis embraces who she is and encourages others to do so too.
14. Mavis is a reminder that starting over can happen at any time!
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
Mavis' journey shows that age doesn't mean a thing, as she decides to venture out on her own as a stylist for the first time after her difficult break-up with her longtime boyfriend.
15. Just the fashion, babyyyyy!
Jocelyn Prescod/Netflix
The looks in the show – curated by lead stylist Keia Bounds and Buteau – highlight Mavis' personality and eye for fashion, while accentuating her body. There is never a moment where Mavis is trying to hide her body and we love to see it!
16. And, of course, this look... That's it!
Netflix
She's giving My Chemical Romance, Black Parade, ballet, Black, alt queen in this outfit for Natasha Karina's dog's wedding, and I am living for it.
17. The show has a sex-positive message, too.
Netflix
Michelle has frequently discussed the show's sex-positive message in interviews, and feels it's important to emphasise pleasure from a plus-sized woman's perspective. We rarely see plus-size people enjoying themselves, let alone having sex in TV shows and in movies, so this was a breath of fresh air! To quote Michelle herself, "we are having fat sex, bitch!"
18. And finally, it has a pretty high score on Rotten Tomatoes!
Rotten Tomatoes
The tomatoes have spoken and this show is definitely worth the watch!
Have you been watching Survival of the Thickest? Will you watch it now? Let us know in the comments below!
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
English (US) ·