Abstract
Lizzo’s self-articulated, fat-positive identity, and bodily flaunting are analyzed through close textual readings of (1) her Instagram (IG) posts and (2) print media features about the artist—all released during the height of her acclaimed mainstream success in 2019. Self-love (body positive and political), advocate, and fat hate resistance/rejection of politics of respectability emerged as three dominant themes in Lizzo’s IG posts during this time. Similarly, self-love (body positive), advocate, glorifying unhealthiness, and (unapologetic bad) bitch emerged as dominant themes written about the artist. Overall, the multi-textual framing (e.g., Instagram posts, media coverage) of Lizzo presents a complex, yet seemingly emancipated narrative of one fat Black female experience.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
A social media hashtag, social movement, and collective expression coined by CaShawn Thompson (Flake, 2017) used to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of Black women.
References
Abrams, M. (2019, July 26). Best Lizzo lyrics, leotards and quotes celebrating the singer and flautist. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/celebrity/lizzo-best-looks-quotes-a4120556.html.
Advocacy. (2020). In Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advocacy.
Bate, E. (2020, September 5). Lizzo said the body positivity movement has been “made acceptable” and is “no longer benefiting” the people who created it. Buzzfeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/eleanorbate/lizzo-body-positivity-normativity-vogue-interview.
Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2003). Strong and large Black Women? Exploring relationships between Deviant Womanhood and Weight. Gender & Society, 17(1), 111–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243202238981.
Bedor, E., & Tajima, A. (2012). No fat moms! Celebrity mothers’ weight-loss narratives in People Magazine. Journal of Magazine & New Media Research, 13(2), 1–26.
Brockworth, T. (2019, April 23). ‘Big Girl’ singer Lizzo has asthma attack on stage!! [Video]. Media Takeout. https://mtonews.com/big-girl-singer-lizzo-has-asthma-attack-on-stage-video.
Brown, A. M. (2019). Pleasure activism: The politics of feeling good. AK Press.
Chavez, K. (2019, July 30). The decade of Lizzo is just getting started. Marie Claire. https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a28542850/lizzo-absolut-juice-interview/.
Cohen, B. C. (1963). The press and foreign policy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Conti, G. (2019, May 21). I denied my eating disorder for years. This is why I’m finally talking about it. Hello Giggles. https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/denied-my-eating-disorder-for-years/.
Cooper, B. (2012, December 31). (Un)Clutching my mother’s pearls, or ratchetness and the residue of respectability [Blog post]. https://crunkfeministcollective.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/unclutching-mymothers-pearls-or-ratchetness-and-the-residue-of-respectability/.
Couch, D., Thomas, S. L., Lewis, S., Blood, R. W., & Komesaroff, P. (2015). Obese Adults’ perceptions of news reporting on obesity: The panopticon and synopticon at Work. SAGE Open, 5(4), 1.
Daufin, E. K. (2020). Thick Sistahs and heavy disprivilege: Black women, intersectionality and weight stigma. In M. Friedman, C. Rice, & J. Rinaldi (Eds.), Thickening fat: Fat bodies, intersectionality, and social justice (pp. 160–170). Routledge.
D’Zurilla, C. (2017, March 8). Gabourey Sidibe on her dramatic weight loss: ‘I did it so I can walk around comfortably in heels’. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-gabourey-sidibe-weight-memoir-20170308-story.htm.
Enjoli, A. (2020). 10 ways to practice self-love, according to Lizzo. Live Kindly. https://www.livekindly.co/waitrose-uk-first-vegan-cheese-fondue/.
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58. https://doi-org.spot.lib.auburn.edu/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x.
Flake, E. (2017, February 12). As #BlackGirlMagic turns four years old, CaShawn Thompson has a fresh word for all the magical Black girls. https://blavity.com/as-blackgirlmagic-turns-four-years-old-cashawnthompson-has-a-fresh-word-for-all-the-magical-black-girls.
