FP staff picks: Fat babes who embrace the "F" word
To celebrate the launch of Virgie Tovar's brilliant manifesto for the fat revolution, we collected our favorite books, movies, TV shows, songs, and influencers that embrace the "F" word. This list is full of fat babes who would love YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN FAT and embrace Virgie's #LoseHateNotWeight movement.
Viva the fat revolution!
Must Listen: "Fitness," Lizzo
About: Lizzo is an alternative hip hop artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lizzo is unapologetically herself. In "Fitness," she makes it clear that for her, wanting to be fit ≠ wanting to be thin.—Lucia
Must Read: Eloquent Rage by Dr. Brittney Cooper
About: Brittney Cooper owns and celebrates black women's right to anger, joy, and freedom.
Eloquent Rage is a spirited treatise on next-generation black feminism, body politics, and the possibilities that emerge through radical accountability and joy.—Jamia
Must Watch: Steven Universe from Steven Universe
About: Steven Universe's father is human and his mother is a Gem, granting him magical abilities as the first Gem-human hybrid. He is optimistic, loving, brave, and fat.
Not only does the series feature many queer characters, it also stars several admirable and badass fat characters, like the mischievous Amethyst and Steven's mom, the beautiful Rose Quartz. It's so wonderful to see such exciting and wholesome representation of fat and LGBTQ+ people, especially in a cartoon series geared toward children.—Sophia O
Illustration by Katie Fricas, via Guernica
Must Read: Carmen Maria Machado's "The Trash Heap Has Spoken"
About: Machado mines culture (Fraggle Rock, The Little Mermaid, art history, and more) for models of unapologetic, powerful fat women.
I love the author's mingling of personal history, cultural criticism, and no-fucks-given feminism, plus sentences like: "Unapologetic fat women embrace the philosophy of displacement. They manifest the audacity of space-taking. They cleave the very air."—Sophia M.
Must Follow: @bodyposipanda
Megan Jayne Crabbe (@bodyposipanda) is an author, YouTuber, and Instagram maven who is a fierce and fantastic fat activist. She posts fun videos of her dancing in her underwear to celebrate her jiggle and also offers really meaningful advice to folks who struggle with mental health issues, body image, and general societal pressures to lose weight.
She's bubbly and fun, and generally just an awesome person who puts out great content!—Mya
Must Read: "The Belindas" from Love War Stories by Ivelisse Rodriguez
About: Heartbroken and traumatized by an ex-boyfriend, Belinda turns to eating to regain control of her life and her body. Years later and over a hundred pounds heavier, she meets her ex again only to realize that he doesn't recognize her, while he looks exactly the same.
Ivelisse has an amazing ability to introduce a level of vulnerability and rawness in her stories that's all too real and relatable. Her characters are flawed, inspirational, and, above all, powerful.—Lauren
Must Listen: Gossip's BETH DITTO
About: Beth Ditto is an American singer-songwriter, most notable for her work with the indie rock band Gossip.
Her voice and style are incredible.—Jisu
Must follow: @JSTLBBY
About: Amber Wagner is an internet personality who rose to fame after making silly and uplifting self-empowerment videos on her Twitter and Instagram. She is body and sex positive, and loves to encourage her followers to be their best selves. She is unapologetically black, fat, and loving herself!
Her method of empowerment may not be typical, but I get so excited every time I see a new video on my IG timeline and I am so ready to be bestowed with her wisdom. She is funny and real, and that makes her words even more powerful.—Luriel
Must Watch: Kirstie Alley in Fat Actress
Alley tackled Hollywood's rampant fatphobia head on with humor and irony by playing out real-life stories of her struggles as a successful actress who gained weight and lost her marketability.
Woefully short-lived!!—Drew
Must Watch: "Dangerous Curves" NYT Op-Doc
Unfortunately only a seven-minute window into Roz the Diva's incredible showcase, Dangerous Curves: A Celebration of Plus Size Pole Dancers, and her reflections on the process of building confidence and self-love.
I'm so inspired by Roz!!—Hannah
Must Follow: @mynameisjessamyn
About: Jessamyn is a yoga teacher/enthusiast, fat femme activist, and writer.
I love the really public work Jessamyn is doing to reclaim health, wellness, and mindfulness for Black, fat, disabled, and queer communities! Jessamyn celebrates the body in a really unique and cool way, and encourages her students to ask themselves 'How do I feel?,' rather than 'How do I look?' —Ruthie
Must Listen: "Ego-Holic," Jolin Tsai
About: In 2026, Mei-Er Wang received a mysterious parcel sent by "INTERNET PHENOMENON PRODUCTION COMPANY." When seeing the company could craft a celeb-like virtual life for her, she couldn't help but to think about the school bullying she had suffered from in the past. She wanted to be pretty, famous, and powerful, so she went for it, but found she turned into a completely different person in the end. Unfortunately, the video doesn't have any English subtitles, but here are some of the lyrics:
"When you look in the mirror you should smile as if there's nobody else around. Me and myself are on the best terms. You need to take that outward step for it to be worthy of the way of a king. The feeling has to be good. Who is who is not important."
This music video shows us the only way to become pretty is to accept who you are and to love yourself like an "ego-holic."—Zixu
Must Watch: My Mad Fat Diary
About: Set in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in the mid-1990s, My Mad Fat Diary follows the story of 16-year-old Rae Earl.
This show explores mental health and body image issues in a way I've never seen. I binged the whole thing!—Suki