I love TLC‘s show Say Yes To The Dress–there is something so alluring about getting to see all of those beautiful couture dresses, even if half the time I’m yelling at the TV, disgusted by the patriarchal fairy tale nonsense many of the brides are cooing over. Even with all of the patriarchal ideals the show plays on to get viewers and to get women to buy ridiculously expensive dresses to wear only once, I think the show actually does some positive things, especially in terms of body image.

The commercial for the new series Say Yes to The Dress: Big Bliss is AWESOME. It depicts several women who do not fit the traditional skinny beauty construct, being absolutely thrilled about finding a wedding dress and feeling good about the way they look. The episode that I saw was also really positive in terms of body image. Kleinfeld, the bridal salon the show features, carries the largest selection of plus size samples dresses for brides to try on and the consultants are really very positive and helpful with every bride, no matter what they look like. Overall, the clients depicted on the show range in age, body shape/size, ethnic background and wealth. It is only occasionally that the show features a bride with an unlimited budged. Often the budget for the brides in only $2,000–this might sound like a lot of money for a one-time-use dress, but in terms of wedding dresses at Kleinfeld, its at the very low end.

You could argue that singling out plus size women in a special episode/series has derogatory connotations, but I think it is so positive to see a commercial that shows larger women being celebrated and feeling good about their bodies. We need that on TV–we need those images to counteract the constant barrage of skinny culture. It it perfect–no, absolutely not. By singling out larger women it can imply that skinny is the norm and the desired and therefore the ‘plus size’ woman is abnormal. But where else on television have you seen not only women with larger figures featured, but celebrating the way their body looks?

Related posts:

1. The Complexities of Consumerism and Body Image: thinkThin® Bars