Fontaine, S. (2010, April 5). Is “precious” star Gabby Sidibe too fat for a Hollywood career? NewsOne. https://newsone.com/478842/is-precious-star-gabby-sidibe-too-fat-for-a-hollywood-career/.
France, W. (2019, September 5). All the reasons why we love Lizzo. The Nicholls Worth. https://thenichollsworth.com/7007586/showcase/all-the-reasons-why-we-love-lizzo/.
Gardner, A. (2020). Lizzo wants the world to know being fat is normal. Glamour. https://www.glamour.com/story/lizzo-wants-the-world-to-know-being-fat-is-normal.
Garland-Thomson, R. (1997). Extraordinary bodies: Figuring physical disability in American culture and literature. New York: Columbia University Press.
George, K. (2019, August 1). Bad bitch. Urban Dictionary. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=A%20bad%20bitch.
Glenn, N. M., McGannon, K. R., & Spence, J. C. (2013). Exploring media representations of weight-loss surgery. Qualitative Health Research, 23(5), 631–644. https://doi-org.spot.lib.auburn.edu/10.1177/1049732312471731.
Greenbaum-Davis, D. (2019, August 26). Lizzo and the politically incorrect obesity epidemic. The Spectator. https://spectator.us/lizzo-problem-plus-size-role-models/.
Gross, T. (2019, May 23). Lizzo on feminism, self-love and bringing ‘Hallelujah Moments’ to stage [Audio podcast episode]. In Fresh Air. National Public Radio Online. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/23/725704911/lizzo-on-feminism-self-love-and-bringing-hallelujah-moments-to-stage.
Harvey, O. (2020, December 16). Lizzo posted a self-love mantra clapping back at her Detox backlash. Hello Giggles. https://hellogiggles.com/news/lizzo-defended-decision-to-detox/.
Haywood, C. A. (2013, April 23). The cranky conservative [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMRJ_dU6I4LZipMV_OBkvPQ/about.
Hello Beautiful Staff. (2019, November 22). 9 Times Lizzo reminded us sexiness doesn’t come in one size fits all. Hello Beautiful. https://hellobeautiful.com/playlist/9-times-lizzo-reminded-us-sexiness-doesnt-come-in-one-size-fits-all/item/1.
Higginbotham, E. B. (1993). Righteous discontent: The women’s movement in the Black Baptist church, 1880–1920. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hofstetter, A. (2019, August 22). Lizzo, I’m crying Cuz I love you. Washington Square News. https://nyunews.com/2019/08/22/lizzo-fat-women-acceptability-cultural-transformation/.
Hughes, B. (2019, April 23). Lizzo is singing the self-care message we all need to hear in 2019. Parade. https://parade.com/873822/beckyhughes/lizzo-new-album-self-love-body-positivity/.
Hurtado, A. (2020, April 27). 32 Lizzo lyrics about self-love that will get you pumped to celebrate the singer’s birthday! Parade. https://parade.com/944081/alexandra-hurtado/lizzo-lyrics-self-love-quotes/.
Johnson, S. (2019, August 27). Lizzo makes me proud to be a plus-size Black woman. Metro, UK. https://metro.co.uk/2019/08/27/lizzo-makes-me-proud-to-be-a-plus-size-black-woman-10639521/.
Jones, D. (2019, July 21). Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Lizzo are leading a pleasure politics revolution. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/megan-thee-stallion-cardi-b-lizzo-are-leading-pleasure-politics-ncna1029961.
Kirven, J. (2019, August 9). Fat is not fab. QNotes. https://goqnotes.com/63555/fat-is-not-fab/.
Kothesakis, E. (2019, September 17). Self-love and a flute: How Lizzo rose to fame. The Hofstra Chronicle. https://www.thehofstrachronicle.com/category/arts-and-entertainment/2019/9/16/self-love-and-a-flute-how-lizzo-rose-to-fame.
Kurutz, S. (2018, September 13). Rihanna talks Lingerie, body positivity and her ‘battle’ with social media. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/fashion/rihanna-fenty-savage-new-york-fashion-week.html.
LaVoulle, C., & Lewis Ellison, T. (2018). The bad bitch Barbie Craze and Beyoncé African American Women’s bodies as commodities in Hip-Hop culture, images, and media. Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education, 16, 2. https://doi.org/10.31390/taboo.16.2.07.
LeBesco, K. (2004). Revolting bodies? The struggle to redefine fat identity. Amherst and Boston: University of Massachusetts Press.
Levine, N. (2019, December 27). Why Lizzo was the star who defined 2019. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20191218-why-lizzo-was-the-star-who-defined-2019.
Lizzo [@lizzobeeating]. (2019, April 1–November 30). Official Instagram for Lizzo. https://www.instagram.com/lizzobeeating/.
Lizzo [@Lizzo]. (2020, December 9). Post [Official TikTok for Lizzo]. Retrieved from https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzo/video/6904153428281396486?lang=en.
Lopez, J. (2019). Truth Hurts’ was a viral hit, but Lizzo’s Stardom is no accident. Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8530113/lizzo-billboard-cover-story-interview/.
Lupton, D. (2017). Digital media and body weight, shape, and size: An introduction and review. Fat Studies, 6(2), 119–134.
MacMillan, A. (2017). Why Instagram is the worst social media for mental health. Time. https://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/.
McCombs, M., Ghanem, S. I., Reese, S. D., Gandy, J. O. H., & Grant, A. E. (2001). The convergence of agenda setting and framing. In Framing public life: Perspectives on media & our understanding of the social world (pp. 67–82).
Mitchell, A., & Herring, K. (1998). What the blues is all about: Black women overcoming stress and depression. New York: Perigee.
Murphy, D. (2019). Lizzo opens up about her dating life and getting hit on after the MTV VMAs (Exclusive). Entertainment Tonight. https://www.etonline.com/lizzo-opens-up-about-her-dating-life-and-getting-hit-on-after-the-mtv-vmas-exclusive-131356.
Nieves, B. (2019, September 4). How to dress like Lizzo this fall 2019. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/dress-like-lizzo.
Nnadi, C. (2018, May 3). Rihanna on body image, turning 30, and staying real—No matter what. https://www.vogue.com/article/rihanna-vogue-cover-june-issue-2018.
Page Six Team. (1999, November 30). 50 Fat Celebrities. Page Six. https://pagesix.com/1999/11/30/50-fat-celebrities/#1.
Perelman, C., & Olbrechts-Tyteca, L. (1969). The new rhetoric: A treatise on argumentation. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
Pickens, T. A. (2015). Shoving aside the politics of respectability: Black women, reality TV, and the ratchet performance. Women and Performance: a Journal of Feminist Theory, 25(1), 41–58.
Ravary, A., Bartz, J. A., & Baldwin, M. W. (2019). Shaping the body politic: Mass media fat-shaming affects implicit anti-fat attitudes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 11, 1580.
Richardson, D. (2019, April 10). What Lizzo means to me as a fat Black Girl. Evolve Magazine.https://www.evolvemagazine.online/current/what-lizzo-means-to-me-as-a-fat-black-girl.
Rodden, J. (2008). How do stories convince us? Notes towards a rhetoric of narrative. College Literature, 35(1), 148–173.
Stallings, L. H. (2013). Hip hop and the Black ratchet imagination. Palimpsest: A Journal on Women, Gender, and the Black International, 2(2), 135–139.
Schalk, S. (2019, October 18). When I twerked onstage with Lizzo, it was an act of political defiance. Vox. https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/10/18/20920615/twerking-with-lizzo.
Schallon, L. (2019, August 26). The fashion industry has a plus-size problem. These women want to fix it. Glamour. https://www.glamour.com/story/what-its-like-to-be-plus-size-and-work-in-fashion.
Scheufele, D. A., & Tewksbury, D. (2007). Framing, agenda setting, and priming: The evolution of three media effects models. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 9–20. https://doi-org.spot.lib.auburn.edu/10.1111/j.0021-9916.2007.00326.x.
Seemayer, Z. (2015, July 29). Raven-Symone says she was fat-shamed as a 7-year-old. Entertainment Tonight. https://www.etonline.com/news/168972_raven_symone_says_she_was_fat_shamed_as_a_7_year_old.
Shafer, E. (2019, June 26). Here are the lyrics to Lizzo’s ‘truth hurts’. Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/lyrics/8517815/lizzo-truth-hurts-lyrics.
Shiffer, E. (2019, October 28). Lizzo just posted a nude Instagram lying in a skittles-filled bathtub, and it’s everything. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a29610302/lizzo-nude-instagram-nsfw-bathtub-skittles/.
Shropshire, T. (2011, May 11). Jill Scott loses 50 pounds, but does she look better? Rolling out. https://rollingout.com/2011/05/12/jill-scott-loses-50-pounds-but-does-she-look-better/.
Southard-Ospina, M. (2019, July 3). Why Miley Cyrus’ ‘mother’s daughter’ video matters in our fat-shaming society. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/p/why-miley-cyrus-mothers-daughter-video-matters-in-our-fat-shaming-culture-18168565.
Stephens, B. (2019, August 23). Blame it on her juice: Over 60 of Lizzo’s sexiest photos. Pop Sugar UK. https://www.popsugar.co.uk/celebrity/Sexy-Lizzo-Pictures-46537803.
Sullivan, C. (2019, September 24). Lizzo’s song lyrics about love will make you feel 100% that b*tch. Elite Daily. https://www.elitedaily.com/p/lizzos-song-lyrics-about-love-will-make-you-feel-100-that-btch-18792100.
Tankovska, H. (2020). Instagram - statistics & facts. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/1882/instagram/.
The View. (2019, August 1). Jerry O’Connell talks Mariah Carey and ‘real housewives’ [Video].YouTube. https://youtu.be/iiAavFGPdpE.
Toliver, S. R. (2019). Breaking Binaries: #BlackGirlMagic and the Black Ratchet imagination. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 15, 1.
Tsjeng, Z. (2019, November 9). Lizzo: “I’m not trying to sell you me. I’m trying to sell you, you”. Vogue UK. https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/lizzo-british-vogue-interview.
Uwumarogie, V. (2016, December 1). Kelly Price shows off new slim, trimmed figure. MadameNoire. https://madamenoire.com/727909/kelly-price-weight-loss/.
Vogue (2019). Met gala 2019 Red Carpet: See all the celebrity dresses, outfits, and looks here. https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/met-gala-2019-red-carpet-livecelebrity-fashion.
Weaver, D. H. (2007). Thoughts on agenda setting, framing, and priming. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 142–147. https://doi-org.spot.lib.auburn.edu/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00333.x.
Weiner, J. (2019, August 16). The abrupt end of my big girl summer. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/16/opinion/lizzo-kelly-mcgillis.html.
Weinstock, S. (2019, April 3). Fat People Fuck Too. DigBoston. https://digboston.com/fat-people-fuck-too/.
Wells, V. (2019, April 5). Lizzo recounts a boyfriend telling her body needed work & getting to self-acceptance. MadameNoire. https://madamenoire.com/1068194/lizzo-boyfriend-body-shaming/.
Yioutas, J., & Segvic, I. (2003). Revisiting the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal: The convergence of agenda setting and framing. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 3, 567.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pickett Miller, N., Platenburg, G.N. (2021). Fat Black Female Flaunting. In: Lizzo’s Black, Female, and Fat Resistance . Palgrave Studies in (Re)Presenting Gender. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73762-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73762-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-73761-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-73762-7
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)